The Portland daily press., 1884-04-09


know, to work upon. We old servants have
TO work carefully"
"Aye,-there's the rubp' cried Smart,
starting up from Fhis seat. "While you are
working carefully, the holder ones will come
In with strong horses and win the race! But
| come,--Pd like tolook through the old park.
We can talk as we walk"
The lodge-keeper arose and led the way
| out into the broad avenue, and when his
companion had surveyed the familiar scenes
about the gate, they turned towards the
| mansion, taking one of the foot paths. They
had gone but a short distance when Peter
pulled his companion by the sleeve, and
drew him behind the shrubbery.
"Hold back, Jasonl Now you'll see
sight. Don't move, but look sharp"
As the keeper thus spoke man and wo-
man came in sightl The man was of medi-
UNI height, broad and heavy of frame, and
inclined to obesity. His head was small
and the face was lowering and sinister. His
age might have been anywhere from FIVE
and-thirty to forty.
The woman was older, and though she
bore some features in common with her
companion, especially about the eyes and
mouth, yet she was what the world might
call handsome-that is, handsome for one
who had passed the meridian of life.
What do you think of that woman?'
NNSAASNA
don't know about the woman. amt
judge of the sex. But / should say the
man was villain. Who is he?"
"He calls himself the Honorable Harold
Berwick
Sand the woman is his motherp''
eyes; she is the present Lady Birch
| NEAR"
Sand can't you see by the looks of that
Onaf'c foan and hxyf NOV ho mi cvh of
he's got to say that he's connecting some
sort of villalny?'
eff he isn't he's out of his regular line.''
81 should say so. And SHE don't look
like saint. See how eager she is. L tell
you, Peter, if there's villainy afoot, she's
got as much interest in it as he has. Mark
my words.
When Lady Birchmear and her son had
passed from sight, the keeper and his COM
panion came out into the path and pursued
their way towards the mansion.
And now while the two old servants are
viewing familiar objects, we will follow La
dy Birchmear and her son. They had en-
tered upon secluded spot, away from the
principal paths, where they had stopped,
and where they pursued the conversation in
which they had been engaged-pursued 1t to
point upon which they had not ventured
while in more exposed part of the grounds.
"My MOTHER" said Harold, in a voice
scarcely raised above whisper, s"what we
do must be done quickly. It is very evident
that Sir John still cherishes a lingering love
for Arthur, in spite of his designations"
81 think he does, Harold" returned her
ladyship, meditatively.
81 know he does" asserted her son. "He
cberishes for the boy an instinct of love
above me, just as he remembers the boys
mother with a warmer feeling than he be-
slows unOn INV n0thnr -
Lady Birchmear clutched her hands, and
breathed quickly.
''You need not mention that, Harold. 1
know his lordship's heart, and he may be-
stow its treasures of empty remembrance
where he will, so that bend his outward
acts to my purpose. In all things but this
he is my AFFECT slave"
81 know" said Harold, with an evil smile,
s'that you have entire control of all that can
affect your individual interests, and now it
only remains for us to gain control of the
rest. Shall we let Arthur gain commits
sion in the Army?"
''Now answered the lady, emphatically.
"You, my son, must be heir of Birchmear,
and that you will never be if Arthur leaves
us and enters the army"
''You speak as though you had full assur-
ance, my mother"
'sAye, Harold, and have full assurance.
knew Arthur's father, and had he lived
one poor month longer he would have been
a general of brigade. His son is like him.
Let Arthur go out to India with commits
sion and he will make record of which Sir
John will be proud, and the old mans slum-
bering love for him will be rekindled.'
81 understand you," said the son with an
uncomfortable look upon his face.
He could not deny the premises, and yet
it was cutting to be brought thus face to face
rritI hic uo,,thfr11 riua
''And, furthermore" pursued her lady
ship, 81 have undertaken work, and l shall
not shrink from any ordinary means neces-
sary to it's accomplishment. You know that
l have sought to poison his lordship's mind
against the youth, and / have so far sue
ceeded that if we can bring about something
that shall fall crushingly upon him, we may /
get him out of the way. And this you must
do. You know how anything like conten-
ton or open strife jars upon Sir Johns
nerves. Now, can you not fasten quarrel
upon Arthur? l think his peculiar temper
ament is more open to that means of attack
than to any other. Mark me: If Arthur
Dherits Birchmear-'
'sHe shall never do it, interrupted Har-
old, with an oath. 81 have set my heart up
on the prize, and / will win it, or, at all
events, the son of the first wife shall not win
it from me. You spoke of engaging him in
a quarrel. That idea opens the way to a
new mine. A plan already begins to shape
itself in my mind. Let me think"
He walked away by himself, and when he
returned there was new look of hope upon
his evil face.
He had hit upon fiendish plan for de-
stroying Arthur Berwick, his noble young
rival, and as he unfolded it TO his mother,
her face glCwed with Satanic delight. The
above we publish as specimen chapter; but
the continuation of this great story will be
found only in the N. Y. Ledger. Ask for
the number dated April 10, which can now
be had at any news Office or bookstore. If
you are not within reach of a news Office,
you can have that number of the Ledger
mailed to you by sending six cents postage
stamps will do) to Robert Bonner, publisher,
1872 William street, New York. The New
York Ledger is the Great Family Paper, full
of good and interesting reading.