Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-07-17
THE RIGHTFUL HEIR.
London Week.

For some weeks past the engagement
between the Earl Of Beauvray aad Miss
Millicent Moyle had been chronicled in
the fashionable intelligence Of news
papers, and the marriage was appointed
to take place in July. Beauvray House,
PiccadilIy. had been placed In the hands
of the decorators; Beauvray Castle, in
Yorkshire, was being refurnished and
beautifed by the combined energies OF
upholsterers, painters and landscape
gardeners, and grand subscriptions had
been set on foot amongst his lordship's
tenants, his brother officers of the guard
and his fellow-members of the North
shire hunt to make the new countess
some handsome presents. There were
many who considered Miss Moyle a
lucky girl, for Lord Beauvray was not
only of ancient family, young, i'm
mensely wealthy and well looking, but
he was pc. ular everywhere owing to lis
sunny temper and uprightness of char
acter. There are young noblemen
who make their grandeur consist 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
rs his betrothed, Miss Moyle, was the
fairest flower among that boquet 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 Lombard street, was new man"
of the city plutocracy-one OF those
financiers who have made such rapid
fortunes that everybody expects to near
of them next in the bankruptcy court
1t was said that he and Lord Beauvray
had become acquainted while travelling
abroad, and that the peers relatives
had been much scandallZed on hearing
of his lordship's intention to marry the
daughter of a man whose antecedents
were just q little misty.
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 obtaing a seat
in Parliament through Lord Beauvray's
influence and devoting himself thence
forth to the assiduous study of conser-
vative politics and the cultivation of
aristocratic connections. The poor
man had been admitted on Lord Beau
Vrsy's 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
OYER his business ledgers from II TILL
every day as ifhe had begun to realize
the degradation Of commercial pursuits;
and as soon as his counting. house
closed ne would hurry off in white
waist-coat and with Il flower In his but
ton-hole, to take & drive round the
parks in his spanking ph@ton, drawn
by pair of bays whom he could Ill
manage. TWAS honest Moyle's delight
in these drives to meet the finely-ap-
pointed barouche which carried his wife,
his daughter Mile, and Lord Beau
vray; and to note the number of hats
lifted as il passed. Such bows made
him grin in pure glee.
One sunny afternoon, just a fortnight
before the date fixed for the marriage
the bill-discounters ph9ton was drawn
up as usual alongside the pavement of
Lombard street, waiting till the stroke
of 4 from an adjoining steeple should
bring out the plutocrat, when a
brougham, with coronet on the pan
els, clattered up behind and Lord Beau
vray alighted. He was CHASTITY pale.
The hall porter, who knew him by
sight, and had always admired his
pleasant smile, was startled by his APP
pearance not less than by the broken
voice in which he inquired if Mr.. Moyle
had left. Just then Mr.. Moyle himself
strutted out, all glorious with a geran-
ium in his coat and white hat perched
acock on his pointed gray head. "Ah,
Beauvray" cried he, with cheerful well
come, but perceiving the look on the
peers face, he exclaimed: "Why,
what's the matter? Not i'll, I'll hope? ?"
ssNo. not i'll; but / want to speak to
you in private" said Lord Beauvray,
hoarsely.
"Shall we go off in the phaeton?"
stammered Mr.. Moyle, full of uneasi-
ness.
mo, into your room; but let us be
quite alone" repeated the Earl, and he
himself led the way towards the sane
tun, where the bill-discounter transact
ed most of his business.
Mr. Moyle had trick when agitated
of grasping his nose with the whole of
his hand and working it up and down as
if it were India rubber which he wish
ed to elongate. His nasal organ un-
derwent deal of pulling in the brief
interval that elapsed before he and
Lord Beauvray were closeted together.
Then, plumping down in the armchair
at his writing-table, Mr.. Moyle stared
in bewilderment while the peer sat down
opposite and produced blue envelope
with several black seals. Laying this
on the table, Lord Beauvray placed his
hand on it, and looked into the fnan-
cler eyes.
'sMr. Moyle," said he sadly, II have
painful communication to make; bat
will not beat about the bush. | find
that have no legal right to the title
which l bear, or to the fortune which 1
am using"
''Enl what?" exclaimed Mr.. Moyle.
with a gasp.
Il made the discovery this morning
in rummaging through the box of
Deeds" continued Lord Beauvray,
whose voice grew steadier, "You know
that 1 inherited the title from my uncle.
He was the eldest of three brothers.
My father, the youngest, died whilst l