The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-02-27
MASTER RICHARDS MAN.

may say that I was brought Up in the fam
lily, for it is now nigh on to 80 years since I
came into it, and | was then a lusty youth Of
almost 20. 1t makes me tremble when I think
of it to find that IN a few months / shall be
half a century old Well, during those so
years I've seen and known some startling
thing. in the family, but nothing more so than
what Tn about to tell.
OF course / use no real names, and I shall
call my master Richard, though this was not
at all his real name any more than that of the
family was Stratton, which l shall call them.
Master Richard STATIONS father was a very
practical man, who had come from England as
a boy, married a new York lady and made a
large fortune as a merchant. He had but one
child, a son Master Richard, and of him he
made an idol, especially after the death of his
wife, who departed this life, beloved by all,
when Master Richard was five years old.
1 have said that Mr.. Stratton was a very prac-
teal man; and he showed it when he employed
me, a stout and dilligent lad of 20, freshly ar
rived from a rural part of England, as a care
taker of Master Richard, then a handsome boy
of three years old French BONES, fresh from
Ireland we're not then in fashion, and it pleased
Mr.. and Mrs. Stratton to intrust Master Rich
ard to me rather than to some half witted nurse
maid, and I am confident that they never re-
GREETED it
How fond / became Of that boy, aud how
well he deserved all the care and devotion /
lavished on him! / taught him to ride, to run,
to Jump and to drive, and that / might teach
them again to Master Richard, Learned to box
and use the sword. / really felt as if that boy
belonged to me, and / do believe that it was on
my account that he should not be separated
from me that his fatehr employed a tutor and
had Master Richard educated at home instead
of sending him away to school; and, farther
than that, when it came to college years he
sent him to Columbia so that | had daily care
of him, instead of sending him to Harvard,
which [ knew YVES his first choice.
All these years passed very rapidly, and L
may say very happily, and Master Richard al
ways treated me with the highest consideration
never allowing me to feel for an instant, my IN
f~eriority, but on the contrary, always placing
before me his desire that shnnld uphold his
and my own pride by acting as If / was q gem
tlemen, and the equal OF any one, as long as
was honest and behaved myself. l was his own
man and felt it an honor. Before strangers he
always called me Mr.. Brown, but when alone
he would call me Brown, and sometimes Bob,
which latter cognomen liked much the best.
But now comes the fret opening of what |
call tho dark era. Master Richard graduated
with highest honors, and had chosen the law
for his profession, since it seems that in this
country every man, no matter what his wealth
or tastes, must be something, and he began 70
study for 1t. Then 1t was that Master hicnard
fell in love. l knew 1t before his father did,
and was the medium 81 correspondence, for
the boy made a confidant of me in everything,
andI did not hesitate in doing anything to for
ward it, feeling that his father must approve
of the lady.
Miss Alice Sylvester was simply beautiful,
and L heard that she was as accompiisheda as
she was beautiful. She was OF unimpeachable
family, and for her age, which was only 10,
was one of the pronounced bellies OF society.
/ knew that Master Richard was engageN 10
her, and he told me when he made his father
acquainted with the fact, and soen afterward
I found that it was whispered freely about AT
first it was easy to be seen that Mr.. Stratton
was pleased with the match, though he limited
as much to me as to say that he thought ms
son was too young to marry. Ihenc afser the
affair began to be well known, IT was evident
that there was some cloud lowering between
One day when Master Richard was out MI.
Gtratton sent for me to come into the library
and put me through the ~seversst line Of ques-
tioning ! ever underwent in my life, and lt was
MI &u0ut MISS oyltebboF, Huu ulucu VI ~ 80 a
then thought, Of q very curious kind, bearing,
as 1T did, on my impressions OF the lady's per-
sonal ooks and conduct ! answered him as
best I could, but he did not seem satisfied, and
afterward when I thought the matter over
got suspicion as to what no was driving at and
remembered that several times when l mac
been ordered to deliver q letter or message,
personally 10 her, she had acted IN = way MAJ
| thought q little strange, but rs / attributed ~
to her being In love-thougb ! was never that
way myself thought nothing. OF IT. MT
Stratton gave ME no orders TO keep the inter
view with him secret, and so told IT 70 Master
Richard, who at first was very angry, uut
afterward laughed at il, though he made no
explanation. A week later Master hicnard
game in very much excited and angry, ana Salu
10 me.
bob, have you seen anything about MISS
Sylvester when You have been there Tor me,
that looked as though she had been using
stimulant, either wine OF opiumye ,
The question shocked me, apd was opllSsu
% confess To him that I had noticed . slnRuia.
levity in Miss Sylvester at times, but ina nha
never thought OF attributing IL 70 thar cause
until after his father had questioned me, ana
hat / was not prepared now to pronouncess 70
Then he said, the anger hashlng our u ~
eyes: s,
do you kncx that DR.. Willseys that ola
scrub, has dared TO presume, because ~ mas