The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-09-15

lishment, aud which she had begged
Mrs. Prideaux to accept as token o.
sensibility to kindness received since first
coming to this contry, kindness hich
had made it pn8sib for her to rise on
the ladder Of life, and kindness which
she now felt would never fail her. and
then | heard no more Of this young VIC
man till year or so had passed and
was calle+~into a case involving at at
tempt to defraud the government of du
ties on quantity Of costly lace.
Tbs firm employing Miss Beecher we're
the parties ausEerable to the charges,
and | went to represent my sister, whom
Miss Beecher had requested to certify
to her responsibility, she having brought
over the lace.
Her distress was 50 evident, but her
attestations were so quiet and well-bred,
that her innocence impressed young Ben
Van Thuysen, who appeared FOR the gov
eminent prosecutor Il entered H as |
thought | should AS I did last year,
she said, the blue eyes sofrened with
their trimming tears, "HoW can / ex-
pect 10 know your cons. aatly changing
Iawe2'
In these days" said he head Of the
firm" when many of the nobility OF
Europe are lettering themselves in bust
ness, we have felt ourselves fortunate IN
having an English lady Of Miss Beecher's
rank, and associations, and and birth,
at the head of our dress department.
But it hardly seems to ne that we
should expect the same familiarity with
our customs laws as with laees and vel
vets, from one Of the family Of the Earl
Of saverleigh."
This LADY," said Van b enshugsen.
She bowed. "a member q The EArls
household she murmured half maud
bly,, so that one heard only the word
earl" with distinctness. Then she
raised her head haughcily-that was her
innocence Of the smuggling and looked
at me, her cod eyes melting into some
thing like a heseech ng SMILE that vas
her appeal for my silence.
| have no class pr, lGi3es. But |
plead a love Of truth in general Here,
however, it did not seem I'D if the bal
ance or the universe were to be dis
tuTbed Perhaps if had foreseen the
future but | am not sure. A pretty
woman in distress has a claim superior
to some considerations of right and
wrong, and nature enforces it. "My
sister, Mrs. Prideaux, has been q friend
of Miss Beecher's for some years." |
said. "And beg to assure you that it
is quite impossible to consider this charge
in relation to her. AS the firm are ready
to meet the demands of the government,
think you will be quite within the Law,
Van Bonthuy en-, ii You accept their pro
posals
will make such report" said he
and no one can regret more than my
self the unpleasant duty that was forced
upon M here And after a short con
versation with US III general, and few
wards IN particular to Miss Baecher, he
,ook III AID his papers IF.
"a nae fellow, young Van Benthuy
sen, sad the head of the firm ''In
training for political life. Blood will
tell, as I'm sure sou make us feel, Miss
Beecher He is one Of the old Kuicker
booker STOCK His father, the General,
fiae, upright old fellow, ~as minister at
the court concerned II remember
Just where But he's millionaire times
over. and he boasts that there's no bluer
blood than his this side of Amsterdam :
But reckon we can see him, and go one
better Ell. Miss Beecherl'
a great bunch of orchids, of spc-
cies grown only Ia the Van Benthuy-
sens orchid houses, that | saw on Miss