San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-09-01
This story was commenced August 81
C2pliSt0l' 5 Gift.
BY HUGH CONWAY.
PART /.
TOLD BY PHILIP BRAND, NJ D.. LONDON.

get you some food"
NO" he said, II want nothing. Weary |
am, for | have been to Scotland and back as
fast as man can travel. | reached London a
short time ago, and after seeing one man
have come straight to you, my only friend,
for help-it may be for protection. But |
have eaten and | have drunk, knowing |
must keep my health and strength"
However, insisted on some wine being
brought He drank glass. and then with
strange enforced calm, told me what had
taken place. His tale was this:
After we had parted company on our re-
turn from Scotland, CarristOn went down to
the family seat in OxfOrlshire, and informed
his uncle of the impending change in his life.
The barOnet, an extremely old man, infirm
and all but childish, troubled little about the
matter. Every acre of his large property
was strictly cntaiIed, so his pleasure or dis
pleasure could make but little alteration in
his ncphSw's prospects. Still, he was the
head of the family, and CaristOn was in duty
bound to make the important news known to
him. The young man made no secret Of his
approaching marriage, 80 in a very short time
every member of the family was aware that
the heir and future head was about to ally
himself to a nobody. Knowing nothing of
Madeline ROwan'S rare beauty and sweet
nature CarristOn's kinsmen and kinswOmen
were Sparing with their congratulations In
deed, Mr. Ralph CarriStOn, the cousin whose
name was coupled with such absurd suspi-
ciOnS, went so far as to write bitter, SarcaS-
tic letter, full of irOnical fluctuations. This,
and Charles CarriStOn'S naughty reply, did
not make the affection between the cousins
any stronger. Moreover, shortly afterward
the younger man heard that inquiries were
being made in the neighbOrhOOd of Made
lines home, as to her position and parentage.
Feeling sure that only his cousin Ralph could
have had the curiosity to institute such in
quiries, he wrote and thanked him for the
keen interest he was manifeSting in his fut-
ure welfare, but begged that hereafter Mr.
Carriston would apply to him direct for any
information he wanted. The two men were
now no longer on speaking terms.
Charles CarristOn in his present frame of
mind cared little whether his relatives wish
ed TO bless or forbid the banns. He was pas
siOnately in love, and at once set about max
ing arrangements for speedy marriage. Al
though Madeline was still ignorant of the eX-
allied position held by her although
she came to him absolutely pennilesS-he was
resolved in the matter of money to treat her
as generously as he would have treated the
most eligible damsel in the country. There
were several legal questions TO be set at rest
concerning certain property he wished to set
tie upon her This of course caused delay.
As soon as they were adjusted to his own, or,
rather to his lawyers satisfaction, he pur-
posed going to Scotland and carrying away
his beautiful bride. In the meantime he cast
about for a residence.
Somewhat Bohemian i'm his nature, CARTS
ton had no intention of settling down just yet
to live the life of an ordinary mOneyed En-
gliShman. His intention was to take Made
line abroad for some months. He had fixed
upon Cannes as desirable place at which to
winter but having grown somewhat tired of
hotel life wished to rent furnished house.
He had received from an agent to whom he
had been advised to apply the refusal of a
house which, from the glowing description
given, seemed the one above all Others he
wanted. As an early decision was insisted
upon my impulSive young friend thought
nothing of crossing the Channel and running
down to the south of France to see, with his
own eyes, that the much-audcd place was
worthy of the fair being who was to be its
temporary mistress.
He wrote to Madeline, and told her he was
going from home for few days. lie said
he should be travelling the greater part of the
time, so ii would be no use of her writing to
him until his return. He did not reveal the
object of his journey. Were Madeline to
know il was to choose winter residence at
Cannes, she would be filled with amazement
and the innocent deception he was still keep
M no fhrnnUb tn ba
romantic end which he pictured to himself.
The day before he started for France Made
line wrote that her aunt was very unwell but
said nothing as to her malady causing any
alarm. Perhaps CarrStOn thought less about
the old Scotch widow than her relationship
and kindness to Miss Rowan merited He
started on his travels without any fOrebOd-
ings of evil.
His journey to Cannes and back was hur-
ried-he wasted no time on the road, but was
delayed for two days at the place itself be-
fore he could make final arrangements with
the owner and the present occupier of the
house. Thinking he was going to start every
he did not write to Madeline-at the
rate at which he meant to return a letter
posted in England would reach her almost as
quickly as if posted at Cannes.
He reached his home, which for the last
few weeks had been Oxford, and found two
letters waiting for him. The first, dated on
the day he left England, was from Madeline.
1t told him that her aunt's illness had sud-
denly taken fatal turn-that she had died
that day, almost without warning. The Sec
o1d letter was anonymous.
1t was written apparently by woman, and
advised Mr.. Carr to look sharply after his
Iady-lOve or he would lind himself left in the
Iurch. The writer would not be surprised to
hear some fine day that she had eloped with
4 certain gentleman who should be nameless.
This precious epistle, probably an emanation
Of feminine spite, Carriston treated as it de-
served-he tore II up and threw the pieces to
the wind.
But the thought of Madeline being alone at
that lonely house troubled him greatly. The
dead woman had no sons or daughters-al
the anxiety and responsibility connected with
her affairs would fall on the poor girl. The
next day he threw himself into the Scotch
Express, and started for her PARKWAY home.
On arriving there he found it occupied only
by the rough farm servants. They seemed in
a state of wOnderment, and volubly question
ed CarristOn as to the whereabouts of Made
line The question sent chill of fear to his
heart He answered their questions by 9th
ers, and soon learnt all they had TO communi-
cate.
Little enough IL was. On the morning aft
er the old wOman's funeral Madeline had
gone to Calendar TO ask the advice OF an old
friend of her aunt's as TO what steps should
now be taken. She had neither been to this
friend nor had she returned home. She had,
however, sent message that she must go to
London at once and would write from there.
That was the last heard of her-all that was