Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-08-16
A skeleton In the Closet.
Brandon Coyle! Are you mad p

| self-destructlon.
He whirled around upon her and the
stood facing each other with eyes hamin
defiance.
How like, yet unlike. were these fierce
beautiful creatures-twin sister and broth
er
She, with her slender, well-rounded, lis
som form with her small. fine features AM
clear. deadly-pale yellow face, darkened b.
great, deep, hollow black eyes the who'll
over-shadowed by heavy, clustering auburn
curls- subtle, wistful face.
He. somewhat taller, fuller and more sup
pie, like another human snake, of littl'
larger growth with a paler complexion
darker eyes and darker hair.
They were the orphan niece and nephew o
Christopher Coyle Esquire, an old bachelor
living on, his ancient patrimonial estate o
Caveland in the North OF England
Now they stood glnring at each other ful
minute in silent menace. Then both spokt
at once
''Aspirita g.
brandon
How dared You stop me 2
How dared you raise your hand against
your own life?'
81 dare do what please. he answered,
sulkily
so do except except to rush from life
to death-from the known to the unknown !"
she retorted solemnly.
There can be no more perfect perdition
than I suffer now Why did you stop me ?
he cried, with groan OF anguish.
because | would not have You destroy
yourself for the sake of apeeviGh girl. Come,
brandon. Rouse yourself Do be man y
she exclaimed.
81 cannot live without Arielle r he walled.
"What mooncalf you are, to be crying
after girl If you cannot live uitiot her.
then why don't YOU live lrih her p scornfully
demanded the girl.
Live with her You know she is to be
married to Vladimir Desparde tomorrow
replied the young man.
She is to be married t,-Hi0rrOIr but this
is io-dJy and there's many slip twixt the
cup and'-but proverbs are vulgar, and you
know what mean
! Il do not =
You must stop the marriage, Brandon =
| " Stop the marriage | wish l could !.
Stop the marriage How am to do that,
| pray youf
Hush. Brandon Come and sit down
here on the sofa by me. and will tell you
what to do to break of this marriage, near
as it is. and to win the bride for yourself,
much as she is now devoted to her athanced
lover. whispered the girl.
| The ,suicidal phrenzy in him was laid for
the moment, even though it might return.
Now attend to me, Brandon. Before he
became your successful rival lin the favor OF
Lady Arielle Montioie Vladimir Desparde
| was your most intimate friend, was he not 2
inquired Aspirita.
'.Of course he was," exclaimed Brandon
grinding his teeth.
"You were in his entire confidence
Yes"
You have often heard him regret, deplore
the unfathomable mystery that hangs over
his own and his sisters childhood
"Oh, to be sure. Haven't told you SO
often enough
"And he rather resents his guardian S,
Lord Beaudevere's, reticence on this sub
ject?'
Yes, yes but what has all this to do with
the question OF this detestable marriage:
exclaimed brandon, impatiently.
1t has everything to do with stopping 1t.
But you must be patient, my lad Calm
yourself and collect your thoughts for
must put you through q cross-eXamlnatlon,
and then feel my way.
Il don't understand You.
NO? But you will as go ON. Tell me,
first, exactly how much Vladimir Desparde
really does know of his early history lie
has told yo,G suppose
Yes but it is very little. He knows
only SO much as he remembers. He has
heard nothing. Lord Beaudevere, the only
person in possession OF the facts, firmly re-
fuses TO speak a word on the subject.
Lord Beaudeveres reserve is very merci-
full"
What do you say"
Lord Beaudevere's reserve is very merci- |
ful to Vladimir Desparde and his sister.
What do you mean, Aspirita
al will explain presently. But 60 on and |
toll mo oil Vladimir naspar1a has fold of |
his early life, Brandon.
LET me think. Oh ! He remembers liy- |
ing with his mother and his little sister, IN |
very poor lodgings, III the narrow street OF a |
great city, whose name he has forgotten, |
even if he ever learnedit-'
WAS it in this country
No. for he crossed water TO come here.
I'm France, then =
mo, for they were English-speaking peo-
pie who inhabited the city, and they had
black servants He thinks it must have been
New York or New Orleans, or some other
American city.
New Orleans. probably, il they had many
blacks. But 60 on
The name OF the city, and even Of the
country. is lost TO him III the morning mist
of his dawn OF memory.
There was something concerning his
father the elder Vladimir Desparde, whom,
however he does not remember ever TO have
seen. But his mother never held up her
head again She used to cry over him and
his sister, and pray to the Lord TO take them
ont of this world, and save them from the
evil to come
An! - gasped Aspirita. as she listened to
every word OF this little story.
"At length the mother took to her bed,
from which she never rose again. One day
minister came and sat by the bed and wrote
n letter for her, which was sent away. After
that she grew weaker. Another day gen.
tleman arrived, stranger, who afterwards
proved TO be Lord Boaudevere.
"Well, Brandon, why don't you go onf"
eagerly demanded the attentive girl, seeing
that neI brother paused.
Il am trying to remember what Desparde
told me of this stranger. Oh he did not
know who he was until long afterwards.
Lord Beaudevere had this mother and her
children Immediately removed to II more
comfortable house, and provided them
with everything they could want Des-
parde remembers distinctly his mothers
peaceful death, while Lord Beaudevere stood,
with Nivienne in his arms and Vladimir 10y
his side, promising the dying woman to be a
father TO them while he should live Then
followed the funeral and the black dresses.
Then long, long voyage in a sailing ship,
all vaguely remembered by Vladimir"
Did his sister-did Nivienne recollect
nothing of this =
Nothing. Her earliest memories date
from their life at Cloudland, whittier their
guardian took took them Immediately on
their arrival in England
And We know all the rest from hearsay
how the bachelor, Lord Beaudevere, repre-
scented these children TO his neighbors as his
little cousins and wards how he sent Valdi-
L., n,-g.
the young man distinguished himself as
much by devotion to study as 10y skill in
athletic sports how the guardian sent him
on his continental tour and ut his return
celebrated his majority at Cloudland pre-
senting him to the tenantry as the heir how
the baron procured the most accomplished
eoyeIness and masters for NIyienne, and took
her to London and had her presented to the
queen. All this we know OF these two indi-
yiduals. whose earliest days were passed in
squalid tenement house in a foreign city.
said AspiTita, scor.fully
We'll, the fellow IS the heir presumptive
of the title and estates of Lord Beaudeyere
If it were not so, he might never have dared
to aspire to the hand Of the Lady Arlelle
Montjoie. Or if he had, his aspirations
would have been treated with contempt"
Then if he is the heir OF the BaTony of
Beaudevere he must he so through his moth
er. for he cannot be so through his father,
since the name of Despardc is not to be
found in the Beaudeyere genealogy," said
Aspirita, sentcntiously.
at is probably through his mother. who
ever she waA, since Beaudevere is one Of
those bnronies that, failing male heirs des
cend to the female But 1 know nothing
about II, replied Brandon. testify.
"Do you know that he really is the heir 2
"Yes. because ii is set down in the Peer
age. Under the tabular list of noblemen.
with their titles. family names. seats. and
heirs, you will find this entry 'Beaudeyere
Baron Family name, Beaue Seat, Cloud
land, in shire Iieir-Presumptive, Valdi-
mir Desparde, Esq"
'Ah Just now you have alluded to this