120 TRUE RICHES; OR,

 

and waited ever so long; but she didn’t come back ;
and then I cried.” |

The meaning of all this, poor Mrs. Claire under-
stood but too well. With what a shock it fell upon
her. She asked no further question. What need
was there? Edie’s artless story made every thing
clear. Fanny had been enticed away by some one
employed by Jasper, and was now in his possession !
With pale face and quivering lips, she sat bending
over Edie, silent for several moments. Then recol-
lecting herself, she said to the lady—

“]T thank you, ma’am, most sincerely, for the
trouble you have taken in bringing home my little

irl. This is a most distressing affair. The other
child has, evidently, been enticed away.”

“You will take immediate steps for her recovery,”
said the lady.

“Oh, yes. I expect my husband home, now,
every moment.”

While she was yet speaking, Claire came in. See-
ing the white face of his wife, he exclaimed—

“Mercy, Edith! What has happened ?”

Edith could only murmur the word “ Fanny,”’ as
she started forward, and buried her face, sobbing,
on his bosom.

“Fanny! What of her? Oh, Edith! speak !”

The agitation of the wife was, for the time, too
overpowering to admit of words, and so Claire turn-
ed to the lady and said, hurriedly—

“Will you tell me, madam, what has happened ?”

“Tt appears, sir,’’ she replied, “that a strange
lady enticed the children to Washington Square, on
their way from school”