Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-11-27

must be mad, crazy, idiotic to dream
of suspectine him.
sOf whatp
'Murderr the sick man answer
ed. lie foully and cruelty mur-
dered my mothers niece, our cous
in, because he had made.-- But
what am saying? | am wander
ing in my head, that go blabbing
out the secret | have kept all these
years to my own hurt and ruin.
lie looked anxiously at Lord Archie
as he spoke, as if he thought he
would rush out of the room and
proclaim the whole of his secret to
the world at large; but Lord Archie
soon set him at rest.
Don't worry yourself. Yon
didn't mean to tell met Well, |
shall never disclose it; don't worry
yourself about it. And now tell me
what steps | shall have to take to
secure your sons rights. Have you
made a will, and left your papers in
orderi'
Everything They are all in the
little tin box. AS to my will, that
is made too; but | should like to
add something to it, if you will
consent
&? Oh, of course what is ltT
TO act as trustee to my children
and their mother. | dare say she
will marry again, and I've provided
a suitable income in case of it.
'I'll do it, of course; but, Stud
ham, tell me- reverting instructive
" to the old name of their Varsity
days, why, when you had the pow
or to take everything and provide
properly and suitably for your wife
and children..why did you bury
yourselfin the ranks, and let that
young ruflian Taft usurp your placer
I'll tell you. AS | said, Taft
fatty refused to clear out of the
way, and challenged me--yes, act
ually challenged me to produce my
proofs against him. l bad them
safe enough, and so told him.
they're in that box now. | shouldn't
have vespoken.-what wonld have been
the good 2 1t would have broken
my fathers heart, and tarnished
our old name; and the girl was
dead had been lying dead among
the sedge and the bulrushes for
hours before we found her. All the
ruin that could come upon the
Mannersleigh family would not
bring her back again, so | deter
mined to keep silence, simply be-
cause | could not see the good of
speaking.
Il had been all that day sitting
with my lord, but happened to be
the first to find the poor girl, lying
face down in the water, and as |
turned her over tore open the
bosom Of her gown in doing il,
when there fell out letter in Taffs
handwriting, asking her to meet
him in that place at four in the
afternoon. cOncealedit instinct
lively, and seeing her hand clinched
upon something forced it open and
took from it a lOcket which he had
worn on his watch chain at lunche-
on. knew it, because we bad all
noticed it. There was a bit of bro
ken chain hanging to l., evidently
where she had clutched at it IN tht
last agony Of her struggle with
him. | showed the letter and the
locket to him that very night, and
then, owing to the gossip of one Of
the servants who had seen me take
the locket, or rather, had seen me
take something out of her hand,
r was put on the trial as first witness
As soon as | saw in the report thai
it was known ] had the lOcket,
made up my mind to clear out oI
, the way at once, for though | coulC
, keep silence, could not give false
evidence. | could easier bear ruin
, and social extinction for mysel
than | could break my father
heart by putting rope round IN,
brothers neck. So that night
bolted, and then got over to Ire
land and enlisted in the Twenty
fifth. But | didn't know, / neve
! heard, he was dead. When was 1t
f About year ago, Lord 4Archi
replied.
'Ah, never heard it, sighiDg
, 'and you say Taft has turned Owe
, a new leafp
, 'Presides at philanthropic an
. religions meetings, and so forth.
believe he's quite a shining ligh
! among the unco' guid.'
'Ah, he'll need it all = dryly,
? fear, though, there's not much rea
good in him. He was always a be-
lot, but my father loved him best
0 of us all. Well, my timeis gettipI
b short, and if you will get me
). lawyer here at once, I'll settl
4 about the trusteeship the soone
the better; there's no time to lose
), For the rest it will soon be ovel
Y | shall not see tomorrow of that
:. am certain. AS soon as you hea
,. of it, | want You to 60 and see Tai
4 and tell him all have told you
tell him that you hold my writteI
r word, that it is all true, that unle 8
he admits my boys claim, and al