The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-03-29

by wraiths lingering for their revenge.
I was oppressed by the spiritual in.
fuence of the Mowbrays in their
ancient home. I could not live in it.
I do not belong to the family. Meth
er does England please me now.
The rains and fogs and wailing winds
made me wretched. Twas hungry for
sunshine that had life and glory in it.
Ny boy, am sorry for you. I wish
you had an inheritance in Texas
virgin fields and an unhaunted house.
But every man must dree his desti-
ny"
'I can be happy anywhere with
Katherine"
''That is the right spirit. To-mor-
row we will 60 into San Antonio, and
I will quit myself andmy children for
ever of the Mowbray place. Il is not
ours. We have no natural right in it.
Come closer, brother, for I must not
lose you again. We had the same
good father. Are you happy now,
Dick?"
every happy. Tomorrow I will
begin to 60 back to Katherine. But,
Thomas, T will bring her here to see
you. We will turn our faces to the
Guadalupe as soon as we are married.
I think Alexander Brathous will not
follow US to Texas"
"Three men kept this secret, Dick,
for thirty years. I wonder how long
three women could have kept it..
"'Three women, I think, know it
now. l told Katherine, and asked her
to tell her mother, and l am sure she
would also tell her friend, Jessy Tel
fair. There is no reason why our re-
lationship should not be acknowl-
edged. For my part, I wish your
homer and unselfshness to be widely
made public. am proud OF such an
elder brother"
'These are fine words, and like to
hear them from you, Dick. And to
have found you just such as you areis
better than to find a fortune. I am
proud Of you. Not every young fel-
low would have travelled nearly five
thousand miles to be sure he was
right"
"To-morrow, then, I may begin to
go home. You know why without
apologies"
Tomorrow, by sun-up, we will
turn to the east. We may be delayed
some days in San Antonio. The man
T want may not be there, or he may
be sick or busy, or not in the mood
for business. But we must do the
thing right, and then it will not be to
do again. Do you fear what three
women may do or say in your alb
sence?"
"No. None of the three will say a
word more than truth. I do not fear
the truth"
But it was not necessary for any Of
the three women to speak word to
set trouble brewing. The telegram
from a dying lawyer and Mowhray's
hurried response to it inAamed the
small, suspicious mind of Brathous.
He told himself all night that "some-
thing was wrong" Infinitely curious
and inquisitive after everything which
passed in every chimney-corner on his
estate, he could not endure such
mystery to be propounded in his very
presence and he not know the mean.
ing thereof.
The next morning he went to see
his own lawyer, Simon Langton,
about it. Langton was cunning,
unscrupulous man, held by all be.
tween contempt and fear; but he was
we'll acquainted with the laird's plans
and projects, and with the amount of
ready money forthcoming to carry
them out. For Brathous as Laird of
hevens-hope, he had that respect oil
Scotchmen feel for Landowners; for
Brathous rs man he had an infinite
and indefinite disdain; his want Of
reticence, his petty complaining, his
puny wrath, his mean subterfuges,
were all impotent and transparent to
this man who moved with a pitiless,
silent directness to his own ends.
Yet he heard the story of the tele-
gram with some interest.
eff the lawyer was dying, he didna
send for the lad without good and suf'
fcient reason" he said. 'But the
reason isna bound to be bad one be-
cause it is the outcome OF a lawyers
mind. However, laird, I will go to
Mowbray if you wish, and find it out,
if so there be anything to find out. OF
course, there will be expenses-my
time and fares and hotel bills, and so
forth"
eff you find out anything to build
q wall between Miss Janfarie and
that young er-do-wee., I will not
count a few pounds here or there,
Iro DC 1oNnr,yr1rn