Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-09-29
CHAPTER TX


in a very irritable state of mind. Per-
haps she was regretting the moments
impulse that had prompted her to ac-
cept nameless young painter Babette.
too, seemingly had a weight on her mind.
She crept about her work, laying out
Miss Malling's elegant evening toilet
with subdued air very different from
her usual noiseless activity. Babette was
doing her best to get through her duties,
when, as i'll luck would have it, memory
for moment asserted itself and brought
before her L picture of a pretty black
eyed urchin tossing from side to side in
his small cot and crying out her name
increasingly as he refused the cooAng
drink offered by a hand he did not love.
The maid sobbed-sobbed audibly.
Miss Mailing raised her eyes from
their contemplation of the carpet and
looked in dgniied surprise at the young
Frenchwcman. Noting for the first time
the signs of tears on her face, Miss
Mailing felt angry.
What in heavens name is the matter
with you, Babette? Pray don't let me
have any weeping and wailing. If there
is one thing that exasperates me more
than another it Is a crying woman"
Pardon, mademoiselle; the grief over
came me in spite of myself. | did not
intend to speak; but as you have noticed
my sorrow, | will make bold to tell you
that | have a little stepbrother, the only
being in the world who Is related to me,
and | have here a letter telling me he
is very Ill, and that he asks for me night
and daylight and day" The poor girls
voice broke for a moment; but she rallied
4 IL 4
spare me for just enough time to get to
Boulogne and back to see the poor little
fellow"
And what am | to do in the mean
time?" Pauline asked Jelly. "Of course
you can go if you like; but you need not
come back | am surprised you should
ask me such an insane thing, when you
know the house will be full of people the
day after tomorrow. | could not posi-
bly, do without you. Pray do not say an
other word about it, and please leave off
crying"
Babette moved away to the far end
of the room, wiped her eyes, and stood
for an instant quite still, depressing the
sobs that shook her frame.
IF my little Pierre dies without see
ing me | will never forgive you-never.
great harm; and it will come if | am
patient" the girl thought.
After dressing Miss Mailing and max
ing the dressing room tidy, Babette pass
ed through the picture gallery on her way
to Mrs. Perkins sanctum for her usual
cup of tea. Thinking everybody must
be downstairs, she stopped at Jacks easel
and looked at Pauline's picture.
so you think the world is made for
your pleasure? You are too high a lady
to trouble yourself with your servants
affairs; but perhaps they will trouble
themselves with yours, madame. L have
seen you finch and shrivel up strangely
sometimes. People don't shriyel up for
nothing, unless they have a fear of some
thing; and il they have q secret fear,
there must be something bad to cause
It. Ii my little darling dies without the
comfort Of kissing his Babette once, it
will be your fault; and all my life long
| will watch, watch, watch, to try to
repay your cruelty to me and hint
and she looked as if she meant it.
Jack, who had stopped until the last
moment finishing his rat her difficult let
ter to Ethel in his own room, was struck
by the intense hatred in the womans
face as he opened the door, wondered for
the moment what could have caused it,
wished the next that he could call it up
1T will and use her as model for fiend
and the next moment forgot all about it.
Throwing his letter on the hall table,
he hurried into the drawing room to
make his peace for being late.
Babette had her quiet cup of tea with
Mrs. Perkins, and, with plentiful she'd
ding of tears, wrote to the woman who
had charge of little Pierre to say that
she could not come to her darling just
now.
The letter was full of loving messages
and promises, and the poor girls heart
felt very heavy as she put it into the
bag. She had taken it into the hall her
self. There was another letter lying
there ready stamped for the post; she
took it up carelessly, recognized it by the
red seal as the one Jack had had in his
hand when he passed her in the gallery,
and stood transhXed with surprise as she
read the address.
The address of that pretty demoiselle
that | followed home from the museum,
by her orders. Why, there is something
III this, Why, If she wants the address
of lady who is known to Monsieur
Dornton, does she not ask him. instead
Of setting me to follow her like a po-
Iceman: | shall have that to find OUT"
Babette, | want YOU" Mrs. Perkins
called from the door that shut off the
servants quarters.
Something in the voice, some subtle
touch Of sympathy, struck Babettes
quick ear. She turned so sharply that
Mrs. Perkins had not time to conceal
the black bordered letter she held in her
hand, With heart rending cry, Babette
started forward and snatched the letter
from her
She was a quick, impetuous, unreason-
ing and unreasonable creature; she did
not stop to consider that she could not
have cached the child even if Pauline
had given her instant consent She re-
membered only that her mistress had
been cruel to her in the time of her
trouble; and she registered a VOW that. if
there was any secret in Pauline Mall
ing's past life, she would hunt it out and
humiliate her.
\ letter lay by Ethers plate: but she
did not touch it. Mr.. Mallett, self-ab-
sorbed as ever, did not notice how his
daughter was struggling to preserve her
usual eomposure all through the break
fast time.
Jack Dornton had not intended to be
cruel when he wrote: but after destroy
inc a dozen sheets of paper in his desire
TO be neither too soft nor too hard. he
decided at last that the shorter and plain
er he made it the better; and this was
what he had written: