The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-09-17
CHAPTER I.

of the Middleshire Avon, which here
makes bold and sweeping curve. The
stream has such languorous flow lust
at this point; the river here spreads itself
into such Il placid eNpanse, that one would
hardly credit the current with force
enough to turn q waterlnil or drift a
barge. No one basking on the green
slope above this CLASSY stream, between
foreground of bulrushes and back
ground of immemorial oaks, would sus-
pect the existence of such place as the
great manufacturing town of Brumm
within ten miles.
Yet although it's smoke made no stain
upon the blue sky above yonder gray tow
crs, Brumm had an influence on the in
hnbitants Of Lashmar Castle, and that
by no means pleasant influence; as wit
messed by her ladyships temper upon this
particular morning, as she sat at break
fast i'll the oak parlor, with her stepson,
Lord Lashmar, and the Elton boy, her
son. Lady Lashmar had almost always
had her own way, and she had almost
always been happy. When it pleased
heaven to take her husband, after six
years Of married life, she bowed to the
rod. Lady Lashmar thought that Proyi-
dence would have done well to take her
husbands afflicted son and to leave her
own boy, fine healthy youngster to fill
/ the place which the deformed stepson
could never hold with proper dignity,
Yes, deformed. 1t is one of those
words which are hardest to say. The
old servants who had known Lord Lash
mar from his cradle said that his back
was little weak; but his stepmother
knew that his spine had been curved in
his infancy; weakly child, born of an
orcr-educated hyper-intellectual mother,
I and father who had lived not wisely
hut too well. She knew that in the
4 years 70 come that bent back would get
4 gradually worse, that narrow chest would
invite the attack of phthisis. She told
: herself that Hubert, Lord Lashmar.
would never make old bones; but she
: feared that he might live long enough
10 marry and leave some sickly son who
should blight the prospects of her boy,
Victorian, the very embodiment of ply
steal lower and fresh, unblemished
YOUTH
She had not been unlind to her step
son. She was far too clever woman to
make that irrc parable mistake. Lashmar
was IA when his father died, and Victo-
rlan WIS D, q difference OF nine years;
and laslimar was old for his years. He
had travelled a good deal with the tutor
and the servant He had read more than
most young men of five and twenty. In
word, he was a sickly lad, who had been
brought ZIP and nourished upon books;
but he had fine instincts and strong
humanitarian feeling. The villagers
about l1ashmar adored him. He drank
tea with the old women, read to them
when they were i'll, wrote letters for
young and old, talked politics or meta
physics with the deep thinkers and car
ricd the light of Il noble intellect into
every house he entered.
Lady 1.ashmar was intense in politics.
She hated Radicals, and her greatest
atfliction in life was that Lashmar Castle
should lie rs it were in the very bosom
OF revolution. Brumm was Radical to the
backbone, and Brumm was only ten miles
on. Brnmm was a center of Frcethink-
ing and Nihlisn, and Brumm was at her
door.
1T is an outrage aginst the dccencies
of life she exclaimed.
hats the matter, mother?' asked
i.asllmar, looking up at her with his
deep suIlkcn eyes--thoughtful eyes, Of
darkest hazel. rs it anything about
Holdwood?"
of course it is about Boldwood. That
low creature has been holding forth at
another meeting. They seem to be per-
petnally having meetings at Brumm."
They have very few other pleasures" "
mnrmuccd Lashmar. "You see there is a
superior minority who have learned to
think, and who want to say their little
say upon great public questions"
You always talk like a book, Lash
mar sneered her ladyship; Il should
like to hear you speak in reply to this man
Roldwood, at a great public meeting"
"Wonld you really like to hear me
speak?' asked Lashmar, smiling family.
Then will do my best to answer him to-
night. There is to be Conservative
meeting at the Town Hall. Colonel Spill
ngton, the new Conservative candidate,
is going to address the electors. 1t is eN-
rected Redwood will be in full force and
That there will be row. Spllington has
asked me 10 support him-and-yes, l
really should like to answer Boldwood.
Nine will be Il very poor speech, Of course;
very tame reply to Boldwood, who is
born orator; but I shall have education
on my side
Colonel Spillington called at Lashmar
castle that day. He was a fine average
specimen of the British ofticer-bluff,
'ntspoSen, unintellectual, right-thinking
ana honest, stanch Conservative and Il
thorough gentleman. He was not elated
about his election and had dark doubts
as as to the power of the Radicals in
hfllmm. Still he tried to be hopeful.
Inc meeting was to be at 8 o'clock, so
'he party at the castle took a late lunch
con and started for Brumm soon after q,
Intending to be early at the Town Hall.
1t was Il delicious summer evening, calm,
reaceful, the atmosphere stepped in sun
l!'llt' the earth breathing warmth and
peri umc; delightful evening in which
20 loll "sainst the cushions of Lady Lash
mar barouche, to be gently lulled upon
Si'rlngs along the level turnpike road
"Neiy road for the first half of the jour-
ncy.
as they neared Brumm there was an
ru,i,llhistakable VI, change in the atmosphere.
me line gold had become dim. That pure