Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-06-30

w%ellfeIgned Indifference. "there the
matter ends SO far as l am concerned.
When your son grows up he may. or
may not. thank you for your present
decision on his behalf, but"
"He will still be your HERR she inter
rupted. as though in Justification of her
refusal.
Meaning that the title and entailed
estates must devolve npon him at M
DEATH retorted Sir Derek, ~sayagely.
'sTime will tell, madam. Meanwhile,
so long as | live, the sum of ESQ will
yearly be placed to your credit at
Child's Bank, Temple Bar"
This closed the interview. and term
mated the widows first and only visit
to Sir Derek. she returned at once to
London. and shortly afterwards estab-
lished herself at Cheltenham, feeling
easy in her mind as TO the future. Sir
Derek waS sixty years of age, SO that,
il he escaped the strangely-verltied
curse of Deanshurst," he could not be
expected, in the ordinary course of ma
ture, to stand between her eldest son
and the property for any great length
of time. And, meanwhile she would
I 10 atl lIAtOAiG oAlllAAtil " II
her something more than comfortably.
Alas. for the uncertainty Of the most
reasonable ca%lculationsi Within two
months of her visit to Deanshurst, she
was Mortified to see the following mo-
tice in the Morning Post:
CHARACTERIZATION September 2nd,
at ST. Peters, Winchester, by the
Rev. S. Movie. NJ. A., Sir Derek
Deane, Bart, of Deanshurst. to Alice,
only daughter of the late Capt. Au-
bry, X. N. No cards.
1t is probably not too much TO say
that, if wishes could have killed, Sir
Derek and his bride would have en-
lioyed but a brief honeymoon. Married.
And at his time of life! How WILDLY
she recalled his parting words, and
now bitterly she regretted her own fol-
ly in provoking them. For, OF course,
nothing could be palmer than that Sir
Derek had married to spite her, and in
the hope OF excluding her boy Oscar
from the succession. In the bitterness
of her heart she could barely refrain
from praying that the family curse
might carry them off ere that hope
could be fulfilled. But the curse was
not TO be thus hurried. 1t had become
Il leisurely heirloom.
When the time had gone by, making
"a certain much-dreaded eventuality
possible, Mrs, Deane daily scanned the
first column of the Morning Pest and
Times with feyerish interest. A very
foolish frame of mind to allow oneself
to fall into, no doubt, since the sus-
pense might have lasted for years; but
she could not help it. And, in due
time she learned the worst:
Deane-At Deanshurst, Hants, on the
10th inst, the wife of Sir Derek
Deane, Bart, of a son.
For full n minute she sat staring Mt
this printed deathblow to her homes.
Then, .woman-like, she crushed the Of
Tending paper, dashed it into the fire
place and burst into tears.
What's the matter, MAJ" oueriel
twelve-year-old Oscar, running up TO
her side in some alarm.
THE matter. my darlingl' she re-
peated, straining him passionately to
her bosom. They have robbed you
% your birthright, poor child. Your
uncle Derek has got another heir
Has hep remarked the boy, but
dimly realizing the extent of his mis-
fortune. ''rhen III punch the new
heirs head-you see if | don't!'
IF | were you, I'd kill him." sug-
gested his brother stephen, a sickly
child of ten. Then you'd be the heir
again, wouldn't he. map
Mrs. Deane sAuddered. Hush, child!"
she said, r~epr6yingly. you must not
say such wicked things Then she
shuddered again, as though a cold blast
had swept over her. Somehow, she did
not know why, there seemed to be
something ominous of future evil in
the chilG's words.