Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-04-30

"Oh, no-nUP said Norah. 1T is enough.
Hugh, tear-buru-dessroy this horrible
paperi Let US never mention It again. Lot
us all agree TO forget 10. Hugh, tear it into
a THOUSAND fragmentsl'
Hugh placed it in the crate, and applied 8
light d match to it. In q few seconds Dicks
masterpiece was in ashes
II have one thing to say, Norah,H added
Mr.. Murridgs. On that day when the facts
were made clear to me, and the witnesses
one after the other-the gambling man, and
your brother, and the boy-showed that
there was one, and only one, guilty person,
l would not ad nit the truth because there
was the chan0e. the slender chance, that nv
son might have had something to explain
some kind Of excuse. / even tried to per.
a myself tnat there might be a con
spiracy against him"
He was your son" said Calista; poor
Dickr'
AT all events" said Hugh, you might
have trusted some one"
Young gentleman, l trusted-my OWE
SON." No one replied Il trusted nv SON.
he repeated; Il who have spent my life in
calling those people fools who trust any one.
Norah, will you come back to meP'
Norah looked at Hugh.
mo, sir" the resident medical replied.
taking her hand; Moran shall not work for
you or for any one else any more. 1t will be
my happiness to work for her,"
I'm that case, " said Mr.. Murridge, land as
l have no longer a clerk, and time is money
at least my time-I will go. Good-bv,
Norah!" She gave him her hand. II am
sorry, my dear. You were a very good
clerk to me, worth three times-nay, six
times what l gave you. Well, l wish you"
ne hesitated and laughed incredulou5ly-'I
wish you what they call happiness in love
and marriage. / do not quite understand
what they mean by happiness. but I think it
chiefly means making believe and pretend
ing, and shutting your ewes to facts a great
deal. If you do that, Idon't see why you
may not expect to be fairly happy if you
have money enough. OF course that is the
first thing. With the recollection of nv
example you will naturally never place any
hope or belief in the future of a child"
do not go, Mr.. Murridge," said Hugh; there re
mains something which concerns you. 1t is the sur
prise, sir''-he turned to the doctor-"of which Ca
lista spoke" q.
Now Tor the surprise, said the doctor. AFTER
the mystery comes the history"
ut is a surprise about-about the title" Hugh be-
gan. 1T was AS much Of a surprise when / first
learned it as 1t will be to you and to Mr.. Murridge.
To you. hope, not a disagreeable surprise. And to
Mr.. Murridge-'
We'll, what will 1t be to meY'
you will see directly. We're you quite sure, MI.
Murridge-perfectly sure, from your information and
the inquiries you made, when you bought those re
verslonary rights, that only two lives stood between
the doctor and the title?''
Mr.. Murridg started.
SUR? OF course 1 am quite sure. The late Lori
Clonsilla mad two brothers. One Of them died
young, aud the other dieI a few years ago without
issue. The next heir was his first cousin. The grand.
son Of the first vi.count, and the third baron. lie 1t
vas who died the other day. But the papers took rt
notice Of his death. The next heir il, without the
least doubt, the doctor here. There are other cousins
but they have no claim, and they may be neglect d"
That is quite right so far; but are you sure that
the late viscount had no children?'
He had one son, who died young"
HE died at even.and-twentv He died, Mr.. Muir.
ridge-to my mothers lifelong sorrow-ln the sec.
ond year of his marriage"
"WhatF' cried Dir. Murridge, ito your mothers
sorrowf'
ITO your mothers lifelong sorrowr Norah re.
peated.
The others, I am ashamed to say, not being geneal
ogists, failed to catch the meaning Of these simple
words.
Then Mrs. Aquila supplemented them, saying,
softly:
ut Is quite true; my husband was the only son OF
Lord Clonsilla. After his death l went back to my
profession and continued to sing. Hugh is my son
He il, therefore, If he pleases, Lord Clonsilla."