"Mrs Lorrimer's Folly."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 14 May 1913, Page 2

"Mrs Lorrimer's Folly."

(OUR SLRIaL

By Charlotte M. Stanley. \uthor of "Edna's Vo»-," "His County Cousin," "How an Oath, Was Kept," "A Wo man Wronged.

CH AFTER V.—Continued

Breaking oft' thus abruptly in her la men b, Lillian arose, and trembling violently*—all in a nervous hurry of anxiety for tlio oliikl—opened the drawer in which she kept his stock of outdoor clothing. Yes cloak, liood, and soft, warm muffler of poor Lillian's knitting—all were gone, and a large, war,lll , s hawl that hung behind ther bedroom door had also disappeared. At this discovery—which, while it relieved her anxiety for tho child's welfare, confirmed the dreadful certainty that he was gone—tho poor, robbo<l mother gave a dreadful cry, and staggered as if under some heavy blow, and would have fallen but for Rosa's arms around her.

"Gone! gone!" she moaned, staring before, her with those stony eyes that could not soften into tears. "Oh, Fred, how con Id you do it? 'Didn't you know that you were tearing the living heart out of my bosom? Didn't you know you were, taking my very life ? I've got mv death-blow." Her hand crept up to her heart, and clutched her side as if dra«vn there bv an actual physical pain. "No child —no husband! How can a woman live when she has lost her husband? —a mother who has been robbed of her only child? Oh, my pretty one! Oh, my little one! What will he do with you tn-niirht? What will he do when you cry for your mother's breast, and miss your mother's loving arms around you? Well. I shan't miss you long, my lost treasure! No one can live when the heaj*t is broken, f shall soon die, and go to God, and ask Him to give my baby back to me. God will nrvfc !>p so cruel a s your father is. I shall have you back again in heaven—not on earth!" The sad, moaning voice sunk low. She wrung her hands with a most pathetic gesture of despair, still staring stonily into vacancv. "J feel tha+v in this world I .shall see my pretty hoy—oh, my pretty, pretty, pretty boy—no mom—no more!"

-With -that tlio iow, murmuring lamentation ceased or died away into j an inarticulate moaning. Tn vain | Rose strove to arouse the unhappy girl, or inspire her with her own hopes. She sat still in the chair where Rose had placed her, pale. cold, apathetic, shuddering spasmodically and violently now and then, and making always that pitiful, dreadful moaning, but neither uttering nor apparently even hearing one word. Rose Clare, looking anxiously at the pallied face and staring eyes and noticing a curious-drawn look about the mouth and teinnles, began to be most furiously alarmed. "We.must have a doctor," who wbNpe.red to Mrs Juniper, as that good soul knocked a,t. the door to renort the uselfssness of her search. "The fact is, Mrs Junioer, that thev have had a quarrel, a,n,d Mrs Lorrimer fancies her husband has taken away her child. Perhaps he ,'ha.s ill a fit of temper, but he has no plaoe or person to take it to, and what can lie do with a child upon his hands? Of course, at any moment he may come back aagin! If not. the law will soon restore the 'baby to its mother, seeing that she has done no wrong! Tint, meantime, I am terrified for Lillian, so pale, so wild! The shook «pcms to have turned her brain. Just look—don't let her see you —Mrs Juniper, bu£ look at her." MrsuJunip&r did look. She put her head inside the door, but drew it lm-k with a iscu-ed, anxious face, and spoke hastily:

"Site looks like death or madness!" slip said. "Whatever was the mail thinking of? Did he want to i kill, his wife? Why, it was but; a six-months' old infant. He has torn it from her very breast! Poor .soul! poor soul!" —and her team of .motherly sympathy streamed down her face. "Enough to turn her brain, indeed! You don't know, my dear; you're not a mother! " Get her into bed this minute," she added, bustling away. "I'll soon hnvo a doctor here. You go and get her straight to bed!" That was easily done. Lillian not only submitted to be undressed and pxtt to bed, but showed no sign of knowing wln.u was done with her. The inarticulate moaning still went on, though fainter and lower than at first, and her head moved feebly and uneasily from side to side upon her pillow. That, was all. And the wild, tearless eyes stared stonily before her just the same. Rose was half distracted with anxiety. .'The doctor did not lessen it when ho came. His grave face, his careful examination of the patient—who took no notice of him whatever, but went on ,staring and moaning just the same —his searching inquiries into the ease, and all the circumstances of her .seizure, rather added to the seriousness of the situation. Unable at last ot endure the suspense and fear any longer, Rose asked him earnestly : "Is there danger?" He turned toward her without moving his eyes froirf the sufferer's fao.e, and responded with another question : "Do you think her husband will come back? Nay," he added, seeing her glance at Lillian, "you need not fear to answer candidly. She neither sees nor hears!" At that sad intelligence Rose burst out weeping, and wrung her hands as she looked at her poor friend. A.b ! she thought, if Fred could but see her, how quickly he would come. "I think he must," she answered. "I can't- imagine how he can manage the child, and he has no fri&nds •or relatives in New York to whom he could entrust it. I think lie must come back." Meantime the poor restless head began to lie more quietly on the pillow, and gradually the wild eyes closed. Thfen the doctor nodded approvingly.

. ; 'l have administered an anodyne," j he whispered to Rose. " I lie longer she j can sleep the better. Let me «ee — 1 Do you live here?" "No. sir," Rose answered. "With my mother, seven blocks from .here. Bur I will stay here while Lillian l needs me;" and she began placing ! things in order. { Again the doctor nodded approvingly* "Nothing could be better," be said. "Meantime let her sleep. I'll caution Mrs Juniper to keep iho house quiet, and I'll see her again in tho morning. Ha? ,her husband left no note or word?" lie added, glancing keenly round him, as he drew 011 his glove-s. "iVliat's this, for instance?" As he spoke he picked up a letter front the floor where it had fallen, and thus escaped notice. It was nd. 1 dressed to Lillian. I "Open it," the doctor said, handing !it to Rose. "This is no t.inje or case I for ceremony: we must know lioiw tho land lies before us. Open it and read it." Rose obeyed him. A sheet of paper inclosing three five-dollar bills Fred's weekly salary—was -in her hands. On the paper some few words were hurriedly pencilled : "I will find means to send you more very shortly; but our child must go with me. You will remember that I warned you. Farewell, Lillian; you have broken my heart. Farewell forever!" The doctor uttered a significant and half-angry exclamation. "A pair of young fools!" he muttered. "Odds, too, if tho young child's life doesn't pay for its parents' folly! to say nothing of this poor soul!" with a pitying glance at Lillian. Then turning suddenly to Rose, he added earnestly: "Hide that letter away. Tell no one that you have seen it, and hide it. until I give you show it to her. If «he awakes sensible tell her that her husband has brought her this money, and taken the child to your mother's place, where it. is safe. Remember this: If you lot her, in her, present state, got the slightest ink-. ; ling of what is in that letter, it will 1 be farewell, Lillian, indeed!"

CHAPTER VI. Menu while Fred—having written his farewell note, and inclosed the money—packed his own belongings in a small i>artma.nt.eau. and carefully preparing the child for its journey, took it in his arms and left, the house. Unluckily, it chanced that not one of his no:ghlMHir s and fellow tenants sa;v him go, or could furnish the .slightest, clew to his proceedings. But for this he might have been followed, before it was quite too late, and the worst consequence; of his hasty folly prevented. (To be Continued.)