Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-01-05

placed seat for her.
III Miss Templeton could but see
this, she thought, with quiet amuse-
ment-aa gOverness-pupi1 receiving
gentlemen. visitors In the drawing.
sMy business with you, Miss Rayner,
isvery important, continued the speak
er, Perhaps i should introduce my
self.-I am Mr.. Clements, of the firm Of
Clements & Mathews, of Liucoln's Inn.
We are lawyers, he added with q
smile at her simplicity.
Not knowing what to say, she bowed.
ALLOW mo, Miss Rayner, to introduce
Mr.. Dunscombe to you He has been
for some years past the manager of the
Charnleigh estates"
She bowed again, still moro bewil-
dered. What should lawyers and man
ayers OF estates want with her?
Il must ask you,, Miss Rayner, to an
swer my questions Us fully as you can,
said Mr.. Clements, "and not to conceal
anything from me.
I have nothing to conceal and noth-
ing to tell" she remarked My life
ha, been an unevcntful one..
The future may have much in store, !"
said Mr.. Clements, smiling and bowing.
Now, Miss Rayner, will you tell mo,
first, the name of your fathor!'
Captain Albert Rayner, she replied,
promptly.
"And your mother's?"
Her maiden name was Aida Cler-
mont. She was u French lady, born at
Rheims"
will you, as briefly as you can, tell
us all you know OF your parents, their
lives and deaths?"
The girl was too simple and inexperi-
enced to imagine that there could be
any mystery behind these questions.
English family. He was gentleman,
but not rich; indeed, he had no money
except his income as captain. NV
mother was lady: she was descended
from IN old Royalist family that was
ruined when she was child-the
Clermonts of Rheims"
Mr.. Clements bowed again, Us though
each word corroborated something he
had heard before.
My mother was very young when
she had to go out into the world as q
governess. She was in situation at
bennington when my father, Captain
Rayner, met her, loved her, and mar
ried her."
And thereby interrupted Mr..
Clements, "lost the only chance he had
in life. He was we'll known-a perfect
gentleman - handsome, refined; ho
might have married an heiress."
He loved my mother" interrupted
Leonie, her beautiful face flushing.
"Yes, certainly; but that was the only
chance life held for him. Win YOU
continue, Miss Rayner?"
IF do, she said, you must spare
me any further criticisms on either my
father or my mother"
II really beg your pardon, returned
Mr.. Clements. l rather admire Cap
tain Rayner for what he did"
They were married at bennington,
for my mother had no home and no
friends. Despite poverty. my parents
lived happily enough until my fathers
regiment was ordered abroad. NY
mother, for pecuniary reasons, was
obliged to remain in England; my
father died a hero's death far from his
native land"
"He did, said Mr.. Clements. "And
them"
"After that my mother came to Lon
don and lived by teaching Flench. She
taught here at Kings Court, and when
she died Miss Templeton took charge
of me on condition that should teach
when was able. l have lived here
ever since"
"And that is the story of your life?"
interrogated the lawyer.
"Yes; remember no incident in it
save my mothers death; the rest has
been dreary blank"
"Have you any papers corroborative
of what you say, Miss Rayner?" he
asked, and again an expression of sup
pressed excitement appeared on the
lawyers face.
"Yes, o small packet. There is q
copy of my fathers marriage register,
and one of my birth and of my mothers
death-that is all, think"
Will you let me see them?"
She rose and went to her own room,
whore they were kept. There was lit
tie wonder in her mind-her life had
been too uneventful for that; she
thought there was some business on
hand relating to her fathers death.
She found the papers and returned
with them; she laid them before Mr..
Clements, who looked attentively Mt
them.
Nothing. could be more straightfor-
ward" he remarked to Mr.. Dunscombe;
"it is the same story word for word!"
"Yes, there is no mistake" observed
his friend; and then they both looked
earnestly ut the young girl before
them.
II have orange news for you," said
Mr.. Clements; perhaps I ought to
break it gently. Did you ever hear
anything of your fathers family?'
NO." she replied. II do not even
know the names of his relatives"
you have much to learn; but let me
tell you have no hesita tion in saying
that your claim is perfectly legal and
clear; and that. instead of being Miss
Leonie Rayner. governess-pupil, you
are Leonie, Countess of Charnleigh,
and mistress of one Of the finest estates
in England
CHAPTER III.
The words sounded plainly and clear
~ in the silence-so clearly that the
young girl looked up at him bewilder-
ed, lost, dazed with wonder.
IL do not understand, she said
family.
Lawyers are not accustomed to ro.