Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-11-03

some l tiers from General Hammond, in
which Z was firmly asserted that his son,
Major Hammond, had never BEEN legally
msrried to the vomsn known a. his wife.
"N hat end GO you propose TO serve. Mr..
BoeCles, by bringing this ancient scandal 10
light" asked Miss Hammond with agitated
voice.
"Er c., cried Boobies. This is only he
beginning OF 10. | am going TO court 81 Law
TO have myself declared heir to the West
bury states under the settlement.
'In that case, said Miss Hammond, rising
with dig tiy, ''you cannot be received on
friet dly terms in my house,
"Oh- very wei, very well" cried BOod es,
snajching up his hat and whip. and sweep
Ing out of the room without further cere-
mOpy.
AS soon as the door had shut upon him the
sisters LOOKED at each in blank cOnster IA
ton
''Ialways feared there would be difficulty"
said Ellen ITemUlOusly; bat Oh, to Jhinx OF
odles having discovered IT,"
We must send for Smith at once; the car
risge shall go in and fetch him." said Mis-
Hammo, d, 1iCgi"g the bel.
Mr.. Smith, of Gigg,eshs IN, was the family
solicitor, and the carriage was sent off u
b Ing him up at once for q consul alton. But
Lad heard from hts father that there were
g r'ous circumstances attending Major
HammOnd's marriage. and If Boobies had
PIT his finer on the flaw = NTH shrI--
ged his shoulders for want of words TO eX-
pes The aw kwariness Of the case
"But search mus be ma L. everywhere; re
children mus not suffer. por thing, AMI
away brou ght up 10 look upon the properly
n heir OWL
why, u ey could never marry" cried
Miss Ellen; "they could never live ON r alph's
pay"
dts altogether dreadful; and not getting
married is the very lightest part of the
calamity" said Miss Hammond.
Smith undertook that every possible search
should he made, and went away, prom sing
To set tn work at once. But his inquiries
1 "A IL hsFI flrt ilx-
of the reputed wife, who had been the daugh-
ter of a small farmer living at Milton in
Kent; but they had now fallen to the rank OF
lahOrers, and hal no papers belonging 10
Them, hardly any fami ) traditions. He
had searched all the resistries Of the neigh
boring parishes; no record Ofsuch a marriage
could BE- discovered. He mad issued aiver-
tisements ,.fertng a reward for the produc-
ton Of evidence: all of no avail. WHAT more
could he do? To be sure, there was a pre-
sumption N favor Of the marriage; but then
II Bodies had documents rebutting such
pre- um pt iOn-- Again Mr.. Smith shrug-
ged his shoulders. in hopelessness of finding
ftting words TO represent the gravity of the
crisis. "Aud then, he went on To say, "ths
very fact that Boobies is spending money
over the case shows that he thinks he has a
strong one"
Boobies did not let the grass grow under
his feet; he Instituted proceedings at once,
al cited AL interested to appear. The
q ing could no longer be kept a secret; and
Mak gle and Ralph were told of the cloud that
had come overtneir fortunes.
II don't care ifthe property does go away"
said Maggie bravely. alt will make no diff
ference. / shall go to India with Ralph,
that's all. will be q soldiers wife, and go
on the baggage-wagOns."
RalIh shook his head. He had never been
able 10 manage on his pay when there was
only himself, and there were ever so many
lIeutenants on the list before him, so that he
could not hope 10 be captain for many
years.
There ives no use in sitting broo ling over
coming misfOrtunes; and Ralph took the
dogcart. and drove over to Gigglesham, to
see about the family vault at 81. CTispin's.
his u nper; the weather too seemed all in
keeping-a dull, drilling day.
'.Don't forget the ring" Maggie had said
TO him at parting; "that is ours, you know,
Ralph, if We find 1t; and perhaps it may be
worth a lot of morey."
Ralph shook his head incredulously. And
Yet IL was possible. The ring nigh; be there,
and II might prove of great value. In mis-
fortunes, The IL ind grasPs at the Smallest al
levialiOns, and Ralph cOnsOled himselfin his
depr' ssion by riciuring the finding of a
Splendid ruby worth say $1,000. No more
artillery work then-no II re India.
Gggiesham boasts of several churches,
a. st Cr;spn's lies in a hollow by the river
close 20 the bridge A low squat tower and
Iiain ugly nave. But in its hook there-the
csrk river flowing by, the sail of a barge
showing now ard hen, the tall piles of deals
frowr ing from The beights. and the big wa
ter-mill with its welr- and rapids, the noise
(which aid of the great churning wheels
sour ded slumbrOusly al day lOng-ail ed
with tbs Sc things. the old church had some
mi; hC me!y ard pleasant about II, hardly
10 be ef a, ed by the finest modern Gothic.
Workmen W. r. swarming about it now.
tn TO- was nearly OIL. There were great
piles Of sand aud mortar in the gravey ard
NJ. Mar. q. me plumber and glazter, VINO
10 X he most lively interest in the under
Z "n' g work even to the neglect OF more
Ir' nlebie Business, was on the LOOKOUT for
Ii ui' nst Grant, and greeted him cheerily.
w We got 'em all laid out In the vesry,
Cap'n Grant, all lhe whole family; and now
done with them? Would you like 'em put in
the vaults below, where they'll all be done
up III lime ard plaster? or would you like
air like?"
"The least expensive way, should say"
replied Ralph grimly. Somehow or other
his appreciation of his ancestors was dead
aorlft from his succession. "But look here,
Martini" he went on, taking the plumber
aside; "there Ia one OF the coffins, Major
HaDnond's, should like 10 have opened.
EASY enough, SIR" cried Martin, who, to
say the truth, was delighted at the prospect
OF iitlie charnei house work. He's leai
'un, he fs. I'll have the top Off In no time"
Ralph looked gravely down at the last re-
mains CT the HammODds. The wife, If she
had been wife, on whom the inherit ance
hung, was not here; she had died in India.
But there was the Majors coffin, the wool
work decay ed, but the leaden envelope as
sound as ever.
Martin was quickly at work with his tools
The cover was stripped off, and for mo-
meDt the Majors features were TO be seen as
much as they had been in life; then all dis
solved into dust.
There was ruby ring-that must have
been a fable; but there was something gilt
terIDg among the remains and on taking 1t
out, IL proved 10 be plain gold hoop.
"NelI, that's worth a pound, That is"
cried the pract. cal Martin, Carefully polish
ing up the treasure tTOve. It had probably
been hung round the neck OF the departed-a
tall, bony msE-fOr the ring was a small
one, aud there were traces of a black Ribbon
attached TO IL.
TWAS a disappointment, no doubt and
yet somehow the sight OF the ring had given
Ralph a little hope. 1t was the wedding
ring, he said TO himself, his great grandma
tners wedding ring. The Major must have
been fond of ner In have had her ring always
about him; ard II had heen buried with him.
That had given rise to the story about the
ruby. He drove home, after giving direc-
tons about the disposal of the collins, feeling
less sore at heart. He was row convinced
that they had right on their side, and there
Was some comfort in that.
When he reached home, he showed the
ring 10 Maggie, who agreed with his con-
clusiOns.
"But there is something inside-sOme let
tiers, i think, - she cried.