The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-03-01


me. Besides, il Lady Florence Mostyn
was what you believe her to be, no
harm could come to her good name BY
these investigations, and unless we get
come further evidence On this particular
incident che runs the risk Of being con-
sidered friendly with two very indiffer-
emit characters
I said this with brutal frankness. /
conld not stop to think of George feel
ings; it was his life I was trying to
save.
think his first impulse was to strike
me. He made step toward me with
clinched fist, then he hesitated and
said, with unnatural quietnesss
You seem to forget you are speak
ing of dead woman and one whom. /
wished TO make my wife. %
8 mo, I do not, George, and it is that
very reason which forces me to do what
can to unravel this mystery. Only by
doing SO can we know her as she really
was. y
George sat down YEARLY.
s.For Gods sake, Duncan, let us fin
ish tits taIkf What do you want me to
tell you?''
lou just nowsaid you learned who
Eone ,df tkesa;menwas. Who:was he? &
He was her brother"
Her brotheri'
YES A man who had gone under
and whom she was trying to keep
straight. That is all know. %
This was certainly news and very
plausible piece Of deception on the wo-
mans part. Here she was consorting
With couple sm thieves. Her lover.
asks, ss Who are these men?" Zone Of
them is my brother, !" she replies-"a
man who has gone astray and from the
paths Of virtue and whomI ann trying
sofeforn. - And The robbery, i reflect
Led, grimly,. was the first fruit Of this
reformation; but, of course, kept my
thoughts to myself.
Isssss Well, sGeofge, sthisis surprising in
formation, - I said, land it may be Of
the greatestsuss to us:1sThis brother of
I;her must be found, Which of themen
was he?" ~
81 don't know. have told you all
kanrsthan !; bad any right to. -
s.T dent think SO, old fellow. IL any
Information you can give helps to save
you, you may be sure she would not
have wished you fto withhold it. - -
George made no reply. His excite
ment had died away, and he was now
gazing stolidly at the floor, seemingly
unconscious Of my presence 2
& @I left him with horrible forebo bodings
| ip my heart. Even if he saved his life,
his mind threatened to become un-
hinged
Ny next step was to find out if there
Sas any truth in the ex.sssnS OF a
| brother of Lady Florence Mostyn. The
'Peerage'' would give me this informa-
| tion. Iopened the bulky "Englishman's
Bible" as it is most appropriately
5ermed, and found the ducal list Of
Lundya The present owner Of the title
was given as Francis Guibert Mostyn,
sixth duke, Marquis of Lamford, Wis
count Dartrey, Baron Coulton, K. G.,
F. R. S., etc. He married Lucy, widow
of the late Robert King of Warra-
! Warra, N. S. W., and had issue son,
the present Marquis Of Lamford, and a
daughter, Florence.
That was ALL No othsr child was
mentioned. The Marquis of Lamford
was well known mana deyout
churchman. a pillar of the state-and
he was the only son. But stop! The
duke had married widow. She might
have child by her former husband. I
wired off at once on this point to Wray,
and had his reply by the next post.
| TYes, he wrote. '"There was child
La beg Robert. He was abouti5 years
old when his mother married the duke.
OF. course that was before my time, and
! I never saw the lad, but I have heard
others speak Of him at times. He seems
/ to have. been. q bright, intelligent boy,
but very headstropg and he never got
ON particularly we'll with his stepfather
lin fact, he always seemed to be in hot
!
mother tyed matters were smoothed
over, but she died when Florence was
born, and then the lads troubles began
in earnest. He was brought up with the
other children, but the duke treated
him with coldness and Indifference, and
the tutors and domestics took their cue
from him. His happiest days were those
be spent at Eton. Ee was sent to Christ
! Church, and the bar was intended for
! his final destination, but at Oxford he
got in with fast set and came to grief
His allowance there was small enough,
and when he exceeded it be dared not
apply to his stepfather He got into the
hands of the Jews pretty heavily too
Then he got mixed up in some scandal
(the particulars of which I have forgot
ten. if ever heard theln}, and was sent
! down The duke paid bis debts, gave
! him elGo and turned him out of the
i.hn,ssa and from that day to this he has
= . = "a = 4 i :. - e s. s5g|| e