Omaha daily bee., 1896-07-19

Nv uncle was an impassive man by nature
and had become more so by the tradition Of
the society in which he lived. He could
have turned a card upon which his fortune
depended without the twitch Of a muscle.
and / had seen him myself driving to i'm
minent death on the Godstone road with as
calm a face as II he we're out for his daily
airing in the Mall. But now the shock which
had come upon him was so great that he
could only stand with white cheeks and
staring. incrcdulous eyes. Twice | saw him
open his lips. and twice he put his hand up
to his throat as though a barrier had risen
betwixt himself and his utterance. Finally
he took a sudden little run forward with
both his hands thrown out in greeting.
Ned" he cried.
But the strange man who stood before
him folded his arms over his breast.
mo, Charles" said he.
My uncle stopped and looked at him in
amazement.
Surely, Ned, you have a greeting for me
after all these years
you believed me to have done this deed,
Charles. | read II in your eyes and in your
manner on that terrible morning. You never
asked me for an explanation. You never
considered how impossible such a crime
must be for a man OF my character. Az
the first breath OF suspicion you, my intimate
1TlpnU, the maj WIN hhNN Nv 49, "
down as a thief and a murderer"
mo. no, Ned"
"You did, Charles. | read it in your
eyes. And so it was that when | wished to
leave that which was most precious to me
in safe hands | had to pass you over ana
to place him in the charge of the one man
who from the first never doubted my in
nocence. Better a thousand times that my
son should be brought up in a humble sta
ton and in ignorance of his unfortunate
A.. .l,, ,Int ha glpttll Len ~ IN share the
doubts and suspicious of his equals"
''Thcn he is really your son. cried my
uncle, staring at Jim in amazement.
For answer the man stretched out his long
withered arm, and placed a gaunt mana
upon the shoulder of the actress, while
she looked up at him with love in her eyes.
Il married, Charles, and | kept 1t secret
from my friends, for l had gone to the stage
for my wife. You know the foolish pride
which has always been the strongest part of
my nature. | could not bear to avow that
which | had done. 1t was this neglect upon
my part which led to an estrangement be-
tween us. and drove her into habits for
which it is | who am to blame, ana not
she. Yet, on account of these same habits,
took the child from her and gave her an
allowance on condition that she did not in
t~erfere with it. | had feared that the boy
might receive evil from her, and had never
dreamed in my blindness that she might
get good from him. But have learned
in my miserable life, Charles, that there
is a power which fashions things for us,
though we may strive to thwart 1t, and
that we are in truth driven by an unseen
current toward a certain goal, however
much we may deceive ourselves into think
ing that it is our own sails and oars which
are speeding us upon our way
My eyes had been upon the face of my
uncle as he listened, but now as | turned
them from him they fell once more upon the
thin, lwolfsh face Of Sir Lothian Hume.
FL stood near the window, his gray silhouette
thrown up against the square OF dusty glass,
and | have never seen such a play of evil
passions, of anger, OF jealousy, of disap-
pointed greed, upon a human face.
"Am I to understand, said he, in a loud,
harsh voice. that this young man claims to
be the heir of the peerage OF AVonE
'He is my Lawful SON"
ST knew you fairly we'll. sir, in our youth,
but you will allow me to observe that neither
l nor any friend of yours ever heard of a
wife or son. l defy Sir Charles Tregellis
to say that he ever dreamed that there was
any heir except myself
81 have already explained, Sir Lothian,
why ] kept my marriage secret
you have explained, sir, but it is for
others in another place to say If that ex-
PLANTATION is satisfactory"
Two blazing dark eyes flashed out of the
pale, haggard face with as strange and sud
den an effect as II a stream OF light were
to- beat through the windows of a shattered
and ruined house.
you dare to doubt my word?"
81 demand proof
"My word is proof to those who know
me-"
Excuse me, Lord Avon. but | know you.
and ! see no reason why | should accept
your statement"
1t was a brutal speech, and ~brutally de-
livered. Lord Avon staggered forward, and
it was only his son on one side and his
wife on the other who kept his quivering
hands from the throat Of his ~insulter. Sir
Lothian recoiled from the pale, fierce face
with the black brows, but he still glared
angrily about the room. o.
"a very pretty conspiracy this" he cried,
with a criminal, an actress, and a prize
fighter, all playing their parts. Sir Charles
Tregellis, you shall hear from me again,