The Press., 1896-07-23

accents, made his dying declaration to the nurse and Edith, and later the apothecary, which was to this purport: That the Dame Horsoleigh who passed as his wife at Clyfton, and who had borne him three children. was in truth and doed. though unconsciously, the wife of another man. Sir John had married her several years before in the face of the whole county, as the widow of one Decimus Strong. who had disap- peared shortly after her union with him. | having adventured to tho north to join the revolt of the nobles, and on that re- volt being Quelled retreated across the sea Two years ago, having discovered the man to be still living in France and not wishing to disturb the mind and happiness of her who believed herself his wife, yet wishing for legitimate is- sue. Sir John had informed the king of the facts, who had encouraged him to wed honestly, though secretly, the | young merchants widow at aavenpool, she being therefore his lawful wife, and she only. That to avoid all scandal and hubbub he had purposed to let things remain as they were till fair op- portunity should arise of making the true case known with least pain to all parties concerned, but that, having been thus suspected and attacked by his own | brOther-in- law his zest for such schemes and for all things had died out ill him, and he only wished to commend his soul to God.
 That night. while the owls were | hoOting from the forest that encircled l Fhn cla NOk Al, AL Avon was gurgling through the wooden piles of the bridge. Sir John died there in the arms of his wife. She concealed nothing of the cause of her husband s death save the subject of the quarrel. which she felt it would be premature to announce just then. and until proof of her status should be forthcoming. But before month had passed. it hap pened. to her inexpressibl0 sorrow, that the child of this clandestine union fell sick and died From that hour all in terest in the name and fame of the aOrseleighs fOrsook the younger of the twain who called themselves wives of Sir John, and boing careless about her own fame she took no steps to assert her claims, her legal position having in- l OS'0O BJOWu 4ldJ64u4 GO u0I III u0I at the tragedy. And Sir William Byrt. the curate who had married her to her husband, being an old man and feeble, was not disinclinod to leave the embers unstirred of such fiery matter as this, and to assist her ill letting established things stand. Therefore, Edith retired with the nurse, her only companion and friend, to her native town, where she lived in absolute obscurity till her death at no great age. Her brother was never seen again in England.
 A strangely corroborative sequel of the story remains to be told. Shortly after the death of Sir John HOrseleigh a soldier of fortune returned from tho continent called on Dame Horseleigh the fictitious, living in widowed state at ClyftOn Horseleigh, and after sin gularly brief oOurtship married her. The tradition at Havenpool and else where has ever boon that this man was already her husband, Deoimus Strong, who remarked her for appearance s sake only.
 The illogitimate son of this lady by Sir John succeeded to the estates and hOnOrs, and his son after him, there be- ing nobody 0lort to investigate their pretensiOns. Little difference would 1t have made to the present generation, however, had there been such ono. for the family in all it's branches, lawful and unlawful, has been extinct these many score years, tho last representa- tive but one being killed at the siege of Sherton castle while attacking ill the service of tho parliament, and the othor being outlawed later in the same cen- tury for debt of G1O, and dying ill the county Jail. The mansion house and it's appurtenances were. as have previous ly stated, destroyed, excepting one small wing which now forms part of a farmhouse. and is visible Ns you pass along the railway from Casterbridge to Ivel The outline of the old bowling green is also distinctly to be seen.
 This, then. is the reason why the only lawful marriage of Sir John, as recorded in the obscure register at Ha- venpool, does not appear in the pedigree of the house of Horsoloigh.
 THE END.