Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-09-18
A Family Affair
BY HUGH CONWAY.
Auts0r Of "C0zzed Back and "Darks Days
l[C0ntiaaued from last aoeek.

He asked for Mrs. Rawlings and not know
ing whether it was Mrs John or Mrs. Joseph,
was compelled to describe her as the one who
had been at Blacktown some few days ago.
That was Mrs John. Mr.. and Mrs. John
were away. Would not be back for at least
week. No one knew exactly where they
were. In their absence, caused perhaps by
another wild goose chase after a supposed
son, Frank was compelled to defer his re-
searches. His heart was very heavy. 1t
seemed to him that he would only find Bea-
trice by the prosaic way of tracing back the
bank notes. He wished he had not suggested
this course to Horace and Herbert.
He went down to Oxford and settled his
affairs as best he could He arranged with
Mordle's friend, Fanshawe, a brother coach,
to take such pupils as he could send him. So
utterly unfit did he feel for work that he was
glad to think that his new appointment did
not become fact for six months; so that,
except for the book which he had to see
through the press, he would have nothing to
occupy him but the search for Beatrice.
Horace and Herbert were more successful
in their call Sir Maingay was at home and
appeared delighted to see them. But this
effusiveness only covered certain fear with
which, perhaps on account of their striking
resemblance to his dead wife, the baronet
always regarded his tall, grave brothers-in-
law To my mind, widower who marries
again had better make a clean sweep of all
his first wife's relations. A painful duty,
vet due to ones self, as the Talberts would
| say.
$50 glad, so very glad, to see you, Horace;
SO delighted, Herbert" exclaimed Sir Main
gay. GLOW well you both look! never saw
you looking better"
They told him they were very well.
'You don't seem to grow a day older.
No family cares to vex you. Most men keep
young as bachelors. A family means re-
sponsibility as well as pleasure, you know"
Sir Maingay nodded his head contentedly as
one who knows all about it.
eve have something to say to you about
Beatrice" said Horace
Now, Beatrice was the very last subject
which Sir Maingay cared to discuss with his
brothers-in law. Although they had never
said so much, he felt that they altogether
1isapproved of his conduct with respect to
MS daughter. He felt that they thought he
should not have gone abroad and left her to
herself, although she had been so left by her
own expressed wish. To some people, espe-
cially those whose consciences were i'll at
ease, the Talberts' grave, unspoken censure
| WIS DlOlO oCi libiO ohoi NicipOi coioii IL JILL
any one else.
"About Beatrice" said Sir Maingay. ''Not
| i'll, I hope? I thought her looking far from
well when she left here"
'sNo, she is not ill-but we are in some
anxiety on her account"
''Ah, I think know. I think I'm quite
prepared for what you are going to say"
Horace raised his eyebrows. ''You arew
he said eff so, it will make our task
easier"
''Much easier" said Herbert.
''Well, you are going to say that youp G
| Carruthers is in love with my girl. He
came here once or twice; I saw it then.
He told me he was going down to your
place"
eyes, that is part of what we were going
to say.' They had decided it was as well to
let Sir Maingay know of Franks ambition.
'eWell," said the haronet, II like Carruth-
ers. Besides he is knsman of yours.
assure you, my dear Horace, my dear Her
bert, can never forget the many happy
wears spent with poor he actually hest
tated for the name. Think Of that all young
wives who believe that your husbands will
be inconsolable should death remove you'll
with much beloved member of your
family
''Thank you," said Horace, quietly. He
recognized the fact that Sir Maingay meant
we'll
"Besides,n continued the baronet, ''Bea-
trice is entirely her own mistress. She has
q will of her own. have no power over her
fortune, which, by the by, is almost as large
as my own. This is just as it should be, be
cause with those sons of mine it will be i'm
possible for me to add to her income at my
death" So he ratified on, bringing out what
was really justification of himself
"My dear Maingay," said Horace, mildly,
sswould it not be better if you heard what
we have to say and made your comments
afterwards"
':It would be great deal better, Main
gay" said Herbert,
From the days of their first acquaintance
they had always assumed this air of superb
GRITTY over the respectable nobleman. He
had never even struggled against it. So he
obeyed and was silent.
They told h m all about Beatrice. Hel
letter they could not show him, having for.
gotten to ask Frank to return it. Sir Main.
| gay listened but did not appear much up
| set
I'VE will of course take any steps yor
wish, or aid you in any steps you may take, ,
said Horace in conclusion
''It's nuisance, but L don't see any step.
to be taken" said Sir Maingay, composedly
'sNeither do we But We felt it right yor
should know at once"
"Quite so. AS I said, Beatrice always ha6
a will of her own. She is full of strange
freaks-full of them. AS you know fol
some extraordinary reason she wouldn't bt
presented, and can't live in the same HOUSE
| with her mother
s'Her mother" exclaimed the Talberts il
breath, and glancing simultaneously at {