The St. Johns herald., 1901-01-12
Lady Anna's Warning
By MagdAlen Rock.
MO. NO, Ellis," Guy Durant said,
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n Il ? upon such bargain blindfolded. Le
 me see," the speaker consulted l schedule for moment. "Yes. there a train to He'msford at 2:30. If yo l are not otherwise engaged, we ca journey by it to Durant Hall. Yo can view the park and the few acre 7 surrounding it, examine the house
 dine and sleep there. Then, if you are foolish enough, tempt me wit
 your offer"
 Nonsense, Durant! I am perfectl.
 satisfied to give you the money I sa.
 for your property" Kirby Ellis an
 swered. He was short, stoutly-buil
 man, with keen blacA eyes and ,
 square, determined jaw. Possib.,
 there was Hebrew blood in his veins
 At any rate. few men on the stock ex
 change were bolder in their specula
 tions, and fewer still were as success
 full.
 But I am not satisfied to take ii, .
 his companion remarked, quietly. "TC
 tell you the truth, you offer too much
 Durant Hall is dilapidated old struc
 ture, and won't sell it to you except
 you see it."
 The sepaker leaned back in his
 chair as he spoke. For two or three
 generations the Durants had been go.
 ing steadily to the bad, and Guy Durant had been but little wiser than
 his immediate predecessors. Not that
 he was either a gambler or a spend thrift. but he possessed an easy-going, generous disposition, some artistic and expensive tastes, and no business instincts. He had married a pretty young English girl, who had died, leaving him with baby two month old. The child he had placed under the care'of her maternal aunt, and for many years he had led an aimless, pleasurable existence, in continental cities chiefly.
 i A few months previously he had taken up his residence in London, for the purpose of being near a physi- elan in whom he had much depend ence. He had been aware for some Dr. Chalmers had told him that his length of days could not be long, and for the first time he had begun to consider his child. No provision had been made for her, and Durant hall and it's few hundred acres were heav- fly mortgaged. He had been not lit tie surprised when Kirby Ellis had of fered him a fancy price for the rem nant of his property. He had met that gentleman once or twice abroad, and had wondered why ne was so anx- ious to cultivate him, once he settled in London.
 "Well, what do you say?" Durant demanded, after 6 short silence.
 "Isuppose youmust have your way" Ellis replied, rather shortly.
 "All right then. I'll wire to the old housekeeper to expect us, and meet you at Paddington in half an hour," Durant said, rising.
 Ellis nodded and the two men sep arated Three hours later they were at Durant Hall. and its owner insisted on its would-be purchaser seeing the en- tire property he was so eager to pos sess. Evening had closed into night when at length they sat down to dinner in the large wainscoted library. It was the most comfortable room in the lower part of the mansion. and various portraits of dead and gone Dunants hung upon its dark oaken walls. One of these seemed to have special at traction for Ellis, and Guy Durant laughed as he noticed it.
 Everyone remarks that portrait" he said. Shall tell you Lady Auna'S story?"
 ''I shall be glad to listen" the guest promised. "She is very beautiful" with glance toward the picture.
 'tShe was. if that represents her with any degree of correctness. It was painted long after Lady Anna had shared the common fate of humanity from an old miniature of her. Yes, she was beautiful"
 The speaker paused to look at the delicately nodded features. at the slen- der neck encircled by the enormous ruff that was the fashion of the time, at the fair hair swept high from the level brow
 "And the story ?" Ellis said.
 ''Well. it seems that Lady Anna was 6 Catholic. though the DuraIts were then. as now. Protestants."
 Guy Durant laughed cynically as he paused for moment.
 "They attended to worldly matters. If the story is true. more than to spir- itual. and accepted Henry's Six Articles as readily as his sons Thirty-nine But Lady Anna was different. Her hus- band Piers Durant. was one of Eliza beth's courtiers. but this fact d:d not save his wife from being denounced as B Catholic. nor did his entreaties save her life when she was convicted of as- listing a priest to escape. She was ex- ecuted in the courtyard of the hall. and died as bravely as her coreligionists usually did"
 "Is that all?" Ellis asked. The story had little interest for him.
 "All. except the legend. It is said hat her spirit is often seen."
 "Oh!" Ellis laughed. mockingly. You don't believe that?"
 "I really don't know I have never teen her ladyship myself. but it is an .rticle of Durant faith that she often comes to warn her descendants against some danger or folly" "Nonsense!"
 'Very probably" At length dinner was finished and he old servitor of the family who had been waiting on them withdrew.
 swell. Durant. I renew my offer" 1llis said. and he lifted his wine glass md held ii between him and the light.