Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-06-09
BADDACONBE HElRLOONS,
!. C. w.


The Marquis of Babbacombe strolied |
into the hall OF the Byculla Club at
Bombay. Of which he had been mnde an
honorary member. and asked for his
letters. He was n good-loolSing young
nobieman OF three and twenty. and
was travelling TO see the world bit
before settling down 10 the role OF
hereditary legislator and county mag
nate.
There was only one letter and that
was an English one. just come in by the
mail. The Marquis provided himself
with cheroot. and. choosing u com
Portable corner in the smoking room,
sat down TO peruse his letter. II was
dated about three weeks previously
from the Grand Hotel at Brighton and
read as follows:
My Dear Bob: have piece of
news for You, and also a request TO
make. The news IL that l am about TO
be married on the i4th OF February TO
Lady Honoria Biddulph. the youngest
daughter OF the Earl OF Wimbledon.
II is good match In every respect.
and all the more SO for being based on
mutual affection. ] feel sure that
shan have your congratulations and
best wishes.
THE request which l have TO make
is one which you will doubtless fecog-
nlze as the literal outcome OF an old
piece of chan between us. You always
said that If ever l fell into the bonds
OF matrlmony you would lend me
Babbaeombe Towers for the honey
moon, and now | claim the fulhlment
of your promise in real earnest. VIII
you, Ike good fellow, let Honoria and
myself have the run OF the place for u
month";
II will see that the bride doesn't pick
the flowers or do any damage. and We
shall both be very grateful for the
accommodation. III you consent. as L
know you will. just send me u cable to
the above address-the word Yes Will
be quite suiilcient-and write to your
| agent at the Towers To tell him TO cN-
pect us ON February Il. have calcu-
lated that he should get your instruc-
| tons, II you write by return mail about
-FOUR or i've days before the 18th.
am sorry | could not give longer
notice, but the affair is only just ar
/ ranged, and there In no need for any
! elaborate preparations. In fact, we
| should prefer 1t to be as quiet as pos
sible l shall take my man Lewls-you
| VIII remember him--and Honoria viii
have her own maid. 80 our personal
| requirements Will be looked after. RE-
| lying on your Kindness, and hoping
you are enjoying yourself in The glow
Ing East. l remain. yours always"
"ESME NIGORS"
Vigors. The writer OF the letter was
an old Eton and oxford chum OF Bah
bacombe, and long before he came to
| the finish the request was granted.
! The marquis smiled to himself ny he
recalled the number of times Esmo
Nigors had dlsavowed matrimonial in
| tentions. and now here lie was suing
for the boon which had been playfully
profcred him so often, Having pro-
cured cable" form, Babbacombc SEM
| OF despatch to his friend IN the
terms requested. and then sat down "a
embody his congratulations In a let
ter which could follow by the outgoing
mail. This done, he wrote "A brief note
to Captain Goddard, his agent and
baillff at the Towers, instructing him
TO have the place ready for the rocep-
ton of the Hon. Esme and Lady Homo
ria Nigors on Feb. IA.
The note Itself was most business
like composition, but, just as he was
about to seal 1t up, Babbacombe's face
flushed glightly, and after moments
consideration he added MS q postscript
"Eindest regards to yourself and Misi
Goddard. hope the proposed arrange
mcnt will put neither Of you out IN an,
way Then he appeared satisfied, ant
sent his correspondence away to post
Shortly afterwards Lord Babba
combs friend and travelling com
panion, Cecil Forester, came into tn
club, and. as a mutual acqnnlntanc
,, OF Vigors, was, OF course, Informed o
the news.
= Forester was an older man than tn
marquis, and not by any means so I'm
pulsivc. "Show me the letter. he sait
Babbacombe handed II 10 him with IN
l remark that "Vigors seemed prett
n | ,t,f nd hadn't the ffpung 1
1 apologize for the step he was con
e Forrester made no reply Till he ha
T read the letter twice very carefully
t and had even gazed long and ouriousl
at the envelope. Yes" he said, a
: length, "Esme does as you say. seer
= In a mood Of some leylty. You are hi
;. Oldest friend, are you not, Babbf
Q combe? Boys together and all tbs
e sort of thing, 1 thlnk?'
: THAT IL 3d." said the marquis.
d "Jnder the circumstances. then, an
: considering that you are such an oil
= chum, NlgOrs seems to me to announC
: his marriage in rather bald and VI
Q explanatory fashion" And there ensue
y a conversation upon the subject whic
= was not without It's bearings upon II
/ results hereafter related.
- Babbacombe Towers was a grand o.
a | Dllc, lull norman anu llhil
In the great beech woods OF Buckinl
~ hamshIre. For centuries II had bee
y the principal country seat OF u
ancient family whose name 1t bore, AZ
- for centuries that same family Ia
20 been one OF the pr0udest In the prot
y, peerage Of England. In It's relations
=, the surrounding country Babbacoml
a, Towers had changed very little mo
= those of the old feudal times. when y
=, Babbacombe OF the day claimed all
!, glance from all the countryside.
y II is true that at the end Of the min
teonth century the villagers roui
about were not summoned to be
~ arms in the service OF the marqul
h but for miles on either side the farl
~ ers who cultivated the clearings In Z
"a beech woods were his tenants, and q
ID whole population, scanty though
was. In some way or other depend
r. on ''the family" The family at 1
AZ period Of this story was represent
IA by the young noblem0n whom we ha
10 already met on his travels In u Bomb
ID. club
Late on the afternoon OF the II
OF February, Captain Goddard, I
agent, and his daughter, Edith, we
ct In their pleasant sitting room In I
NJ west wing at the Towers discussing I
a expected arrival OF the bride and bird
a. groom. The letter from the marqt
O. had been duly received nye days
Tx fore and Mr. Vigors had also WRIT