The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-07-03
THE iRIGHTFUL HEIR.
lLondsn Week.l

For some weeks past the engagement
between the Earl of Beauvray and Miss
Mllicent Moyle had been chronicled in
the fashionable intelligence of newspa.
pers, and the marriage was appointed
to take place in July. BeauVray House.
Piccadilly, had been placed in the
hand of the decorators; Beauvray Castle,
in Northshire, was being refurnished
and beautifed by the combined energies
of upholsters, painters and landscape
gardeners; and grand subscriptions had
been set or, foot among his lordship's
tenants, his brother officers of the
Guards, and his. llow-members of the
Northshire hunts, to make the new
Countess some handsome presents.
There were many who considered Miss
Moyle,a lucky bird, for Lord BeauVray
was not only of ancient family, young,
immensely wealthy, and well-looking,
but he was popular everywhere, owing
to his, sunny temper and perfect up
rightness of character. There are young
nobIemen who make their grandeur con-
sist in throwing away their money and
making their reputation into ducks and
brakes. But Lord Beauvray had been
merry without being dissolute. He was
the most irreproachable 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 herself.
Millicent Moyle was a rich heiress as
well as pretty girl, but this was about
all that could be said of her. Her
father, Josiah Moyle, bill-discounter
of Lomhard-street, was "new man" of
the city plutocracy-one of those
fnanciers who have made such rapid
fortunes that everybody expects to hear
of them next in the Bankruptcy Court.
Il was said that he and Lord Beauvray
had become acquainted while travelling
abroad, and that the peer'srelatives had
been much scsndalized on hearing of
his lordship's intention to marry the
daughter Of a man whose antecedents
were Just little misty. ., .'' e ''. .i'' !.
As for Mr.. Moyle, quite conscious of
how great piece of luck had befallen
him, he could not refrain from Dragging
before his city friends about his future
son-in-law, the Earl" He talked of
retiring from business, of obtaining a
seat in Parliament through Lord
BeauEray's influence, and devoting him
self thenceforth to the assiduous study
of conservative politics and the cultiva-
tion of aristocratic connections. The
poor man had been admitted, on Lord
Beauvray's presentation, to one or two
frst-rate clubs, and he had been intro
duced to so many ladies and gentlemen
of title that his head was turned. He
sighed over his business ledgers from
twelve to four o'clock every day, as if
he had begun to realize the degradation
of commercial pursuits; and as soon as
his counting-house closed he would
hurry off in white waistcoat and with
q flower in his button-hole, to take a
drive round the park in his spanking
phaeton, drawn by pair of bays whom
he could iii manage. 1t was honest
Moyle's delight in these drives to meet
the finely appointed barouche, which
carried his wife, his daughter Millie,
and Lord Beauvray; and to note the
number of hats which were lifted as it
passed. Such bows made him grin in
pure glee. '.' ..t.'t aas.p 50.
One sunny afternoon, just fortnight
before the date fixed for the marriage,
the bill-discounter's phaeton was drawn
as usual alongside the pavement OF
Lombard-street, waiting till the stroke
of four o'clock from an adjoining
steeple should bring out the plutocrat
from his Office, when brougham, with
corone6 on the panels, clattered ur
behind, and Lord Beauvray alighted
He was CHASTITY pale. The hall porter
who knew him by sight, and had always
admired. his pleasant smile, was startled
by his appearance, not less than by the
broken voice in which he inquired il
Mr.. Moyle had left. Just then Mr.
Moyle himself strutted out, all gioriou,
with geranium in his coat and a white
hat perched acock on his pointed gray
head. "Ah! Beauvrayp cried he
with cheerful welcome, but perceivins
the look on the peers face, he ex
claimed: "Why. what's the matter
Not ill, hope?" 81 .e..
"No, not i'll; butt want to speak t,
you in private" said Lord Beauvray
hoarsely. q, 81: 81. RI
"Shall we go off in the phaeton p
stammered Mr.. Moyle, full of uneasi
ness.
"No, into your room; but let us b
quite alone," repeated the Earl, and h
himself led the way toward the sanctum
where the bill-discounter transacte,
most of his business.
Mr.. Moyle had trick when agitate,
of grasping his nose with the W hole O
his hand, and working it up and dow,
as if it were made of India-rubbel
which he wished to elongate. His nasa
organ underwent a deal of pulling i
the brief interval that elapsed before h
and Lord Beauvray were closeted tc
gether. Then, Pumping down in tn
arm chair at his writing table, Nj
Moyle stared in bewilderment, Will
the peer sat down oppOsite and nrf