Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-08-04
Observation-Disclosures, Ettley"

"Why. if Mrs. Greville is Colonel
Greville's step-mother. isn't she your
step-mother-in-law
"Ettie!" exclaimed Astrea. in low
and hurried voice. do you mean to
tell me that this lady is tie Mrs.
Courtney Grevillc of New York.
who"
"Well, she amt anybody else! Ana
| here she comes now. herself. to see
what we are at! exclaimed Elite, as
Mrs. Greville was observed to arise
and approach them.
The conversation between AStrca
and Ettic had gone en- with great rap
i,lity. Answer had followed question,
and exclamation had followed COM
| ment With breathless vehemence. But
it must not be supposed that it had
been unobscrved. Mrs. Greville and
| Lois had witnessed the meeting and
| the recognition ut first with aStonish-
ment and Stupcfaction: then they had
watched the excited interview with
| the deepest interest. Some parts of
the conversation were perfectly audi
Bile: other portions. in which the par
ties lowered their voices, were not so.
Enough. however. had reached Mrs.
Greville'S ears to convince her that III
this lovely young stranger Elite had
recognized the lost bride of Fuljoys
Island. Twice or thrice. from the i'm
pulses Of bcnevolence, She had risen TO
approach the speakers. And as of'en.
from scruples of delicacy. she had hes
She had hoped that Elite herself
would see the propriety of presenting
her friend; but when she saw that
dali ho1 I, in
tention. and when she heard her own
relationship to the young stranger al
luded to. thus opening Il way for her
came forward and. holding ont her
hand said, in a voice trcmulous With
emotion. that even she. practiced wo-
man of the world, could not entirely
suppress:
"Ycs. l am that Mrs. Grcvillc. step
mother to your husband, from he,
when a boy. in fit of boyish pilue,
ran away. Through the most remark
able combination of circumstances. We
have been separated ana estrangcd
ever since. But YOU. my dear. hope,
may be the means of uniting us. That
is. if he has not taught you to hate
and distruSt me-"
Astrea was trembling violently: but
she answered. though in Il faltering
voice:
My husband never mentioned your
name to me. But, from other sources,
l know that the eStrangement was not
of his making. AS soon as he had
Won some honOrs at the college to
which our uncle sent him, he wrote,
most respectfully. to inform you Of his
success. Lady. the only answer he
received to his letter was a cold line,
disclaiming all knowledge of the writ
err. You cannot wonder that he never
wrote again"
II do not! But, oh, my dear. it all
| grew out of the strangeSt freak OF
| fortune that was ever played by Il
| iish-bOy. At the very moment of writ
| ing that letter, l was firmly persuaded
| that my step-son was under my own
| roof. and that some imposter had
| written to me. The story is too long
TO tell you now. But this much l may
say: that a boy. the perfect image,
| counterpart. fac-simile of my son. was
| picked up in the streets of New York
and brought to me. He was ;trang
er in the city. There was no time to
prove his proper identity: while there
were hundreds ready to swear that he
was Fulke Greville. my step-sOn. In a
word, ever after he bore that name
and held that position
AN imposter" broke Indignantly
from the lips of Astrea.
mo. my dear! no imposter; but Il
nchle-souled lad. who vainly protested
against the privileges. honors and
riches that were lavished upon him,
declaring that he had no lawful right
to them. until all his resistance was
overborne by evidence and authority,
ard he was compelled to submit. at
least during his minority. But after
he became of age. and found himself
a free agent. he seized the first oppor-
tunity of resigning position to which
he asserted he had no claim. DO you
think it required no moral herosm to
do that? l tell you, it needed more
tl.an you know Of. But l declare to
| you, that he has lost nothing, and
shall lose nothing by that act. He is
tic son of my affections. the betrothed
of my daughter; his name is Welby
dunbar"
'Welby DUNBAR" exclaimed AS
trea, again struck by the familiar
sound of name that it seemed to her
she ought to know. Then suddenly
memory lighted up the whole subject
as it lay in the past, and she smiling
ly said:
81 no longer wonder, lady, at this
mistake of yours. AS a child came
over in the same emigrant ship with
Welty Dunbar. 1 lost him in the
wilderness OF New York. l was taken
down to Maryland, and was eventual
ly adopted by Captain Fuljoy, Heaven
bless him! And it was while was
still at the island that Fulke came tc
spend his holidays there; and as soon
as saw him, so perfect was the
likeness you speak of, that l declared
him to be Welby Dunbar, the fish-boy
and none else. And it was years
Madam, before l was disabused OF
this illusion
II am well pleased to hear you say
so: for your husband will the more
re: Oily understand my own sclfdecep
ton. But. all this time. NY dear.
my negligence. and take this seat,
said the lady. conducting Astrea to M
easy chair that was placed near the
sofa.
This is my daughter, Lois" she
continued, presenting the young lady