The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-07
CHE Rove Chat never Dies
,E WARDEN, Author of The Master-Key, The House
the Marsh" 1.-THE Inn by the Shore" Etc.
All Rights Reserved

"But now" he added, 1.-THE place
seems full Of ghosts. The ladies are
dead, their beauty lives only on can
vas; and the wits and statesmen are
gone-Well, where wits and statesmen
go!"
But to Beatrice 1T was all new and
strange and fascinating. She liked the
ghosts, she said. There was nothing
gloomy about the spirits Of brilliantly
dressed women and clever men. The
furniture seemed made for them, and |
she liked to think it remained conse-
Grated to their memories.
So they loitered, and sauntered, Err !
myn insisting always on bringing her
doll1e in the procession or on seeing
it carried before her; and when the
day wore on towards a close the Wis
count asked Beatrice, dtffdently, If the
child might not sit up to dinner with
him. WED have it early, you know
he added. She hesitated, but did not
refuse.
She had a sort of feeling, all the
the conventionalities spoken of by him
that morning; but, considering all
things, she felt bound to yield.
If he took pleasure in her society,
as we'll as in that Of the little one, she
might as we'll give it to him for the
| few days she meant to stay.
| "She has had a nap, you know, to
help her thru the evening"" suggested
Lord Catherington.
So she had. When her little feet
began to go slowly both the grown
people had sat down on one of the
Louis Quinze sofas, and while Beatrice
rocked her babe to sleep in her arms,
Lord Catherington had amused her
with an account of some Of his ad-
ventures out in America, in manner
which had helped, pleasantly enough,
to while away the afternoon.
And so it came about that another
day passed without confession, and
then came that of the funeral Of the
dead baby. Beatrice went alone leaving
Ermyn at home with the viscount. And
when evening came and the ceremony
was over, and Beatrice was once more
with her own child in her own room,
a knock was heard at the nursery door
and Harvey, the third housematd-
Beatrice's favorite-came to ask If
Mrs. Froyle would take Miss Ermyn-
trude downstairs to say goodbye, as
his lordship was ready to start on his
journey.
, 1t was with a strange sinking Of the
heart that Beatrice held UP the child
to be kissed by the great, bearded man,
!. whose presence meant so much to
them both. A presentiment Of evil
hung over the young mother, born,
> perhaps, of her own feelings of guilt
and remorse.
The viscount saw the misery in her
l face, and looked, over the head OF the
! child. to the woman.
! You must tell her to cheer up,
Q Ermyn," said he. Tell her not to fret,
= not to worry, and to believe that there
t are brave times in store for all Of us.
o believe, Mrs. F'royle," he went on
- turning to Beatrice herself, that
r you're just as jealous about her as
Q am myself. Each time I've taken her
out you have looked daggers at me-
t TT thought" stammered Beatrice
n that it was only good nature made
v you take her out. Gentlemen DOM
e generally care to be bothered with
II children out Of DOORS"
IT love the bairns," said he. But we
q won't forget you. Well all go for {
v drive together when come back. ASK
Mrs. Froyle If she'll come, Ermyn,
J. he went on, still with his eyes on thu
u mother.
# "'Es, nanny come" said Ern1yn
using the word that she was used to
d which set the grown folk blushing.
"Well, goodbye, goodbye! Talk
!" care Of yourselves and each other, ant
If you'll see me again, I hope, on Sat
e. urday."
le It was Wednesday. Beatrice shud
st dered. The week was flying, as
ia seemed to her. On Monday sh
w would have to meet Miss Froyle again
% "Good-byeI" she whispered tremu
r, lously.
81 And it was with a sort of consterna
" ton. a futter of the heart, that sh
T. found that Lord Catherington's las
looks Of all, his last words, were given
at not to the child, but to her.
1T When the master of the house ha
gone, Beatrice had time to becom
+ fully aware Of a fact which she ha
r. already reason to suspect, namely tina
" her arrival, even more than that Q
70 Ermyn, had caused f1utter Of excite
ST ment, feeling Of antagonism or o
r partisanship, to rage turnout tn
"a household. With feminine intuitio
to she knew that, while the old butle
and Harvey and some others took he
% part Mrs. Newton, the housekeepel
q was bitterly angry, and looked upo
Ia her with strong suspicion and Jealousy
g, Little as Beatrice saw of these pee
Of pie, she felt this acutely, and as sh
t. had no companion but Ermyn and he
own thoughts she passed her time /
:" great uneasiness, owing to this an
q, her deeper causes Of distress.
i'd She would sit at the window an
at stare out sadly at the trees in tn
square, with their now gaunt and leaf
,e. less branches, while Ernyn busie
m herself with the collie and her doll 9
ID, the nursery floor.
p It was not long before she notice,
d. in the square below, on the day 70
to lowing Lord Catherington's departur
ay a strange, haunting figure that move
OF up and down, shutting along alwa1
N, on the same side Of the way, and cas-
o. ing from time to time a quick, restlei
rs, glance at the great house.
n The figure worried her, troubled he
Its made her uneasy. When she went Of
ne with Ermyn she saw the man wate
lat her as she came out, and even folio
ed her for some little distance along tt
road.
he AS she passed him she noticed tn
he he was miserably thin and almost ra
sh ged and that there was that in h
lid haggard face and burning eyes whit
sc, looked like madness. So niue
cir alarmed was she that she would n
Tx venture back to the square on fot
nd but took a cab when Ermyn was tir'
INT and drove back to the house. AS tn
passed under the porttco she motto,