Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-08
THE RIGHTFUL HEIR.
from London Week.

gence of newspapers, and the marriage was APP.
pointed to take place in July. Beauvray house
Ptccaailly, had been placed in the hands OF the
decorators; Beauvray Castle, in Yorkshire was
being refurnished and beautitied by the COM
bined energies OF upholsterers, painters, and
landscape gardeners, and grand subscriptions
had been set on foot amongst his lordship's ten.
ants his brother officers of the guard and hi
fOllOw-memberS OF the Yorkshire hunt to make
the new countess some handsome pres entS
There were many who considered Miss Moyle q
lucky girl, for Lord Beauvray was not only OF
ancient family, young, immensely wealthy and
wel-loOking. but he was popular everywhere
owing to his sunny temper and uprightneSS OF
character. There are young nOblemen who
make their grandeur consist in throwing away
ducks and brakes. But Lord Beauvray had
been merry without being diSsolute. lie was
the most trreproachable OF gentlemen, just as
his betrothed Miss Moyle, was the faireSt flower
among that bouquet of pretty girls who had been
presented at court In the same season as her
self. Millicent Moyle was rich heiress as well
as pretty GIRL; this was about all that could
be said of her. Her father, Josiah Moyle. bill
discounterd of Lombar street, was ''new man.
OF the city plutOcracy-one Of those fnancers
who have made such rapid fortunes that every
body expects to hear of them next In the bank
Tuptcy court. 1t was said that he and Lord
Beauvray had become acquainted while travel
been much ScandaliZed on hearing OF his lord
ships intention to marry the daughter of man
whose antecedents were just little misty.
AS for Mr.. MOyle, quite conscious of how great
refrain from Dragging before his city friends
about his future SOn-in-law, 1.-The earl" He
talked of retiring from business, OF obtaining
seat In Parliament through Lord Beauvray' in
nuence and devoting himself hencefOrth to the
aSS1duOuS study OF conservative politics and the
cultivation OF aristocratic connections. The
poor man had been admitted, on Lord Beau
ways presentation, to one or two first-rate
clubs, and he had been introduced to so MANY
ladies and gentlemen Of title that his head was
turned. He sighed over his business ledgerS
nom IL till every day, as If he had begun to
realize the degradation of commercial pursuits
and as soon as his counting-h house closed, he
would hurry off In white waiStcOat and with a
flower in his buttOn-hole to take drive around
the park In his spanking phetOn, drawn by a
pair OF bays which he could lily manage. 1t
was honest MOyle's delight in these drives to
meet the finely-appointed barouche which car
red his wife, his daughter Mile and Lord Beau
vray and to note the number of hats lifted as 10
passed. Such bows made him grin in pure glee
One sunny afternoon, just fortnight before
the date fixed for the marriage, the bill-ds-
counters phaeton was drawn up as usual along
side the pavement Of Lombard street, waiting
till the strike OF four from an adjoining steeple
should bring out the plutOcrat, when a brogham
with a coronet on the panels, clattered up be-
CHASTITY pale. The hall porter who knew him
by sight, and had always admired his pleasant
smile; was startled by his appearance not less
II Mr.. Moyle had left. just then Mr.. Moyle him
self strutted out, all glorious with geranium
In his coat and awhile hat perched aeock on his
with cheerful welcome, but perceiving the look
on the peers face he exclaimed '.Why, what's
the matter? Not Ill, hopper"
mo, not i'll; but want to speak to you in
private" said Beauvray, hoarsely.
.'Shall we go off in the phaeton?n Stammered
MI. Moyle, full of uneasineSS.
alone" repeated the earl, and he himself led the
way to the sanctum where the bill discounter
transacted most OF his business
Mr.. Moyle had a trick, when agitated, of
crashing his with the whole n nd
and working 1t up and down as If it were India
rubber which he wished to elongate. His nasal
interval that elapsed before he and Lord Beauv-
ray were cloSeted together Then, Pumping
down into the arm chair at the writing table,
MT Moyle stared in bewilderment while the
peer sat down opposite and produced blue en-
yelOpe with several black seals Laying this on
the table, Beauyray placed his hand on it, and
looked into the nnanc1er'S eyes.
MIR. Moyle," said he, sadly, Il have pain
ful communication to make but VIII not beat
about the bush. / find that l have no LEGAL
right to the title Which bear, or TO the fortune
which am using"
''Eh! what?" exclaimed MI. Moyle with a
gasp.
maglng through box or deeds" continued
Lord Beauvray, whose voice grew Steadier.
"You know that inherited the title from my
uncle. He was the eldest OF three brothers. My
father, the youngest, died whilst / was boy;
my second uncle died few years later, and we
fancied he had been bachelor. but 1t appears
that he had been clandest1nely married, and
left soma lad whom you know, by-the-bye,
Tor have seen him in your house. His name Is
Timburel"
"Timburel?" echoed MIR. Moyle. with a start.
"Young Timburel who used to be a clerk in our
hrm, and whom dismissed for preSuming 70
make love to our Miller"
81 was not aware OF those particulars, said
Lord Beauyray; "but young Timburel is the
man; he bears his mothers name, (She was an
actress and we used to think he was the natural
son OF my second uncle; but his parents were
"And do you mean to say that Timburel-a
vulgar, conceited upstart, who Is living on his
wits at this moment, with not shilling In his
become Earl of Beauvray?''
''Not only that, but he becomes absolute owner
OF all my estates and property. My poor father
burel I'm possession OF his own, shall have moth
Ing but my commission in the Guards and about
three hundred year.
Come, come, don't say such bosh," blurted
out old Moyle, grasping his nose again 1t had
Just occurred to him that Lord Beauvray was
hoaxing.
"He wants to find out whether our Millie
loves himself or his title" reflected the moneyed
man. But in q moment this Idea was diSpelled
by Lord Beauvray displaying the contents OF
his envelopes marriage certificate and
number Of letters which subStantiated the story.
Then he entered into explanations. 1t seems
that his uncle, the Hon. Col de Vray, being in
garrison at Malta, had privately married an
Italian actress named Ttmburelli. After years
union this tickle person deserted him, leaving
her child TO his care, and soon afterward she
died. Under the circumstances the colonel
though he provided for the boys maintenance
deemed 1t convenient to conceal his marriage,
and eventually he died suddenly without having
acknowledged It. Apparently, however, his
CONSCIENCE had tormented him, so that while
lacking the moral courage to speak the truth
curing MS lifetime, he had left evidence by which
IL might De known after his death. Unfortu-
nately the envelope containing his marriage GER
uncate mad lain mixed up with some other docu-
mentS In Oox which Lord Beauvray (who in
herited the deceased's papers, had never thoupht
OF examining I'LL That morning. when he had
begun to sort his family papers in view of his
marriage. These were the facts which the
young peer explained, whilst old Movie, with n
series OF wheeZes like means, ruefully examined
all the documents one by one.
Suddenly the bill dtsc0unter crumpled all the
papers In his hand with feyertsh grasp and
looked at Lord Beauvray. There was an ex-
preston In his dull eyes as OF Light behind an
uncieaned pane OF glass. ~ say, he whispered,
6ecret?"
"No; came to you first, as in duty bound. "
"Then what prevents us from destroying
these papers? / shant say ANYTHING about it
That young Timburel is skunk and a snob: it
Wtn be ridiculous to see him q lord, and heI