Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-09-13

major interrupted family. My minutes
are numbered. and what you have to tell
no longer concerns me. But there STANDS
the new Earl of Ravenwood and his son,
Lord Langdon."
Sir, these. gentlemen have no claim
to the titles" said Mr.. Waxpenny.
NO claim?" demanded the major.
Nathan and his father looked surprissi,
and Barnabas nodded at then mean
ingly.
Il said no claim" repeated Mr.. Wax
penny. The earl had third and elder
! son. Anthony"
He DAD years ago." gasped Major
LangdOn.
Exactly, sir; but he left a wife and
son behind him"
Having made this announcement, Mr..
( Waxpenny paused q moment 10 enjoy its
! thrilling effect Anthony Langdon
was wild and dissolute young man,
! he continued Under an assumed name
| he was married in London IN the year
1859. In the following year, after son
/ had been born TO him, he tired CT his
( family, deserted them and came home.
! \ week later n was stabbed in a drunk
/ en- brawl at Nottingham. Before he dc
| he confessed his marriage TO his .2,h,s.
who chose, for reasons that may be u'-
dersjoOd. 10 keep the secret locked
his own bosom
Mr.. WaXpenny stopped again and .1-
! pressiyely folded his arms. The de-
serted wife" he resumed, was a proud
and high spirited woman. Being salts
ll-l that her husband had tired Of her.
! she made no effOr, to find him-no, even
when she was informed of his death by
| an anonymous letter sent to her by the
| earl. With her father and her son, she
| shsn emigrated to America, where the
earl kept track Of them for time. They
were worthy and upright people, and
| the knowledge OF this fact doubtless
prompted him to make tardy confes-
sion and restitution on his deaih-bei.
| BY tn terms of his will, which was en-
trusted to my employers, one-half Of
,he estate is divided equally between
his sons Gerald and Richard. The other
half goes to AnjhOny's son, who IS the
| rightful Earl of Ravenwood.'
Ind have you found him? asked
the major.
q regret 10 say that | have made no
progress as We, replied MI WaXpenny.
The lad would now be eighteen years
of age if he is living. The name Of his
maternal grandfather was Matthew
Marsham. and he himself was called by
the assumed name Of h.5 father, Godfrey
| Spencer"
Godfrey sprang forward, his face rs
pale as ashes. my grandfather was
Matthew Marsham," he cried. Il am
Godfrey Spencer, and my mother is sill
alive"
Mr.. Waxpenny tried hard to preserve
his legal dignity. but the effort was vain.
"Vou are Godfrey Spencer he exclam-
ed excitcdly. Yes. YOU have the family
likeness. And can you prove your
CLAMP"
"Mv mother has the papers. sir-the
certificate Of her marriage and of my
birth"
Then you ara the Earl Of Raven
wood declared Mr. Waxpenny, rubbing
his hands with delight. my lord, |
congratulate you He made the lad
sweeping and impressive bow.
Godfrey blushed with confusion, and
looked around him IN a dazed manner
1T seems like a dream" he esaid Il
can hardly realize it. Major Langdon
IS my uncle. and so are you, Captain
Sjanbury-"
And you and are cousins, Godfrey
cried Nathan. 81 am glad to hear OF
your good fortune, and I don't envy You
one bin I wish you all happiness and
prosperity
Thank you. Nathan" Godfrey re-
piled. and the lads affecuonateiy clasp
ed hands.
It is now time to drop the curtain.
After several hours Of Inconsistencies,
| Major Langdon died peacefully at day
break and was buried that same day in
a grove Of oaks near the farmers house.
As soon as the sad ceremony was over
he whole party started for New Bruins
wick under the escort of the women.
From there Godfrey and Noah Wax
penny pushed on to New York. The lad
was sick of the war. and a week later
he sailed with his mother and the law
clerk 20 England. where he speedily
proved his claim 10 the tile and estate
OF the deceased Earl of RavenwOod.
Captain S;anbury. Nathan and Bar
J niDHS reI0Iufu w oS4i US ADll . "i NY e4-'t
fought braycly until the surrender of
Lord CORVALLIS al Yorktown ended the
long struggle. and gave the United Col
on,es their freedom. At the close Of the
war Nathan had risen to the rank Of
! first lieutenant
/ A few months later Godfrey persuaded
his uncle TO accept half Of the earl's es-
tate. with a portion Of the money that
was r,chtfully his, Captain Richard
Tangdon-to give him his correct name
bought a handsome property in the
suburbs Of Philadelphia Here he and
! Nathan lived happily together, keeping
M their old friendship with Cornelius
De Vries. and occasionally visited by
Barnabas Otter. who had gone back 10
his beloved wyoming AT the close Of tho
war.
In after years. when his father was
ar rest on the banks Of the Delaware,
Nathan made more than one visit 20
his ancestral home IN England, where
ne and Godfrey lived over again In the
mast For the ties OF kinshiD ;ha. con
nccted the cousins were net more strong I
than tbe memory Of the distant day when
t5ev had suffered and fought together F.
! for tbe sake Of Captain StanDury F..
mysterious paper. .-,
CThe EndO