Middletown transcript., 1904-05-07

Mother, Was flA Teply, as
the speaker ~ 4erIy over the
couch do You 70 you feel weaker ?
Ny own az lier, yon have other
Child and need you For
IE sakes l. - this grief--tliis agony !
Forget said Lady Erndale, with. feeble
passion. Can a mother ever forget ?
Gould you forget il your child was taken
and you knew not whether he was living
or dead?
LADY 6raham's tears fell last.
No-I could not, she answered in a
voice choked by sobs. Mother, / would
give my life to restore our Geoffry to you
/ had a strange dream last night, Molly,
her mother remarked, with far-away
look in her deep eyes-a very strange
dream, dear, and SO life like ! saw my
darling again, but he was man bronzed
and tall and, Molly, he did not know
mel
Mother, said her daughter passionately,
if he were a feeble graybeard, Geoffry
would know and love you! And she
wound her iond arms round the frail
trembling figure, and kissed and soothed
her as she would have soothed child.
But this incident reused a strange rest
lessness within her, and she wrote to her
old friend Mr.. Maxwell, urging him once
more, if he knew of any effort untried, to
spare neither time nor money to find hei
brother, alive or dead.
This letter, written on impulse, with
no one to advise her, Sir James Graham
being abroad on diplomatic mission,
reached Mr. Maxwell at the Manor
House, whittier all his London cores
pondence was forwarded, oD the morning
after he had obeyed Sir Jasper's summons
and gone down to Hilary.
They had been sitting up late the
/ night before talking OF Geofry's changed
prospects and tile legal formalities neces
sary to prove him the missing heir o.
Erndale, and now they had returned tc
the Dover House together. Callsgan
after his depositions had been taken, was
comfortably bestowed in the village, there
to remain till required, and. the man,
| whole nature seemed to change and ex
pand under the influence of kindness.
What a fool and dolt I. was, said the
old lawyer, not to put two and two to-
gether when l cav the lads likeness to
| the Erndales But tliere--I'm getting
old and foolish The first time | set eyes
on him his face seemed as familiar to me
| as my own, though / couldn't for the life
Of me tell where had seen it.
l was just as bad, cried Sir Jasper
every bit! But don't you think we
ought to tell him something that he has
| not yet heard-something of the mother
who lives only the hope of seeing her
| son again?
/ Mother, questioned Geofry-mother
Yes. my boy, said Sir Jasper, with a
catch in his proud old voice-yes-a
mother always refusing to believe you
dead. She has clung to life only that
she might look on your face before she
dies. / have known her since her child
hood, and it will be the proudest day oI
my life when | take you to her again.
| Where is my mother? asked Geoffry
nnsteadily.
For all answer the lawyer took Molly's
pitiful little letter from the table and
gave it into the yonng Earl's hands.
When he returned it, hi eyes We're dim,
and great longing filled his heart to see
the mother who lived only in the hope
of his return and the sweet sister who
loved him SO tenderly.
So it was finally agreed that Sir Jasper
and Geoffry were to go up to town that
very day, and from there to Holmhurst,
Sir james Graham's seat, near Worches-
ter, where the young Earl was to remain
at the villageinn whilst Sir Jasper went
on to break the joyful news to Lady
Graham.
But, before they started, Geoffry took
the old Baronet into the room SO care
fully prepared for the women he had
thought his mother and spoke in frank
manly way OF the subject nearest his
heart.
/ think / must have loved Betty, he
said earnestly, ever since l met her in
yonder woods. | should have loved her
all my, life, believing myself the unknown
obscure Tom Archer. But now, when
you sent me to her as the heir Of Ern-
dale, my secret escaped me, and I told
her everything.
Sir Jasper frowned.
Upon my word, Geoffry, he said gruff1y,
you have lost no time in your wooing
But, he added, | sent you to Betty N.Y.
self, SO I suppose you'll say it was my
fault and, by George, my boy, he went
on heartily, I desire no better race than
the Erndale's for my child to mate with
But, as Geoffry would have spoken
impulsiyely, the old Baronet's face clouded
and his eyes grew dim.
Do you know. he said hoarsely, that
Betty must come to you dowerless Do
you know that the old house at Hilary is
all have to leave? And, dropping
heavily into chair, Sir Jasper laid his
head on his folded arms and groaned
aloud.
What does all that matter, dear Sir
Jasper was Geoffry's quick reply. Have
/ not enough for all And am TO be
your son only in name?
Sir Jasper glasped the outstretched
hand but bis voice had lost its, wonted
ring, and his bronzed cheeks were pale.
She is worth a kings ransom, he said
unsteadily but she comes Of a grand old
race and proud one, and, by George,
can't forget It'll
[ro BE coNTINuED]