Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-06-13
alRlSIRAM OF BLENT &c
AH ;5y;;; ae Being an Episode in the Story
HOPE of an Ancient House
> PART l. iavoided the calamity they we're
dreai of.

I
flying visit to Nine. de Kries, few
months later. heard the sequel of
the story, told me in the strictest con-
fidence, and in violation, I fear of the
old lady's pledge of secrecy Sir r.
E. did not in fact die on the date
reported. He fell into a. collapse, mis-
taken for death by those about him
and even by his medical attendant:
after lying in this state for "a hours
he revived and lived nearly week
longer A second letter, apprising
| Mrs. F. Of this fact and announcing
the correct date of his death as the
18th of June reached her at Baden on
the 2Sth. BY this time she was mar
ried, but the validity of her new un.
ion. solemnized on the 23d, did not
appear to be affected. Nothing more
was done and the boy was born, as
have stated early in July. Where, as
a matter of form, and to avoid doubts
in the future, Captain F. wrote for
the official certificate Of Sir Rs
death. 1t came as a thunderbolt Sir
R had been residing in small Rus
sian town near the frontier; he was
interested, understood in some bust
ness there. The servant to whom l
ho'S iSlVll GU was oil
man and he had picked UP a little
Fsench, but spoke no Russian. The
servant gave the dates l have set
down-the 9Th June in the first let
ter, the 18th in the second The let
ter writer put them down: and Mrs. F.
read and Immediately accepted them.
1t did not cross her mind that the
dates used were the ordinary Rus
sian dates-were, in fact, old style,
and consequently 10 days behind the
reckoning of Germany or of England.
1t did not occur either to Nine. de
/ Kries or to myself to raise the ques-
ton. Indeed, who thinks of the old
style at this period of the worlds
history? Besides, l did not know at
that time, and | do not think that
Nine. de kries did, where the first let
ter came from; Mrs. F. said nothing
about it. But when the certificate ar
rived-about the middle of July. as
small, you see, and old-fashioned."
understood, the mistake was clear;
for note in the officials hand trans
lated the dates into new style for the
benefit of the foreigners to whom he
was supplying the document. Sir R.
E., first reported dead on the 9Th
of June, old style, otherwise the 18th
June, N. S., had actually died on the
18th, old style, or oath. new style.
"The mistake as to the date of death
was the first source of confusion
since it caused Mrs. F-'s wedding to
take place while her husband, Sir R,
had still day to live. But his error
would not in itself prove fatal, since
there would still have been time to
repeat the ceremony before the birth
of the child. Here the misapprehen-
| sion about the old style came in. Led
to believe that, although Sir Rived
six days longer than was originally
! reported, yet he died, none the less
on the 18th of June, the F-'s did not
have the ceremony repeated. But he
died in fact on the Gath, as his wife
reckoned time. and her wedding to
Captain F. on the 23d was an idle
and useless form. When the discov-
cry was made the boy was born-and
born out of lawful wedlock.
What did they do then? Madame
de Kries was reticent, but I extracted
from her the information that they
were hurriedly married again. One
could laugh il the matter had not
been so terribly serious to them and
to their boy For Mrs. F. was not
indeed in possession of-but next in
succession to a considerable estate
and ancient title. Marrying again
could not mend the matter. What
else they did to mend, or try to mend
1t, Madame de Kries protested not to
4 know. l myself do not know either.
! There is only one thing to say. They
could not alter the day Of death; they
could not alter the date of the wed.
ding; perhaps it would seem rather
more possible to alter the date of the
birth. AT any rate that is no business
of mine. have set the story down
because it seemed to me a curious
and interesting episode. For my own
part | am rather inclined to hope
that the baby's prospects in life will
not be wrecked by the absurd
Russian method of using the Old
Style.
/ ITO return to serious questions, the
/ customs barrier between"
Mr.. Jenkinson Neeld laid down his
friends journal and leant back in his
chair.
I "Really!" he murmered to himself
Really, really"
tioWAlu6 III peIple8eu ldSulOu, he
pushed the manuscript aside and
twiddied the blue pencil between his
1 fingers. The customs barrier of which
Josiah Cholderton was about to speak
had no power to interest him, the
I AIRY which he had read interested
I'm a good deal; it was an odd little
t.bit of human history, disastrous
turn Of human fortunes. Besides, Mr.
Neeld knew his London. He shook
his head at the Journal reprovingly
rose from his chair, went to his book
case and took down peerage. A
4 "reminiscences was running in his head
He turned to the letter T.
Tristan of Blent-Adelaide Lou
Use Aimee. in her own right baroness
23d in descent, the barony descending
to heirs general Born IL December
1858. Married first Sir Randolph
Edge bart--no issue. Secondly, Cap
tain Henry Vincent Fitzhubert date
Scots guards) died 1877. Issue--one
son (and heir) Hon. Henry Austen
Fitzhubert Tristram born goth July
1875 The name If Tristram was as
sumed in lieu of Fitzhubert by royal
license, 1SS4-Seat, Blent Hall, Dey
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