The Washington times., 1918-10-12


DIR. French can visit them only &C.
casionally: GrimsteRd is always in
London They have been allowed
70 run about wildly; IL they were
not the some Of my sister 1 would
put them out Of the way. She has
An extraordinary affection for
them, especially for ZOrska. You
can live here at the Grange and
Drara can return to you The chill
aren pass at present under the
name OF Clare VIII you do this?
While you act according to my
wishes you will be supplied by DR..
French with the drug you long for;
refuse, and you will again undergo
the tortures with which you say
you were afflicted in Vienna And
you will die miserably. Later there
may be other work for you to do"
What choice had I but to accept
] was installed at the Grange, and
the three wild children were put
under my charge. Drara was sent
for and returned to me. For a lit
tie while she exercised her fascina-
ton as Of old, and to relieve my
seruples Of conscience l married her
according to the rites of the Epis-
copal Church.
vi COuEGGs my llLG was TulnCu I
had once given brilliant promises,
but there now was no hope OF
realizing my ambition. I was cut
eff from the world, the guardian
Of three insane children, one Of
whom was little better than a mon
Eter. Their mother I never saw,
though on regular occasions the
children were taken to her. Drara,
however, usually undertook this
duty. Worst of all. l had become
. slave to the drug habit.
Only now and again, and that
for but a few days at a time, could
absent myself. On these occas-
IONS I would go and stay with my
only friend, the clergyman Fleet
wood, who had rescued me at
Vienna OF course, / could not tell
him the truth about myself. I said
that DR., French had been very
kind to me, that he had more or
less cured mel never gave evil
dence in, my behavior OF my per-
nicious habit. and the drug / used
had no effect, such as morphia
might have-and that he had OBJ
tanned employment for me as tu-
tor TO three boys. Fleetwood was
satisfied with my explanation, but
he regretted my wasted life.
Sometimes Drara accompanied me
on these visits. The little boy, Basil,
struck up a great friendship with
her; she seemed to have a peculiar
fascination for him. She discov-
cred the gypsy mark upon his hand,
but she never dreamed he was the
very child who had been stolen
from the Borradales. This was re-
Tn1 49,
dsntally spoken in my presence by
the gypsy who had dore the deed.
7 did not know how to act. At
first ] was disposed TO tell the
truth to Mr.. Fleetwood. But what
was the good? Mr.. Borradale was
dead. and his wife was deeply at
tached to the child she though her
own. Little Basil was quite happy
where he was. Would any inter
ference be for the good OF one or
the other? Might ! not. by doing
so. cause fresh misery and reopen
wounds that were at least par
TALLY healed?
II was not till my return to the
after this visit to Mr..
that I ascertained a
curious fact Neither Nalenski nor
anyone else knew what had become
OF the Borradale child. Valenski
b ad simply left him in the charge
OF the gypsy who had affected tho
and had not bothered
as to what eventually be
came OF the baby. !, therefore, was
In possession Of the secret. which
might be OF value to me, and / kept
Il vigorously to myself
As " to make II more my own,
TOO. the gypsy woman who could
alone account for BasiI's fate died
after writing out a statement for
my benefit. a confession. duly sign
ID and witnessed. OF the part she
had taken in the substitution of
,ne child for the other and the con-
Iequent abandonment OF little Basil |
II Mr.. Fleetwood's door.
Il could not kill the child" she
aid. as I was supposed to do.
cnew that the good lady bad just |
ost her baby, and that she would |
look after this one. So |
eft him on her doorstep"
why, I asked, did you call him
sasiI?"
Il did not know his name" she
eplied. 81 found the little locket
which I put around his neck in the
FOOD at Addtrly-and II was ! who
'ut the mark OF the tribe upon his
Erist"
Probably the Iocket had belong
d TO Vania's son, who was called
BASIL.
I append the gypsy statement to
his story OF mine. Perhaps some
sy IL may be OF some use.
Ny little daughter Eva was born
borough gypsy, but ! loved her
eepiy.
II WAS for her I mourned when a
ear or two later Drara deserted
ie, tired probably, Of our monot-
nous life, taking the child with
er. She went back to Hungary /
card OF her sometimes, but / never
sw either her or my daughter
gain The child was given a
ypsy name. believe, but / could
ever ascertain what II was, and
could not have remem-
cred anything about her father.
Ny charges grew up, and soon
scame more than ! could manage.
was necessary to provide keepers
" them For this purpose French
"a Grimstead introduced friends
their own. the two scoundrelS,
and Tweedledee, the
yent Moncrief and Grimstead's own
-otheT. / no longer lived at the
range, for they found me of little
Ie. For the most part / was at
r. Frepch's house. The years
aged Oh very slowly for me.
Then came the days when il was
Egested that a wife should be
und for Cyril Valenski himself
ID no children, and he was very