“Ha, ha, not married, eh?” she cackled. “Well, I should think you would be ashamed to own it as you have a child to call you mother!”
Louise repulsed the child’s caress, and it began to sob.
“Dear mamma, why are you angry, why have you stayed so long away from your Lucy?” she cried, tearfully, and the sight of the grieved baby face, the sound of reproach in the child’s voice went to Louise’s heart.
The motherhood in her was touched irresistibly, and after a brief struggle with herself she held out her arms, and little Lucy sprang joyously into them, and the mother hid her shamed face against the little, sunny head.
At that sight John Keith went slowly forward and touched her hand.
“Louise, be honest,” he said, huskily. “Acknowledge now that you were once my wife, that this is our child!”
Realizing that nothing else remained to her now, she looked up and answered, sullenly:
“I am your wife still, John Keith, I lied to you about the divorce. My application failed, although I sent you a fraudulent notice that the divorce was granted.”
“You had better go away with him then, for you will never be admitted into Ferndale again. You are the first Barry that ever disgraced the family and I wash my hands of you forever!” piped up Mrs. Barry’s shrill treble.
Louise gave her an angry scowl, but John Keith again touched her hand.