The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-18

looking into her face.
Something's gone awrv wi my deArr'
he said. What IL lit What's the mat
ter9'
'-oh. Jackl" she cried. II hare heard
such . fearsoune Yumor, what doth it
mean! He who told me 10 my hest
friend. He must be deceived But who
deceived him. and whyf Jack. WAS
just told that you had . wife living
when q, you married me, ana have her
"A wife? H'n-"
'Yes, and children. Say no. say NOS
"By God. have no lawful wife but
you; and as for children. many or few,
they are all bastards. save this one
aione!n
And that you be Sir John Horse
II mid be. I have never said SO to
-Bus Sir John . is known to have . lady.
The knight looked down. "How did
thy mind get filled with such a. this = no
asked.
Zone Of my kindred came"
"A traitor! Way should ne mar our
sea-where IS he now"
.Here!" said stern voice behind him.
And, ninging open the door. Roger faced
the intruder. Liar" he said, TO call
myself her husbandt'
Sir John fired up and made rush at the
sailor, who seized him by the collar. and
in the wrestle they both fell, Roger under.
But in a few seconds he contrived to cxtri-
cate his right arm. and drawing from his
belt q knife which he wore attached
to cord round his neck, he
opened it with his teeth and stuck it
into the breast Of Sir John stretched . owe
him. Edith had during these moments
~ hov 20 vla hn oh
in safety. and when she came back the
knight was relaxing his hold on Rogers
throat. He rolled over upon his back and
groaned.
The only witness Of the scene save the
three concerned was the nursemaid, who
had brought in the child on its fathers
arrival. She had stated Afterwards that
nobody suspected Sir John had received
his death wound; yet it was so. though he
did not die for . long while. meaning
thereby an hour or two; that Mistress
Edith continually endeayored to stanch
the blood. calling her brother Roger
wretch. and ordering him to get himself
gloomy pause. bv opening the window and
letting himself down by the sill to the
ground.
It was then that Sir John. in different
accents, made his dying declaration to the
nurse and Edith. and later the apOthecary;
which was to this purport, that the Dame
Horseleigh who passed as his wife at Clyf-
ton, and who had borne him three chill
dren, was in truth and deed. though I'M
consciously, the wife of another man. Sir
John had married her several years before.
in the face of the whole county, as the
widow of one Decimus Strong. who had
disappeared shortly after her union with
him. having adventured to the north to
join the revolt OF the mobiles, and on that
revolt being quelled retreated across
the sea Two years ago, having dis
covered this man to be still living
in France, and not wishing to dis
turb the mind ana happiness of
her who believed herself his wife.
yet wishing for legitimate issue, Sir
facts. who had encouraged him to wed
honestly, though secretly. the young mer-
chants widow at Havenpool: she being,
therefore. his lawful wife, and she only.
That to avoid all scandal and hubbub he
had proposed to let things remain as they
were till fair opportunity should arise Of
making the true case known with least
having been suspected and attacked by his
own brother-in-law, his xest for such
schemes and for all things had died ont Of
him, and he only wished to commend his
soul to God.
That night. while the owls were hootine
from the OtCOdIO tO0t 0uCtICieO tue U&ccp.
ing townlet, and the South Avon was
gurgling through the wooden piles of the
bridge. Sir John died there in tho arms Of
his wife. She concealed nothing of the
cause Of her husbands death save the
subject of the quarrel, which she felt it
would be premature to announce just
then and until proof OF her status should
passed it happened, to her inexpressible
sorrow, that the child of this clandestine
union fell sick and died. From that
hour all interest in the name and
fame of the Horseleighs forsook the
younger Of the twain who called them
selves wives of Sir John. and, be-
ing careless about her own fame. she
took no steps to assert her claims. her
legal position having. indeed. grown hate
full to her in her horror of the tragedy.
And Sir William Byrt, the curate who had
married her to her husband. being an old
man and feeble. was not disinclined to
leave the embers unstirred of such fiery
matter as this, and to assist her in letting
established things stand. Therefore, Edith
retired with the nurse. her only companion
and friend. 20 her native town. where she
lived in absolute obscurlty till her death, at
no great age. Her brother was never seen
again in England.
A strangely corroborativs sequel to the
story remains to be told. Shortly after
the death of Sir John Horseleigh soldier
Of fortune returned from the Continent,
called on Dame Horseleigh, the fictitious,
living in widowed state at Clytton Horse
leigh. and after a singulariy brief court
ship married her. The tradition at
Havenpool and elsewhere has ever been
that this man was already her husband,
Decimus Strong. who remarked her for
appearance sake only.
The iliegitimate son of this lady by Sir
John succeeded to the estates and honors,
and his son after him, there being nobody
alert to investigate their pretensions.
Little difference would il have made to the
present generation. however. had there
been such q one, for the family in all its
branches. lawful and unlawful. has been
extinct these many score years, the last
representative but one being killed at the
siege of Sherfon castle, while attacking In
the service of the parliament, and the
other being Outlawed later in the same
century for debt of fl0 and dying in the
county Jail. The mansion house and
Its appearances were. as l have previously
stated, destroyed, excepting one small
wing which now forms part OF farm
house and is visible as you pass along the
railway from Casterbridge atIvel. The out
line OF the old bowling green is also dis
tinctiy to be seen.
This, then, is the reason why the only
Lawful marriage Of Sir John. as recorded in
the obscure register at Havenpool, does
not appear in the pedigree of the house Of
Horseleigh. THOMAS HARDY.
BABYHOOD.
Hsigh-ho' Basyhood. Tell me where you lin.
Let's ,oadls home again. :or We have gone
Take TIL. cage. hand OF mine and lead me By