Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1907-09-13
THE CHARITY GIRL 1
BY EFFfE a. ROWLANDS

BY EFFIE a. ROWLANDS

connected with him but there was moth
Ing else TO do, and even the old woman,
10 common justice, admitted that Rod
erick was acting with more than broth
er's love to the unfortunate girl.
She refuses to see the child" Mar
shall said, land when l urge her, all she
says Is, Let 1t die Let it disp We
can't do that, you know, sir. What are
we to dot"
Roderick had already foreseen this con-
tingency and was prepared.
The child must be removed. / know
woman who will take il and be thank
full for the money. The mother will
never ask for it, never wish to see it."
And thus, despite Marshalls longing
to keep the helpless, hapless child, was
the matter arranged. Constance never
asked after her baby, and when she was
told by her faithful maid what had been
done with 1t, she made no sign, either
by word or look. The doctor who attend
cd hei had been taken into confidence by
frederick, and be pitied the poor young
mother from the bottom of his heart, for
he saw that a blow had been struck
which could never be healed.
Constance was scarcely convalesceut
before she received a visit from her faith
er. who was in a state of much perturba-
tion.
Knew how it would be-" he said. when
he first saw the girls white face. Boxed
up here with dying old woman-enough
to Kill you in reality. And who could
have put this into the papers? Anstruth-
or says 1t must have been some oficious
person In the village who thought you
were III, and must needs kill you"
Constance took the newspaper from her
fathers hand, and read the announce
ment of ter own death in short para
graph. She was silent for moment.
and then, as she handed 1t back, she said,
with faint smile:
1T is a pity you have to contradict
1t, father"
"Eh. What nonsensel Now. Con.
shan't let you stop here any longer.
never saw such a change in any girl
Pack up your trunks at once and come
away Why, you look fortyI"
How little did poor Constance think
as she journeyed to London with her
Father. that at that very time Frank
Anstruther was reading the account of
in loving, tenderly indited letter from
his brother Roderick, who had hit on this
idea of separating Frank from his wife
as being the best. If he had limited at
anything else, Frank would have rushed
back to England at once, but with Con-
stance dead and buried, what was there
to bring him back?
Roderick's shrewdness was verified
Frank never came home. And when the
London season was at its height, and
Constance Gascoigne was winning fresh
laurels for her beauty and wit, the news
arrived of an outbreak of fever In Bur-
nah, and Frank Anstruther's name waR
among the dead. They called him hero.
they sent home accounts of his courage
self-sacrifice, and bravery, and Con.
stances heart turned with despairing,
yearning agony to the man she had loved
sc well, and she longcd to be buried with
him, shut out OF the world forever She
saw Roderick as little as she could, It
was from his lips that she learned of her
child's death; the woman who had taken
1t had reported always how delicate it
was, and the end, always expected, had
come at last.
Then it was that Roderick spoke; that
he showed himself In his colors. II.
pleaded for her lovo; he told her how he
had adored her ever since their child
hoods days; how he had given place to
Frank against his longing, and entreat-
ed her to forget all and become his wife.
When he left her that day Roderick
knew his plan had failed; come what
fUh L
To lend aid to his final coup he had lied
to her about her child. He knew that
it lived, although IL neglect and poverty
could have killed 1t the poor little thing
had its share. Stung to the quick with
the bitter words that came from Con
stances lips at his Offering Of love. he
determined she should never be told the
truth. He had one interview with the
woman who had charge Of the child, and
after giving her a large sum of money
and sworn her to secrecy, he went out of
England, and was lost TO the world that
knew him forever. He had lived for one
thing only during the space of four years,
and when he knew he had lost his tri-
umph, he cast the dust off his shoes and
vanished
Then came the time of George Fraser's
wooing. the miserable hopeless time when
Constance learned that her hand was the
price Of silence over her fathers dis
honor and dishonesty. The rest we know
up to the day that Audrey came to Din
glewood as maid to Sheila Fraser.
CHAPTER TX.
"And you are my mother?" They
were the only words Audrey could utter.
She was bevildered, amazed; her heart