The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-05
BY THE AUTHOR.l


ward way smooth and easy to tread.
Having made for herself a solid position
in the fashionable world, Lady Carsland's
ambitions expanded. In the early days of
her married life she bad only desired to
| take her place amidst the other ladies OF
title who throng the metropolis during the
| season-had only wished TO stand on terms
of intimacy and equality with the noble
the high and mighty danes whose names
figured in and almost constituted current
! history
That ambition was quickly gratifed, and
| that MOI ent she was uDsatisfied. Success
socially he'd sharpened her appetite. To be
the wife Of a baronet was only a small
thing after all when she came to consider
it. If her husband were an earl, or a baron
/ even, she would be content.
These cravings Of Lady Carsland were
! not confined to the reces,es of her mind.
! Sir Sydney knew all about them, and it
was in response TO her ladyship's intriguing
/ after a title of nobility for her husband that
the hint had been given him that he might
| expect his reward some day. What shape
/ the reward would take be could not guess
| and had not yet received the slightest inti-
nation. In all probability it would be Il
! Interpretations were seldom given to
men as young as he still was.
This brief record Of the married life Of
the Carslands will have been sufficient to
show that they had been fortunate, and
| one would have expected that success would
| have sweetened the life of each.
Such was not the case. In fact the first
! years Of Sir Sydney's existence after his
| espoussl of Miss Adelaide Woodcock were
| spent in fear and trembling. Only when
! he had placed the wedding ring on the
| finger Of the squirrels daughter did be realize
the enormity of the crime he had com
| united, and the danger of the position in
which he had placed himself
He had been guilty OF bigamy. His first
wife was alive-the woman known to the
| world as Lady Carsland was not his wife at
| all-her children would be In reality ille-
| Ultimate. The real Lady Carslaud was the
| daughter Of the Spanish Gypsy, Pedro
! Nelazo-the lovely, trusting woman he had
won and then deserted.
! Hardened reprobste as Sir Sydney Cars
| land was, be found it impossible not to
| think Of what he had done, and the evil con-
sequences that might issue from his mad,
sinful act. What an awful exposure there
would be il his flrst-his real wife--dis-
| covered who and what he really was. The
| country would ring with his infamy-the
| squire and the squires daughter, whom he
had dishonOred, would prosecute him-he
would be cent to jail, and all the world
would read Of his ignominy in the press.
! Such thoughts as those indicated logged
the baronet's footsteps for years There
he did not brighten himself with the shad-
ows Of Pedro Velazo and his daughter. He
could imagine the fiery Spaniard following
! him like a blood hound, ferreting out his
secret aud striking him suddenly.
Hence when Lady Carsland urged him to
enter society and rent or buy a house in
! London he grasped at her suggestion read
| lily. In the metropolis he would be safer,
be thought, than at Carsland hail. Among
the elite of society he would be more secure
from the people he feared. Surely Pedro
and Salome would never dream of seeking
bin there.
AS years spent themselves and never a
word of either Pedro Velazo or his
daughter reached him, Sir Sydney Cars
lands fears abAted and were ultimately
swept away altogether by the waves of
time.
When five years had elapsed he had sum-
moned up courage to pay a secret visit to
the scene Of his first wedding, was sur
prised to find that the little cottage had
strange tenants.
Pedro Velazo was dead, so he was told,
and his daughter had gone no one could
tell him whittier.
A little easier in his mind, for he had
been in deadly fear of the old Spaniard, he
ceased his inquiries, which had been carried
on incognito, and turned home wondering
with an intense wonder what had become
! Il
! afterward so suddenly and basely deserted.
After that his trepidation found wings for
itself and vanished and in the whirlwind Of
political existence and the gayety of social
affairs, thoughts of the past arose in his
mind but seldom. His heart and brain
we're engrossed in the present, and whenever
the old days and aid things presented them
selves be dismissed them with a Swallowed
face, wrinkled brow, and heart that was
| smitteu bV q dull pain
Lady Carsland had borne her spouse sew
eral children, all girls, but one only, the
first born, had lived. Sir Sydney had de-
sired a son and heir, but none was vouch-
safed him he did not care to think that
his name and race would end with him, and
in his somber moments he was inclined to
believe that q son had been denied him by
the Almighty as punishment for the sins
of his younger days.
As the years went by Sir Sydney became
! very greatly attacked to his ward, Paul
| Meredith. There was much in the young
mans nature which reminded him of him
self at the same age, and when Paul finished
his education and returned to Carsland
hall IL was the desire of the baronet, and
Lady Carsland also. that Paul and Cordelia
should make a match OF it
Paul Meredith was sole heir to most
| valuable estate, which would be his in a
couple of years; and besides there were
only three lives, none OF them too secure,
| between the young man and a certain earl
dom in South Wales.
Sir Sydney and Lady Carsland had often
talked over the matter. 1t was the fixed
opinion Of her ladyship that Paul was
| passiOnately attached to Cordelie, and that
he required only little encouragement in
order to declare his affection. She ex-
pressed herself also as quite confident that
Paul would, ere ten years were passed, be
Lord Aberlhan.
The present earl, she pointed out, was
verRing on 10, and would never marry.
| His brother and heir was only few years
| younger, and his son was consumptive.
Whenever she advanced these reasons,
| which Sir Sydney knew TO be well founded,
he always gave vent TO a hope that Paul
and Cordelia would come to an understand
ing while Meredith remained commoner
If they did not Paul might try at higher
and more hobly born game when be be-
came a nobleman.
A day or two following the arrival Of the
Carsands and Meredith at the hall the
| baronet and his wife CHANGED to be sitting
in the morning room. An hour after they
had all breakfRsted together, the young
people had gone ont, aud Sir Sydney and
Lady Carsland we're alone.
Il was half afraid, Adelaide" he began
as he permitted his morning paper to fall
| on bis knees, that Paul would have ex-
| pressed himself as DESTROYS of spending the
remainder Of his probation abroad. Young
| men, as you know, when set free from the