The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-31
CHAPTER I.-COntinued.

~ l.
Beatrice's pride irnpelled her to re-
fuse; but the thought Of her child,
and Of the unknown dangers which
might be in store for her, checked her
drst impulse, and made her say, with
a sort Of proud humility:
fEtF- Thank you. Yes; I'll come. In
b week, then"
And with a bow, as Miss Froyle did
not offer her hand, she went, out of
the room.
ut is always some little ;; thing som ne
wounds a woman more deeply in the
midst of misfortune than any Of her
heavy cares. This trifing circum-
stance, therefore, that her late hus-
bands aunt had neither shaken hands
with her nor kissed her child, stunned
Beatr1ce Froyle more than the bad
news she had received, more than the
fact that she found herself utterly
alone and friendless in the world.
Not for one moment did she deceive
herself as to the prospect before her.
The condition of poverty in which her
own family lived was worse than she
elderly lady. The widow Of a curate
with large family, her mother could
only maintain herself and her children
with the grudging help Of friends; and
for Beatrice to go back to her, in the
circumstances, with another mouth to
llil dlluO IL Was only lndL VI d. l1Ill0
child, was out Of the question.
The more the poor young creature
considered her position, the more trag-
ically hopeless did 1t appear to her;
until at last, when the rumbling om-
INDUS had set her down with her
sleepy, fretful child, near the. Hotel
salisbury, it almost seemed to the dis
Itracted woman as if the river was the
only place for them. e.
The bright lights were filling the
hall with a brilliant illumination when
she, dazzled by the sudden change
and straight to the office for the key
OF her room, a modest one on the up
per floor. .. =
Miserable as she was the young
widow had her attention attracted by
another woman, a handsome, we'll
making inquiries at the office at the
same time. 7i
! She was asking for Lord Gathering
ton, and desiring them to send word
ITO him that Lady Catherington wished
Ito see him. -
While the young lady in charge Of
the office turned to find out whet Their
Lord Catherington was In the hotel,
Beatrice Froyle watched the stranger
with ever-increasing curiosity and in
terest mingled with establishment.
lady, whose black silk dress was heav-
lily jetted, and whose long coat Of light
GRAY cloth was lined with sable, was a
little child, apparently not more than
fifteen months old, whose feeble
,whimpering was piteous to hear. A
tender mother herself, Beatrice Froyle
was struck by the awkward and UNI
comfortable manner in which the
iother woman was holding her child,
end her face was full of pity and con-
Germ when Lady Catherington sudden
" raised her eyes and met those Of the
young widow.
The look Of reproach in those of
beatrice was unmistakable, and Lady
gathering ton flushed under the pow
DER on her face. She was very
beautiful woman indeed, so massive,
an erect carriage of her well-shaped
head, that 1t surprised Beatrice to find
that she herself was the taller of the
two. Instinctively the imposing
stranger began to fondle the child in
her arms, as If in answer to re-
lproachful look cast upon her. But
lBeatrice's keen eyes saw that these
movements were not natural and. she
turned away with a sob Of pity on her
lips for the poor. mo pan babe: 800
little one, and was carried to the@up-
lper floor where she had her one mod
lest room. There she laid little
iErmyntrude on the bed, after taking
off her hood and pe1isse. for she sud
denly remembered that she had for.
gotten to ask whether there were any
letters for her. Slender as she knew
her chances Of hearing from Sir John
stone and Lady Froyle to be-, the
young Widows position was too pififu1
for her not to cling to any slightest
hope Of hearing from the only people
who could help her out Of her cruel
difficulties.
So Ermyntrude, already half asleep
when she was placed upon the bed,
dust opened her eyes for one look at
her mother and then closed them in
slumber. Beatrice watched beside her
for a few moments and then slipped
quietly out of the room.
She did not wait for the lift on the
way down, but descended by the way
lot the staircase. She had reached
the second floor when there struck
upon her ears once more the faint but
l11fest piteous wai1ing of the little child
4 whom she had noticed In the arms Of
the woman who had given her name
las Lady Catherington. The child's
voice was so weak that only the pre-