98 TRUE RICHES; OR,

 

Oh, I can never part with her,” said Mrs. Claire,
now weeping freely.

‘Two years will pass ere that time. Jasper may
have other purposes in view when our present con-
tract expires.”

‘¢ You will see him in the morning?”

“© yes. I must understand all about this mat-
ter. What can it mean? ‘Needful care to her
education!’ A mere hypocritical pretence. What
does he care for her, or her education? What, in
fact, does he know of her? Nothing at all. Has
he ever called to see her? Has he ever made the first
inquiry after her? No. There is something wrong,
without doubt. This movement bodes no good to
our dear child. But she has one friend who will
stand between her and harm—who will protect her,
if need be, at the risk of his own life.”

Claire, as his words indicate, had suffered himself
to become much excited. Seeing this, his wife re-
covered, to some extent, her own self-possession, and
spoke to him soothingly.

‘We will wait and see what it means,” said she.
‘‘Mr. Jasper cannot force her away from us now, if
he would.”

“‘ After seeing him to-morrow, you can understand
better what we are to expect. This note may have
been written from some momentary feeling. I can-
not think that he has a settled purpose to take the
child from us.”’

‘Time will show,”’ was the abstracted response.

Not for years had so unhappy an evening been
spent by Edward Claire and his wife; and when

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