The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1896-06-25
CHAPTER XVI.

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Cyril Acton inhabitS a comfortable set
of rooms in South Audley street. He is
sitting there one May morning in 4 some.
what restless mood.
Cyril Acton is ambitiouS-ticrcely, m
Scrupulou>ly 80. and he is seldom ever
tempted by such things as may clog his
darling ends. Young as he is. Ac has NJ
ready grown furious with fate, and re-
CARDS all men ana ono as mere tools,
So many chcSSmcn to his hand.
His position is, no doubt. somewhat
cruel, and enough 10 sou a far better ma
turc; indeed. the case is Il ~singularly hard
and strange. although not an unparalleled
one.
His father, now Niscount HammcrS.cy.
when travelling rs Il youth of thrrc-and-
twenty in the United States. chancc'l Ia
meet a young Irish lady lately arrived
there. and who. Ike most of her nation.
WAS IA Roman Catholic. The Girl was Of
good family. and CyriIs father had At
that time not the f~ainteS, apparent chance
of inhcriting the family wealth and hon
ors. The Youthful pair became attached.
and We're married at small town in Flor
ida. littlo dreaming that the law of that
vat At'l WI '.ttIi NIdlNtN lf-biNilii- llllAt'l
marriages. which. unless contormcd with,
would cast a fearful shade over their
whole existence.
1t was not lntil three years aftcrWard.
when they had already a son and daugh-
ter. and when "A number of Actions Lad
happened to lie off most obligingly. thar
they discovered simultaneously with Mr..
Acton's accession to the titles and estates
of their illustriouS house. that he had no
wife.
The unhappy pair now heard for the
first time tina, in the place where their
supposed marriage tool place it is obliga-
tory, When one of the parties is Il Roman
Catholic. the other Il Protestant, to make
declarations Of the fact. or the ceremony
is null and void.
All that could be done was for Il new
marriage to he gone through. which step
was 81 course taken. and the unfortunate
mother hecamp a wife and a v~iscounteSs.
but. alas, nothing could be found to avail
the children.
Now, it befeil that three months after
the new marriage there came another son.
but whether owing to the anguish It's
mother had gone through. or To some 9th,
er cause. il proved from the first Il com.
plete cripple, and Il few months revealed
only too certainly that il was also weak
Of intellect.
Lady HammerSley, although no re-
proach attached 10 her. was of Il highly
sensitive nature. SO hat with every right
and opportunity for entering the most
fashionable circles. she shrunk from
showing herself where she knew her
cruel and strange story must be forever
whispered around her.
Icrsualing her loving husband to emf
grate once more, they hpnceforth took up
their abode in ii somewhat remotc part of
Canada, where at the period now reach
ed they still continued to reside, Lord
Hammersley occasionally coming over to
England.
1t was there that little by little they
framed and matured "A plan which, if not
to be defended, can at least claim mitigat-
ing circumstances i'll its favor.
This was nothing less thar the tranSpc
sition of their two sons. Profiting by a
journey Of some two hundred miles to
change all their servants. and also their
headquarters from one town where they
knew almost nobody. to another where
they had never set foot, they simply inter
changed the names and ages of the two
boys and the trick was done. To salvc
their couscienceS. they told themselves
that the poor rightful heir. Cyril, could
never nave been benefited in any way
10y his position. while their beloved L.u-
ciuS, who now was made to drop that APP
peilation forever, was only restored TO
what they called his moral rights before
heaven" he being framed in every way
10 shine and enjoy. and alike to make up
for their own obscurity and brilliantly
carry on che ancient honors of their
house.
The surrcptitiously legitimatized boy,
being By this time seven years old-for
the plot was not conceived and carried out
with any rash haste-it became Of course
necessary To l"t him into the secret. and
10 explain to him, as far as possible. all
the complex bearings Of the strangely
intricate case.
Naturally Il procoClouS youngstcr. eSlr-
ciaily where s~clf-interest was concerned.
he hcnceforth appeared even more Won
d~erfully developed, both in mind and
body. than he really WAS, for he had to
profess 10 le full two years younger than
he actually was. II was truly wonderful
how the little LUcius. henceforth Cyril.
graSpel and ligestcd the whole situation.
and even in time threw out many "A valua-
bic suggestion which had escaped the
more limited acunlen of the parental plot
terS.
Go be c~ontinued.)
Not only TO the God that is above Us,