Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-10-28
CHAPTER ii.
Concerning Two Elderly Bachelors
and a Young Woman.

Concerning Two Elderly Bachelors
and Young Woman.
OF the two brothers who made
their home at Sandycroft Alwyn was
the elder by several years, and yet
the estate which was not entailed
had been left by the late squire to
Godfrey. his younger son. he who
was now known as Colonel Bernage.
There had been time when the
e. der son was regarded as the heir
and in the ordinary course OF events
he would doubtless have succeeded
10 the property. but for a certain
tragedy which befell when he was in
his thirty-eighth year He was in
Scotland at the time where he had
gone on Fl hing expedition when, III
sudden lit OF homlcidal mania he
killed the friend who had gone there
with him. He was tried. convicted,
aud sentenced TO be con med as u
criminal lunatic during her majes-
tvs pleasure Then it was that the
squire made fresh will dividing his
property in certain proportions be-
tween Godfrey and his daughter but
devising the sum OF six hundred
pounds a year as charge on tn es-
tate in favor OF Alwyn in the event
of his ever recovering his sanity and
being set at liberty.
After an Imprisonment which had
lasted for twenty-five years Alwyn
Bernage became once more a free man.
| BY that time Godfrey had left the
army and had settled at Sandycroft
He met Alwyn at the prison gates and
brought him home. and although at
! first the inclination OF the latter was
strong within him TO hide himself
| from the world in some spot where
his name and crime would be alike
unknown. the influence Of his brother
suiiiced after time to induce him to
rest contented where he was
/ 1t is rare 10 see n fraternal affec-
! ton so complete and beautiful as that
which existed between Alwyn and God
/ frey Bernage. The fact that neither
/ OF them was blessed with wife or child
! doubtless tended TO draw closer the
/ bond between them. All the chivalry
mate in Godfrey was kept constantly
exercised by the needs and require
ments OF his brother while Alwyn
chung to the strong shelter afforded
/ him b. the other with the
touching dependence OF one who con-
scious of his weakness is powerless
| to help it One oh ect they hal in
common. to whom the feelings of both
went out in no ordinary degree. The
! OBJ ect in question was very charm
/ Abot
niece Emma. On her they lavished
the affection which would have been
their chidren's right had either OF
them had any-and your elderly
bachelor has more often than people
wot Of large boarded fuEd of a. &C.
ton at his disposal although he may
be somewhat chary OF letting it be
seen. OF Ivor their nephew--hot-
headed. wilfuL impetuous. they were
more OF him at the Croft than he al
lowed them to do but it was for Emma
that they kept their love.
At the time to which we have come
she had just passed her twenty first
birthday. She was tall and OF slender
stateliness, with an air and manner OF
winning sweetness especially toward
those OF an Inferior position to her.
self in the social scale She had black
eyes large and limpid. with wistful.
velvety softness in them when aught
touched the springs OF tenderness or
pity which served rs an index to the
emotional soul working unseen below.
Black too were the long silken coils
of her hair. Her complexion was OF
almost ivory paleness but 1t was tho
pallor of perfect health. Only when
she became at all animated or flushed
with exercise did her cheeks betray a
faint roseleaf tinge OF color. She had
the same rather thin. highbred feat
ures that were an attribute OF her un-
cles. but the rare sweetness OF her
smile was all her own.
That they honestly believed them
selves to be in love with each other
there is no reason to doubt although
it may be the fact that Miss Penleath
being All heiress while Captain Darvill
man had little beyond his pay TO de-
pend upon. was not without its influ-
ence on the wooer. In any case they
were secretly married in accordance
with the Scotch law. which dispenses
with anything more than a promise
made and given in the presence OF
witnesses In this instance the wit
nesses were Lieutenant Greenslade. a
friend of DarvilL who was about to
sail with him. and Mrs. Bosworth. in
whose charge Emma had gone TO Scot
land. Emma whose heart misgave
her all through. had contrived to put
of the marriage till the last possible
moment and the cab in which Darvill
was to be driven to the station was
waiting at the door while the cere-
mony took place. Five minutes after
IL was over Darvill had kissed his
bride and was gone. All this had