The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-12

that was all, as she tightly clasDed bis hand
But the rector understood her meaning, and
felt that she appreciated his sermon.
CHAPTER XIV.
FATHER AND SON.
On the same Sunday. about 10 O'Clock
in the morning, Lieut. Francis Roche
was sitting idly enough In his barrack-room
! at Lynwood smoking, aud occasionally
picking up a novel which did not interest
him, when his soldier-serVant raped at the
door.
Come in, cried Francis Roche, and ac-
cordingly the man entered.
IF you please. sir" he said, with mill
tary salute. there is a gentleman outside
| wishes to know If you can see himf'
who is her asked Roche.
He didn't give me card, sir, but he said
his name was Roche, and he wished par
| ticularlY to see you.n
"Rochel" cried Francis. springinR to his
feet. why, it must be my uncle, Colonel
| Rochel Is itp'
Don't know the colonel by sight, sir, y
answered the man, who had only lately en-
tered Francis service.
| ut must be. l know no other Roche
show him up at once"
The servant Immediately retired to obev
| his masters commands, and few moments
later Francis heard footsteps ascending the
stone stairchase which led to his room. He
therefore went to the door, expecting to see
| outside the stalwart soldier-like form of
his uncle, Col Roche.
| But a stranger stood on the little landing
a stranger with slouohing figure, and a
worn face, that had once been handsome.
1t was in truth George Roche, and for the
first time the fathers eyes fell upon his son.
"Do you wish to see meP asked Francis
Roche little haughtily, for ne did not
much approve of his visitors appearance.
| a C11iia stO1 he ,fs
mouth as he gazsd on the good-looking
| young face before him.
YES" he answered, 81 wish to see you
may go into your roomp
Certainly; pray be seated. My servant
said your name was Roche, is it so?"
Eyes, replied George Roche slowly, still
| looking earnestly at this stranger son,
and" hesitated Francis Roche, for
he wished to know what the other wanted.
You wish to know my business hereP
said George Roche, smiling. well, it's
| important Observation-Disclosures that may
bring great change to your own life"
II must confess lido not understand YOU"
That's only natural. Now I'm going to
ask you strange question: Did you ever
hear or know anything of your fatherP
my father No, know nothing of him
he died when | was a child, and | was
| brought up by my uncle, Col. Roche" an
| swered Francis; but he remembered at the
same time that his uncle had more than
once limited TO him that his father had been
anything but credit to the family.
And your mother9" said George Roche.
''Ot course, you never knew your motherP
II could not" said Francis, still more
surprised. "She died when was born"
George Roche gave his harsh laugh.
"No, my lad, she did not die when you
we're born" he said, and Francis frowned as
he spoke at the familiarity Of his words.
''She lived and became a great lady, is a
great lady now, though she is ashamed to
own her flrst-born son."
wv hat do you meanp asked Francis
Roche, and his brown face flushed dusky
| red.
81 mean your mother is a certain Lady
! Ennismore; or rather bears the name Of
Lady Ennismore. Of whom you may have
heardW
LADY EnnismoreP' repeated Francis in
utter astonishment. ~ know Lady Ennis.
more-this IS folly"
Its truth, every word of it. Before
| your mother married Lord Ennismore she
had in her early girlhood married a certain
| graceless scamp named Roche, who was
| supposed to be lost at sea-"
Roche ~ interrupted Francis, with his
eyes fixed on the other mans face; then
do you mean me to believe"
Your father was not lost at sea, my lad,
buOuRu LOT PURPOSE Oh MS own ne dllO
| the world to suppose so, and to do your
mother justice, she believed she was a
widow when she married Lord Ennismore.
But for all that, she wasn't. Her own peo-
pie never knew she was married before to
the scamp Roche, tut her maid Lorimer did
and, suppose, my brother"
| Your brotherN
"My brother and your uncle, Colonel
Roche. Yes, my lad, you may well stare,
for I've brought you strange news, though
you may not believe it. But do you re-
member one day being made present OF
! five hundred pounds by some unknown
lady, aud going to a shop in Buckingham
Palace Road, where a certain stout woman
| saw youW
Certainly I remember"
That woman was Lorimer, Katherine
Malden's maid when l was married to her
and the witness to our marriage"
Your marriage"
your mother"
Then" gasped Francis.
Il am your father. l don't say, mind
that you could not have had better one
| But made a fool of myself when | was q
young fellow, and things never went right
with me till lately; but the tides turned
now, hope, and Pm glad. Yes, by Jove
I'm glad to look on my lads face, and Pm
proud TO see you as you are"
Francis Roche was silent; all this seemed
so absolutely impossible that words seemed
to fail him. He stood there gazing at the
| weather-stained worn face of this man who
called himself his father, and little things
| rushed back Co his mind concerning LADY
Ennismore that he never could account for
He remembered in truth her strange con.
| duct about poor Helen Drummond, and heI
determination TO part them; remembered
| soft looks that had stolen into her eyes I'M
| consciously when they had rested on hi
face-and if this mans words were true
II may as well tell you the whole story, y
went on George Roche, interrupting his re-
Elections. at was here in this very place.
| Lynwood, and in these very barracks, that
l got into the trouble that separated me
! from your mother. It's not nice thing tc
tell to ones son, but if don't tell you some
one else will, besides it accounts for my
conduct. My brother. the colonel now, was
stationed here in those days, and /
as a young fellow without any par
ticular occupation, used to stay with
him, and through him was intro
duced to young girl called Katherine
Maiden, who was then about 16 and the
daughter of very rich people Well, die
what many young fool has done before
fell in love with handsome girl, though
had nothing to offer her, and her
mother would not have allowed me to speak
TO her had she known anything about it. Tt
make long story short, we met in secret
and the girl loved me then, whatever she did