Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-03-10

uuiel lONu.
$50 on-I think l can stand 1t, what
ever it is" he said, after a second
pause. Mr.. Lawson was so much agi-
fated himself that he did not notice the
young officers ann
'aThe truth is. Percy, you'll need all
you pride and all your fortitude 10
bear what | am about to tell you. 10
the best of my belief, you are not the
h%eir-in-tail to the Winter estates.
This was lust what the solicitors
Mariner had led Winter to expect. ana
vet the blow was o the less severe
when it fell.
'Who am /, then?' he asked, quiet
ly.
.Oh. there's nothing the matter with
your p~arentage, my dear Captain Win
ter. The only thing is, I'm afraid there
is a nearer heir than yourself"
Nearer than me? Who the deuce Is
it,"
Won't you sit down? It's rather a
long story"
Percy Winter took the chair he had
lust left. Mr.. Lawson was shocked
when he saw the young mans face,
1t seemed as If he had grown ten years
older in those few seconds.
II will begin by saying that the facts
| am about to tell you have been
known TO me only for a few months
said the lawyer. Miss Upton told
them TO me on her death-bed, and
strictly charged me not to divulge
them until the death of your uncle;
but il seems to me that l am not justi-
fled in keeping the matter secret any
longer. 1t is unfair 10 you and to all
persons who may advance money 10
you ON the strength of your legitinsate
expectations. And / must tell youy
further, to begin with, that do not
know. OF my own knowledge, anything
whatever as to the truth or falsehood
of what Miss Upton told me. But.
knowing her as l did. | have not the
slightest doubt that she believed she
was telling me the truth.
You were only a boy when Sir Jul
Illus married Miss Upton's sister. The
marriage was a mistake. Perhaps IL
would have been a mistake for any
woman to have married your uncle. |
/ believe that Lady Winters mother
was the person who was chiefly to
blame for her daughters subsequent
unhappiness. However that may be,
the poor lady was badly treated, and
was most unhappy. Miss Upton took
her sisters part very warmly, II no
v onder. for the two sisters were deep
" attached to each other. There was
one child Of this marriage-a girl.
Lady Winter died soon after IN
child's birth, and it seems that Miss
Tpton promised her sister on her
death bed, that she would, Ii possible,
find some means of removing the new
born infant from the control and intiu-
ence of her father. | do not for a mo-
ment defend Miss Upton's conduct in
the matter-no n ear do that. But,
perhaps, looking ut the conduct of
your uncle, and the feelings with
which Lady Winter and her sister re-
garded him. it was not very unnatural.
AT any rate, she took very efficient
measures to carry out her pledge TO
her dead sister. In a word she substi-
tuted the infant for the infant daugh-
ter of the wet nurse, who lost her baby
through commissions, and allowed the
baronet TO believe that ii was his own
daughter who had died. Circum-
stances favored the fraud. Sir Julius
was from home at the tim.e-the nurse
was absolutely devoted to her lady and
Miss Upton, having been an old SER
want in the family-the doctor was a
young man, not very strong minded
and the mother of the dead child was
well paid TO keep the secret. She was
the wife of n man who had just been
obliged to fly the country-his name
was Joyce"
What Do you tell me that Ursula
Joyce is my uncle's daughter
The lawyer bowed.
THAT explains a good deal-Aiiss
Upton's constant care of her, and a
fondness that she seemed at times anx
ious to conceal. And does Miss Joyce
know thisy'
NO; not from me: and I don't think
she has the least suspicion of the
truth"
do you mean to tell her?'
Il don't intend to do so until the ex-
piration of the time fixed by Miss Up
~ton-nearly three years ~hence-unless
Sir Julius should die, of course"
Where Is she-Miss Joyce, | meanT'
Il believe she went TO London some
time ago. | don't know her address,
but dare say it could be easily ascer-
tanned. You do not mean 10 say any
thing to her in the meantimef''
NO; as l suppose you told me in
confidence. And yet | think it would
~ ~ thaL ohS SIOuLd hnON MildI !
she has to expect. | suppose she must
inherit the estatesg'
''She must If she is alive at her IA
Tiers death-unless he should marry
again and have n son, of which there
is no probability"
mo, l fancy not" said the young
man. with a mirthless laugh. .'But /
think my uncle ought to be told. II
seems rather rough on him-though he
may have been a bad husband. Heay.
en- knows | have found him a bad UNI
Gle"
Yes, ne ought to know said Mr..
Lawson, with a look of anxiety in his
face. And y~et-there Is my promise
to Miss Upton. am sure, / wish she
had chosen someone else for her con
fidant.''
II suppose the proof is all right?,
said Captain Winter, a flush rising to
his pale face.
THE documents are In q sealed
packet, which / have not opened" an
swered the lawyer; but I know what
1t contains. There Is. first of all, a full
confession under Miss Upton's own
hand, and one In the handwriting of