The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-12-28

with h0WS, mir
laden with the scent Of wild flowers,
giant oaks and elms spreading their
mighty limbs 10 shade man and beast,
and skylarks rising in the heaven with
floods OF melody.
A valley with road running through
1t, and, In the nearperspective a village
--Hetherton. It is called--and, In tho
distance, the tall towers OF Scarsdale
abbey, one OF the stateliest homes of
: the land.
You have the scene before you.
But not all harmonious Is the aspect.
Man comes, as usual, to mar the beauty
of nature.
This particular man Is eminently
qualified TO scare away any poetic
fancies the scene may have prompted.
He Is spare, cadaverous fellow Of
about forty years OF age, with sharp
features and red hair, and eyes that
would be bright and swapping. but
that they are so bleared and bloodshot.
His dress Is the decay Of gentish vul-
garity. When new, you can SEQ that
his coat has been glossy as the glossiest
OF shoddy; his trousers baggy In shape
and loud in pattern. and his shoes Of
French kid, but the blight of poverty
Is on them, and their original grand
ness makes their shabbiness the more
apparent.
Neither Is his manner more prepos-
sessing than his person, for as he
trudges along the road, his lip con-
stantly curls with the bitterness of his
reflections, and he viciously cuts down
the unoffending flowers with the cheap
cane he carries, as though the beautiful
were repugnant TO him.
Yet his footsteps are turned toward
Scarsdale Abbey.
Little does Sir Gordon Hillborough,
the owner of the splendid demesne, as
he sits In his ancient library, n tall, stern,
courtly old man of sixty, anticipate
the visitor that fate Is bringing him.
Yet barely an hour has passed since
we saw the vaurien tramping along the
! highway, and now he Is sitting very
! much at his ease In tho presence of the
great man. who seems too astonishcd
at the novelty of the situation TO offer
a remonstrance.
''Sir," the baronet says with much
dignity, ''you have gained admission
into my house under the plea that you
have an important communication to
make concerning my son. Briefly as
possible tell me your business"
Don't happen ever to have heard
the namc of Gregson, suppose" the
stranger, replied with sneer.
Sir John shool< his head In negntson.
"Nor of Newton parish in the county
of Leicester?"
"Ahi"
There was look of painful recol-
lection in the baronet's face.
'"The father, presume, of the young
woman, by whose allurements my son,
a mere boy, pupil at private school,
was nearly brought TO the verge OF So
cial destruction?" he asked, haughtily.
"Uncle, SIR" was the airy reply.
"Uncle 10 as interesting n young TO
male orphan as ever fell victim TO the
wiles of IN aristocratic scoundrel."
"And you want"
Justice, Sir Gordonl Has not your
son behaved like a villain-going and
getting married and starting for India,
while my poor niece and her little girl
are left to starve?"
Sir Gordon's hard look softened.
IA babe? had no idea 1t was as bad
as that Something must bc done for
II and her"
Eyes" sneered Gregson, "somethings
got to be done, an done quietly, too"
"A small annuity TO support and cdu-
cate the child" continued the baronet,
meelxly. ~ will sec my attorney"
And what about Mrs. Richard HILL
borough"
"oh. She Is in India with her hus-
band. beg that her name may be
kept out Of this unhappy controversy
.sOh, no, she's not, my noble friends
Won are laboring under great mistake.
Mrs. Richard Allestrcc Gordon Is Mt this
moment in Newton, Leiccstershire."
"Grcat heavensi" gaspcd the bar
onet. what do you mean9"
~ mean that your son married my
niece three years ago come next Au-
gust Oh, you needn't stare SO aisDe,
lovingly. Here II MI Is In black ana
white Birmingham's REGISTRAR GER
tificatc and letters by the dozen"
Save for slight quivcring OF tho lip
one would think that tho old man was
stricken with death.
"Do you realize" he murmured' win
difficulty, ''that this mems that my boy
has committed bignmy?"
"Of course do, and sure as my name
Is Jacob Grcgson he shall suffer for IT.
"And why. II these papers are nuthen'
tic, have You been silent these three
years."
.Becausc never knew the rights
about Il till one week ago. You see my
n,ern mover let on who was the father
OF her child-and ever since Its birth
she has been siclsly and wealk-mindcd'
eo that shc takes no notice of anything
not even of her little girl"
"Aad you mean to tell me- man, tnne
my SON deserted her In such condi-
tlon7s