Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1912-06-07

over a private matter, and should DO
glad to have you retire." / answered.
I'll do nothing of the kind he re-
turned, sullenly.
"Do as you please" l responded In
differently. after all, what have
got to say may interest you as well
as this woman. Sir John Tregenna
has returned, and is at present with
his supposed heir. Lady Tregenna
has told me everything from her point
of view. 1t is my conviction that she
has been deceived. And"
Il shall tell you all you want to
know, sir" interrupted the nurse.
At these unexpected words Dayrell
turned pale. He looked at the wom-
an viciously, and made a step for
ward. as though to strike her.
STAND back, you plotting hound"
said to him savagely, and stepped
between him and the nurse. His hand
dropped, and he moved a pace from
me.
Il am widow with one child" said
Mrs. Hodgkins. when came to
nurse the lady happened to meet Mr..
Dayrell before the birth of the child.
He spoke to me and expressed his
disgust at the possibility of an heir
being born. When the child arrived
there were grave doubts at first as to
whether he would survive. DR.. Col
lett had to leave the house shortly
after his birth, owing to an attack
of illness, which later carried him
off. After his departure Mr.. Dayrell
came to me and asked me how the
baby was. / told him he was in a
bad way, but there was a chance for
him to pull through, and hurried back
to attend to him. An hour after the
child was breathing freely, and all
danger was over. l was engaged in
attending to him, when that villain
came to the bedroom door and called
me outside. He offered to pay me
e 500 if would act on his suggestion,
and send message to Dr. Collett that
the child had died. / believe that his
first intention was to send the living
child away and substitute dead child
in it's place, which he was confident
he could procure. / needed the money
badly, and consented to his horrible
suggestion. l sent a message to the
doctor to say that the baby had died.
Almost Immediately afterward a mes
sage came to say that DR.. Collett had
died suddenly, and that another physi-
clan would be sent to attend on Lady
Tregenna. On hearing this news Mr..
Dayrell completed his plot. He saw
there was now no necessity to fetch
another baby. DR.. Collects death
had simplified matters. When Lady
Tregenna was sufficiently strong, she
was to be told that the real baby had
died and that another had been sub
stituted in its place.
GAS I can no longer inherit the
property said Mr.. Dayrell, the only
thing left to me to do Is to make
money. will make thousands out Of
that unlucky child. Her ladyship
will believe that he is not her own,
and l shall blackmail her to any ex-
tent
"And so he did. He paid me, Of
course, but no money was worth the
misery 1 endured. I saw my poor
mistress fading before my eyes; she
could not love the child that she be-
lieved was not her own. At last I
began to fear for her reason. Oh,
what Is to be done?" The woman
sobbed, and turned to speak to Day
rell. but he had disappeared.
Lady Tregenna must, of course,
know the truth" said; but the ques-
ton is whether Sir John is to be in-
formed or not / think 1t would be
cruel to tell him. Your confession
will give immense relief to your mis-
tress-and believe Dayrell will con-
sent to leave the country for his own
sake. Come with me to Lady Tregen-
na."
We went straight to her ladyship's
room. tapped at the door and was
admitted at once, the nurse follow
ing.
Il have come to tell you, Lady
Tregenna," I said, that you have
been the victim of a terrible hoax.
The child is really your own. Nurse.
tell your story"
The woman did so, and Lady Ire
gonna listened with alternate shades
Of hope and fear coming and going
over her pale face. When Mrs. Hodg-
kins had finished her tale, the mother
laughed Historically.
Thank God," she cried, "I can love
the child now; he Is really my own
my baby"
We finally agreed that it was I'M
necessary for Sir John ever to know
the real facts of the case. Dayrell
left the country forever. AS to the
nurse, she received a months wages
in lieu of notice, but the remorse Of
her own conscience was the only other
punishment accorded to her.
nanoer IN SurnAonS