Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-06-05

1t must have occurred to her that IL
the earl could be made to believe thar
the child was his own-you see2 Yes.
So these two women conspired in al
affection; the little girl was to be lc-
garded as the daughter of the CouA t.
ess of Arrowdale, and when they LETT
London and took up their abode in the
country, it was as the young Lady
Norah that the child of Catherine
Woodfern was presented. to the world.
There was no limit to GATHERINGS de
votion; she even relinquished her
child! 1t was very feasible. No one
knew of the marriage excepting the
man Furlong. and he would not have
known of the birth of the child If he
had not CHANGED to meet Catherine in
London before the two women had de
c.ded upon the exchange of mothers,
and heard from her that the lieuten-
ant had daughter
Norah caught her breath.
Her father. He knew-he must
have been written to- flashed through
her mind
Guilford Berton seemed to divine
Yes, the lieutenant would have
known, of course; but unfortunately
he contracted yellow fever at St
Kits two months after his marriage
and died there. The man Furlong
was with him when he died. There is
the certificate" and he handed her
another paper.
Il have nearly come 10 the end OF
my story. Miss Norah" he said, wip-
ing his bps aid eyeing her white face
with d watchful keehaess. The plot
was not i Dad one. If the earl had
only possessed the smallest of hearts,
the announcements of his child's birth
would have touched him and brough.
about reconciliation but the earl
you knew him long and intimately
enough to render it unnecessary for
me to say anything further He de
clined TO hold any communication with
his wife: he declined to receive her
back or see the child This was 2
| startling disappointment, no doubt, and
| if it could have been effected you
would have been restored by the
countess 10 your mother, and ae-
knowledged as the child of the wild
ow of Lieutenant Woodfern; but. you
see. that could not be. What was
done could not be undone. The count,
ess had presented you to the world
as the daughter of the Earl of Arrow
dale, and the daughter of the Ear of
ArrOwdale you had to remain /
don't think it mattered very much to
Catherine; perhaps she consoled her
self for playing the part of nurse in
stead Of mother by rejecting that her
child would figure as the daughter Of
peer That is very likely TO have
been her feeling. Anyway she died
| keeping the secret, and 1t was buried
with her Only one men could have
| revealed the truth-the sailor, Fur
,ong; and he had disappeared, as sail
ors do. Probably she thought he was
| deld. But he is alive; it is from him
that | have learned this interesting
story of Your birth, and ii is in my
power to compel him 70 remain ST
lent or tell the story in court of
law That the proofs may be COM
plete. | have got from him a pain
statement of the case; here it is. You
will like to have it. have no doubt "
He crossed over to her and placed
1t between her unresisting fingers.
Then he went back and leaned
against the mantelshelf again. anu
looked down at her
Norah, with the papers in her
hand. sat with her eyes fixed on the
ground. She was scarcely conscious
of his presence She was simply
/ crushed and overwhelmed by the reve-
lation OF its truth she did not
doubt for a moment Even IL he had
not produced the certificates and othe~
documents, she would have been con
vinced of the truth of his story Cath
erine's-her mother's--last words
were testimony enough She was no:
the daughter Of the Countess of AZ.
rowdale, but of her companion, Cath
ERNIE Woodfern.
| And at that moment there was
only room for one feeling In her
heart; an overlooking love for the
woman who had hidden the secret II
her maternity in her bosom even lo
the gates of death, She raised the
portraits to her lips and kissed it, and
her tears fell upon It.
Guiford Berton accepted the ae
ton as her acknowledgment that he
had spoken the truth.
You are satisfied" he said. in a
low voice. thought you would be
But | fear you have scarcely realized
the difference the change. In your
circumstances which this discovery
must cause
Norah scarcely heard him as she
wiped her eyes and stihed her sobs
You have 10 realize, Miss Norah.
he went on. that you are no longer
the LADY Norah, daughter of the late
earl; that you are not the mistress OF
his immense wealth"
Norah raised her head and looked at
him, and put her hand to her brow
why have YOU told me this?' she
said. Was It for the sake of, re.eng.9
| do not understand dc hot care
II feel that you have told me the
truth; that | am not the daughter Of