Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-02-10

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was but little doubt Of it,
} and you believe this to be true?"
81 am very sorry to admit that do
sir"
"Will you be so good as to state thu
facts that lead YOU to this conclusion?
''Yes. sir. Gentlemen" said Miss Hit
wiping her rcd eyes and looking around
dimly upon the magistrate and his as
sistants, "what 1 am gcing to tell you
l have never yet breathed to any In
man ear! l should not breathe a word
of it now but that l am on oath, and
compelled to speak the whole truth
that the ends OF justice may he salts.
fled. l know. then. that the poor, de-
ceased lady was forced upon the ac-
ceptance of Colonel Greville by these
circumstances. They were both the
adopted children of Captain Fulioy. II
was the dearest wish of the old mans
heart to have the two married. so that
ne could leave property undivided to
them hoth-So--"
"a moment. Miss Powers! DO not
let us get on too fast. How do you know
that it was the dearest wish of Captain
Fuljoy that his two wards should inter-
narry:' inquired Major Burns.
Because. sir. the captain has eX-
pressed such wish to me. often and
often. and because l overheard con-
verSation between the captain and Colo
mel Grevilie upon the subject. which
was about to report to you when you
interrupted me-"
II beg Your pardon. Miss Powers.
Pray go on now"
well. sir. as l remarked before.
have never breathed Il word Of this con-
versation to human ear. No one has the
least suspicion that 1 know anything
about it. Nor should I now. only"
TO the point, Miss Powers. to tho
point. it YOU please" said Major Burns.
impatiently interrupting the old lady's
garrulity.
Yes. sir; we'll. then. it was last
Christmas was three years ago. that the
captain first preached the subject of the
proposed marriage to Colonel Grcvillc
then Mr.. Fulke. 1t was night. and
was in the large china closet adjoining
the dining room, where Captain Fulloy
and Mr.. Fulke We're still lingering over
their Wine. for dinner had been late
that afternoon"
Yes. well:'
II was busy arranging the china and
glass upon shelves-for 1 can never
trust Mandy to do it, she is so careless,
she would break her weight ill.,
Never mind Mandy's carelessness.
Miss Powers; pray keep to the point"
well, then. I was still busy, when
the captain began to talk Of what was
not intended for my ears. or anybody
else's but Fulke's. Now. am not nat
urally an eavesdropper. scorn all such
meanness, for think it is the basest-"
Miss Powers! Miss Powers! you ar.
not here to defend yourself against any
such charge! Therefore. will you be
good enough to keep to the point" ex-
claimed the irascible little Irishman.
Il am keeping to the point, if You
please, sir: but am not going to let
anyone believe that 1 remained there
listening to conversation that was not
intended for My ears if I could help it.
So. as l was about to say. that I could
not prevent myself from hearing what
followed, because the china closet had
but one outlet. and that was through
the dining room; and as l did not like
to break in upon the gentlemen over
their Wine. l was forced to remain
where was and hear everything"
what did you hear?"
"What I never repeated before. and
would not repeat now, it / We're not
upon my oath to speak the whole
truth
Ugh! ugh! ugh groaned Major
Burns wiping his red face in an eX-
cited manner-"shall we ever get to the
gist of this woman's evidence! What
was it you heard: Will you tell lis or
not?"
Miss Hit. for a moment. looked rs if
she would not; for anger begetS anger.
And she was very much offended at the
majors impatient Interruptions. How
ever. she thought better Of it, and re-
piled:
Il heard the captain propose to Mr..
Fulke that he-Alr. Fulke-should mar
~ Daney. You remember, major. that
the late Mrs. Grevillc was called Da-
ney:'
Eyes. yes! Do go on
"At first Mr.. Fulke laughed at the
proposal. as if it had been mere Jest
of the old mans. But when the cap
tain seriously pressed it upon him. he
resented it as an affront. But the cap
tain persevered. telling him that. as he
had won Daney's affection, he was
bound in honor to marry her. But Mr.
Fulke did not sec INTO see that. and
affirmed that he had never sought to
win her affections. and that if lie had
done so it was rot his fault. and tha the
was not to be held responsible for the
consequences. or words to that effect
The captain did not yield a point; he
pleaded little Daney's cause with much
more warmth than delicacy, and the
more earnest the captain became, the
firmer grew Mr.. Fulke. He seemed to
harden into rock, and he told his uncle
plainly that nothing on earth would ev-
er induce him to marry Daney. That
her social position was beneath him,
and her personal appearance was disa-
greeable to him; or, as I said before,
words to the very same effect Then
the captain, mistaken old man, tried to
bride him, promising to adopt Daney
legally. and to give her his own name
and leave her half his fortune and Mr..
Tulke the other half if he would marry
her; but Mr.. Fulke only more emphat-
ically reiterated what he had said be-
fore, that nothing on earth would ever
induce him to marry Daney, for that he
could not tolerate her as wife. Then
the captain grew very angry, threat.
ened to disinherit him and ordered him
out of the house. While the captain
I~vyrr AIR n