The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-04-25

'E-rf h4lAiet- At-1---
80 v-ars ,ttl at breakfast at the Ab-
-. he -oft MAY air stealing IN through
l-4-v-s that openeJ their mullIoncd
800 70 the foweT-e mbiazoned terrace.
~ .se ,arz's deep green radiance be-
- 4 bee iha: had Ulundercd In. IN an
-r,-s-g raid after the honey In its sil-
- .s~ hastily headed Tor the outer
.C,,5 again. as IL that word had laden
,.s atmosphere with alarm
To-s Frockhurs; looked up from hts let
a. grr q savage brow. You'd say Il
s--~salf Maria. 70 You had the sense"
& ewes rfrs fer0ciogs under their shay
:. .rr-.r.. ~ hair; he crushed the letter
rs e.--rr fist OF al the beastly
800 ~ fmrrrtlncuce ] ever heard OF.
=. .s vr--. His -o.ce rolled out the
--ae "a Il raey were q string OF repeti-
So ~ that Grst dcnunCiatoTy one.
..U-rsf is it, Long years Of training.
r. vita F.. father and brothers, then
- "a husband and a son, had taught
ID Era.kasrst 20 protest 10 more than
- hog duty with any man. Her large.
,--r--- features took an air Of anxiety as
20 noticed the signs u rage IN her liege
- Taco What j. it-nOt anything
,alr tho election, I HOPPER
20. hang me election. It's something
traf gsu .ui eli elections, as far as I'm
' concerned. u it's true. It's a letter from
s,,-6Iayr~ Spendioye was the family
r.eger. ana L.- very name carried With IL
IN surE5rt- next dOo- to regal. What
90 so. think OF fool having turned up
VIA claims the title and the estatesr'
-Eroskaur5t" Then the idea OF the
F.aart insanity Of such a claim dAwned
mon her. sud she took Up her cup with
a shadow OF IL secure smile. 1T must be
d Innate" Size said To claim the title
Inc estates, Why he has only TO look in
Debrert TO see that they're yours"
But STcud.oye isn't sure they are. This
fsU6w j. 20 positive. He's one Of the fam
iv it seems clear-d Percy-though /
never heard OF him before. He says his
ancestors went over 10 America IN James
The Seconds time and that he can show
= sra ghf descent. Spendlove hasn't had
time 90 20 into il, but he writes 10 warn
me there seems some truth in 1t, and
what on earth is 70 be done?'
Lerd ETOCkhuTst cast the letter from
him a. II il were a living thing that had
stlag him. and dTummed on the table
wiki angry frightened hands. His mani
fes, agitation began 10 infect even the
stately lady of has name.
But IL is absurd, Unheard OF. mon
S,TCus,' she said. with a diSapDroYal
which was used 10 whitening any absurd
irv IN her world. You can't be turned
out Of yoIT title and defrauded Of your
rights, my dear BrOckhIrst. II is ludi-
CIOus on the face Of it." This seemed TO
dispose Of the whole business when one
listened 10 that majestic voice. What
does SpOndlove say about it2 Surely he
can settle the business without troubling
you"
"Spendlove seems frightened" Lord
Brockhurst dug his fists deep into his
pockets and scowled. He suggests ask
ing the fellow down here and propitiating
him, so that we might compromise If
things came TO the worst" The big veins
o. Lord BTOCkhursts forehead were
swollen his face was red and dark. Con
found him! The son Of a Chicago pork
butcher or something; All upstart puppy
10 come here and dare 10 start such
claim"
rs he young, thenT' She made the in
quiry with faint disgust. as though he
were a disagTeeable smell. -
Yes; confound him! About Evelyn's
age I gather"
"Oh, my poor Evelyn! What II would
he for him If il were to be true!' The
exclamation came involuntarily from his
mother. Her son had the one soft place
in her coTreCtly-regulated breast.
Upon my word. my LADY, her spouse
turaCd on her a look that in commoner
would have been called glare. Il i'm
agiue It's a little worse for me than for
my neir II 1t comes to that. You'll ask
his pork butcher down to stay mere, and
" by "a sudden fash of inspiration-"te!l
Enid TO be civil to him. BY Jove, there's
a way out Of IT, If he turns out to be the
real man she shall marry him, and thatll
make il all right"
And what about Sir Charles? You
know he admired her immensely in town"
oh, hang Sir Charles! After all, if this
mans in nay shoes she'll be doing much
hetter-a world better. She won't make
any bother over it, eh?"
Lady BrockhursCs neck stiffened. 81
hope I have not brought up my daughter
10 object 10 any duty that is set before
her she said, with a coldness that
SCENE. 10 end all further argument.
II was a that precise moment that the
dinInE-room door, with its carved festoons
Of fruit and flowers. opened. and a girl
In a simple white frock, her hands full Of
roses, came in. IL was Enid Percy, just
Eighteen fresh from her first peep into
,he world through the window OF a Lon
ION season, fair and slender, and still.
Ike tall lily on its green stalk.
she had finished her own breakfast and
gone out into the gardens long ago. Now
she came up quietly and laid lovely yell
low rose bloom beside her fathers place.
lie took il up and stuck il in his button
hole with haste that bruised its soft
petals as he rose and turned TO leave his
unfinished duchoyy toast.
You tell her I'm going 10 write and
ask him down at once" he said as he
slioae past ms wife on the way 10 the
door
Enid looked from one to the other with
little wonder. It was not so rare thing
10 see her father in a passion. but her
mothers stately calm was not often dts
tur5ed
lt was a task that an American mother
Would have hesitated over, there is little
doubt IN the land Of the Young Genera
Ton such an Interference with the free
"dAshters rights such a suggestion as 10
Ter matrimonial future would have been
met Win the amazement II undoubtedly
deserved
bui The Hon Enid Percy had been
'.ouEhi up like d clustered nun. Ike
tIS OF her class I'm England She had
never been 20 school, or mixed with other
s9-hg people 10 any extent; nurses and
'ofeTnesses had kept her IN restraint. and
.As word ot her mother was like a fat
ron heRvra. She listened With a little
Widening az th, great blue eyes as her
N.,-.r la!3 bar, 10 her the iniquit0us
..-.ma oi the man from Chicago. They
B. ''-'ued st.ll more when she heard that
.'@ Has expected 20 make herself pleas
'.s 10 aim, and that II ne showed any
S't.A 81 desiring matrimonial alliance
"'D' mo house II BrOckhurst, he
was not 10 be denied Those blue eyes
80 innocent. 20 fowcr-like. disconnected
Lady btSekhurst somehow, though there
Vas no appeal IN them
gray 20 not stare. Enid" she sail
olsapiFoFnsiy. surely you can listen
without looking as il you were going 10
swallow me-
bal' mamma. / thought you said that
S't that-es Huntington"
rr'"iA'F / did. lie is all that is de-
s''aoie, DIT this Is q necessity II must
pa. aslHe "H other considerations. Think
90. hOuF poDs fitH,f-he Is aIr,ozt d.