ther; only my stepmother; but
she is just as good as a real mother, for I never knew any other. Dear
me! how strange all this is! And you will go up and live with us in
Temple Street, and----"
"I can't leave my mother," interrupted Katy.
"You mother shall go, too."
"She is too sick now."
Grace continued to talk as fast as she could, laying out ever so many
plans for the future, till the carriage reached Colvin Court. I will
not follow them into the chamber of the sick woman; where Mrs. Gordon,
by a slow process that did not agitate the invalid too violently,
revealed herself to her sister. The fine lady of Temple Street had a
heart, a warm and true heart, and not that day, nor that night, nor for
a week, did she leave the sick bed of the sufferer. There, in the midst
of her sister's poverty, she did a sister's offices.
It was three weeks before Mrs. Redburn was in a condition to be moved
to her sister's house; and then she was once more in the midst of the
luxury and splendor of her early life. One day, when she had improved
so much as to be able to bear the fatigue of a long conversation, Mrs.
Gordon, who had thus far declined to discuss any exciting topics with
the invalid proposed to have everything explained. Each had a very long
story to tell; but as the reader already knows Mrs. Redburn's history,
I shall only briefly narrate that of Mrs. Gordon and the Guthrie
family, after the departure of the former.
Mr. Guthrie, the father of both, died two years after the flight of
Margaret--Mrs. Redburn--when of course there was a large property to be
divided. Diligent search was made for Margaret in America but her
husband had declared to some person in Liverpool that he had an
engagement in Montreal. This place was thoroughly canvassed, but
without success. No trace of the runaways could be discovered. Agents
were sent to various parts of America, and no tidings of Margaret had
ever reached them.
About two year after her father's death, Jane--Mrs. Gordon--had married
a very wealthy gentleman from Baltimore. He was then a widower with one
child--Grace Gordon. She had come to America with him, and resided in
Baltimore till his death, a period of only two years. Then, having
never liked to live in that city, she had removed to Boston, where she
had a few friends. She had invested her money and resided there, very
happily situated, and with no desire to return to her native land.
Her father's estate had been
|