The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-11-27

But how came heto prov"yOur death?
He must have done it to claim and
gain your fathers title"
II don't know; | have not heard a
word of him for years-never since the
day when | last saw him, when | told
him | had proof, proof of his guilt for
which | have borne the blame all these
fourteen loAg weary years past. |
gave him the opportunity of hyingthe
country, which, he secuted, declaring
l must be mad, crazy, idiotic to dream
of suspecting him"
"Of what?"
"Murder!" the sick man answered.
He foully and cruelty murdered my
mothers niece, u cousin, because he
had made. But what am | saying?
l am wandering in my head, that | go
babbling out the secret have kept all
these years to my own hurt and ruin"
He looked anxiously at Lord Archie
as he spoke, as if he thought he
would rush out OF the room and pro-
claim the whole of his secret to the
world at large; but Lord Archie soon
set him at rest.
Don't worry yourself. You didn't
mean to tell me? Well, | shall never
disclose it, don't worry yourself about
it. And now tell me what steps |
shall have to take to securely your sons
rights. Have you made a will, andleft
your papers in order?"
Everything! They are all in that
little tin box. AS to my will, that is
made, too; but | should like to add
something to it, if you will consent"
II? Oh, OF course; what is it,"
ITO act as trustee to my children
and their mother. dare say she will
marry again, and Pveprovided asuit-
able income in case of it,"
III do it, of course; but, tell me Stud
ham, tell me- reverting instinctively
to the Old name oftheir Varsity days,
"why, when you had thepower to take
everything and provide properly and
suitably for your wife and children
why didyou bury yourself in the ranks,
and let that young rutian Taft usurp
your place."
"Ill tell you. AS | said, Taft fatty
refused to clear out of the way, and
challenged me-yes. actually Chal-
lenged me-to produce my proofs
against him. | had them safe enough,
and so l told h~im-they're inthat box
now. l shouldn't have spoken-what
would have Deer the good? 1t would
have broken my fathers heart, and
furnished our old name; and the girl
was dead, had been lying dead among
the sedge and bulrushes for hours be-
fore we found her. All the ruin that
could come upon the Mannersleigh
family would not bringher back again,
SO | determined to keep silence, simply
because | could not see the good of
speaking.
II 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 it, when there fell out
a letter in Taff's handwriting, asking
her to meet him in that place at 4 in
the afternoon. / concealedit instinct
lively, and seeing her hand clinched up
on something, forced it open and
took from it a locket which he
had worn on his watch chain at
luncheon. knew it, because we had
all noticed it. There was a bit of
broken chain attached to it, evidently
where she had clutched at it in the
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 n of of the servants
who had seen me take the locket, or,
rather, had seen me take something
out of her hand, i was put up on the
trial as first witness. As soon as /
saw In the report that it was known ]
had the locket, / made up my mind
to clear out Of the way at once, tor,
though | could keep silence, | could
not give false evidence. | could easier
bear ruin and social extinction for
myself than / could break my fathers
heart by putting a rope round my
brothers neck. So that night / bolted,
and then / got over to Ireland and en-
listed in the T~wenty-ffth. But /
didn't know, ] never heard, he was
dead. When was it?"
about a year ago." Lord Archie
replied.
"Ah, / never heard it," signing; e'and
you say Taft has turned over q new
leaf?"
"Presides at philanthropic and re-
ligious meetings, and SO forth. / be-
lieve he's quite a shining light among
the unco' guild"
"Ah, he'll need it ALL" dryly. ~
fear though, there's not much real
good in him. He was always a bad
lot, but my father loved him best OF
us all. Well, my time is getting short,
andif you will get me a lawyer here at
once, I'll settle about the trusteeship;
the sooner the better, there's no time
to lose. For the rest, it will soon be
over. / shall not see tomorrow; OF
that | am certain. AS soon as you
hear of it, | want you to 60 and see
Taft, and tell him all | have told you;
foll him, that y0r L~ll 49, 49,.