Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-30


EGS&2Yl permit it, and Heaven is right. God
has already done go much more for me
than ever could have hoped or dream
ed have seen you, darling my lovely, innocent
child, and you-oh, you haven't hated me, or curs-
81 me or sent me from You And have helped
to save your life. in all the long and miserable
night which has just broken for me- in all the
weary fifteen years which we're really but one
Thought OF you, never hoped ! never dreamed
that SO much could possibly be granted me. Oh
my prayer was answered; OH that kind good
man who made me prayl My darling, you were
TOO gentle, TOO sweet, and the devil tempted me
and for two days I have fought with him. He
said, stay, stay with her; and be at rest and
happy poor hunted soul in her forgvinp love:
you have sinned; but you have suffered. and
now you shall have peace All. darling, it was
frighttui, but | remembered how I prayed and
how my prayer was answered, and / conquered
the temptation; and now while l have strength
1 am flying from it, l am leaving YOU forever
BE happy with the husband You are going to
wed; he will De good to you, feel it, Never
weep Tor your mother, darling; only remember
that she loved you and would die rather than
bring an instants shadow to your sweet and
gentle face can write no more. the tears drop
so fast upon the paper. Pray for me- Elsie, pray
that may have peace. Goodbye, my darling;
oh, goodbye, my love, my love. Let me sign
myself for once, just once-your mother"
And she has gone" ! said.
Yes; last night, or early this morning, before
the house was up. 1t is impossible to say wheh
No one knows; no one saw her 90. Oh, Arthur,
l am frightened. l do not think she has much
money. Where can she have gomez"
! thought for a moment. "It is difficult to
say" l said, at last. "But there is one posi-
biity. Where does Lady Rexworth live?
"On Southampton Water; in her old home
Her people are dead, you know, and she has the
house."
Then there are ten chances to one that she
has gone there" I said; either there, or toto
the chaplain she speaks of. But Lady Rexworth
must be the first person to try"
Seeing her into the house again, had a mo-
ment's chat with Joseph.
eve will take 'teuf-teuf' he said, "and we
will catch zat poor wandering woman as quick
as quick. She cannot ave gone very far, not
would lose her way in zis confusing forest. And
Nteufteuf is quick; you do not know 'ow quick.
We will go and see i'm, and we will start at
once, And as we go We will make inquiries on
our route"
Joseph had said that "teuf-teuf'' was quick;
that did not know how quick he was. He was
right, had no idea; but I soon obtained one.
Never shall l forget the wild nightmare of that
drive,
1 am not coward, think, for I ride as
straight as another to hounds, but must con-
fess that ] experienced sense of relief when
Joseph pulled up at Holmsley Station and we
took our first breather to inquire there if any
thing had been seen of the woman we were pur-
suing
We soon discovered that we had made for
tunate commencement by calling first at the sta
fer rot with A
an undoubtedly Elsies mother, from the descrip-
tion given us, had been there a few hours pre-
viously and had taken ticket for Hinton Ad-
miral in the opposite direction to Southampton
and she had left half an hour afterwards by the
first train.
Then she was not going to Lady Rexworth, ap-
parently, nor to the prison, which was the Sec
ond possibility | had thought of.
Hinton Admiral ees six miles from ere" said
Joseph. let us not waste time. Come, 'teuf
teuf," off we go again"
II climbed resignedly on to my perch, and we
reached Hinton Admiral at last, and wasted no
time in commencing our inquiries afresh. We
met with small success however, and it was al
ready well on in the day before we again OBJ
tanned any news of the woman we sought
For hours we wandered round the little town
and its outskirts, questioning everyone we met
and causing much interest in our appearance and
turnout, but only to meet with disappointment
"Oh zis ees terrible" said Joseph, at length,
sinking back on his small, hard seat, dishearten-
ed. "Zat woman she as 'ad nussing to eat; she
as npt stopped to drink; she seems to ave asked
eF way of no one, and she as disappeared as if
she 'ad sunk into re sea. Where ees she; what
as she done; where as she gone"
I looked round us We were on a lonely
country road, some distance outside the town,
with not soul in sight "Who can tell?" l
said, disconsolately, at last. "We seem to have
asked at every house in the neighborhood and
we have certainly questioned most of the in
hsbitants. Still we must find her. I will never
return to Elsie without news Heaven grant it
may be good"
Joseph nodded and wiped some dust from
"teufteuf' "Amen," he said.