Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1901-07-18
words, she affected not to hear them

speedily reviewed the sad and tragic
story Of her brother Roberts life.
The events which had made him the
wreck he was had happened all OF
twenty years before, and Kate was
about fifteen at the time: but she re-
membered each circumstance wildly.
X Robert Grayson had passionately
loved beautiful young girl who had
been placed In his charge as ward until
she should come of age or marry; ana
there had been time when he had
thought himself justified In believing
that Leonora Kent loved him In return.
Always a shy and sensitive man.. he
was slow in bringing himself to posi-
tive declaration of his love: but he. felt
assured that she understood and even
encouraged it.
She lived in the household as one of
the family, for his mother was then
alive and his young sister was at home;
and Mrs. Grayson and Kate had shared
his thought in regard to Miss Kent's
feelings toward him. But all doubt and
all hope on the subject came to a Vlo-
lent end.
Philip Gray-on came home from col
le.e. Leonora saw and adored him:
but he was colby Indifferent to the
passion she took no pains to conceal
That Philip not only, cared nothing
for the girl, but was even bored and
ANNOYED by her loving looks and tender
sight. was evident to every one except
Robert.
Morbildy Jealous, he chose to believe
that his brother had wilfulliy won the
girl away from him, only to trifle with
her and amuse himself with her hope
less attachment. Philips protestations
and denials We're alike useless. Robert
was firm in his opinion, and finally per-
shaded Leonora to the same way of
thinking.
The bitter anguish of an unrequited
attachment, combined with mortifica-
tion at being, as she believed. sighted
and laughed at, was more than the
vain and oyer-sensitive girl could bear.
1t broke her heart, and one day she
was found lying dead in her ROOM a
scrap of paper crushed in her cold
hand, on which was scrawled a last
farewell to Philip Grayson.
After her death it was shown that
she had left every dollar of her little
fortune to the man she had so reckless
ly and ghopelessly loved. And on that
humble foundation Philip had reared
the colossal wealth Of which he was
now the env!ed possessor.
Robert Grayson brooded over his bitter
disappointment, and the young grrls
sad death until his reason became af-
fected, and his unfounded fancy that
Philip had wantonly won and then
thrown away the heart of Leonora
Kent. became a fixed delusion. Finally,
acute mania was developed, and for
several years the unfortunate gentle
man was the. inmate of a lunatic asy-
lum.
At the end Of fifteen years he was
discharged cured; but in less than SIX
months is became evident that he was
a hopeless monomaniac. Quite rational
in every other way. his decisions re-
garding Leonora and Philip were worse
than before.
He did not believe that she was dead
now. having conceived fancy that She
still lived, but was, in some terrible
way, in Philips power, who refused to
marry her, although pledged to do so,
and well aware that it was the only
means of restoring her to happiness
and the esteem Of her friends.
OF course Philip Grayson saw the ne
cessitv of having his brother once more
placed under, proper restraint; but he
now found himself opposed in this in
tention by his sister.
Mrs. Martin, who had recently been
left a widow, declared that she could
not endure the grief and shame of hav-
ing her brother again incarcerated in
an insane asylum, especially as he was
quite sane except on the one subject,
while in every other way he was docile
as a child and wholly under her influ-
ence.
This matter was finally arranged by
Philip making his sister handsome al
lowance for the support of herself and
family, with separate sum for the ex-
penses of Robert.
The united sums gave her such an in
come as she had never before possessed
and for two or three years Mrs. Mar
tin was almost content ...a..
At the end of that time, her brothers
fortune still increasing, and her own
income becowing smaller in COMPARE
son with greater expenses, she became
discontinued, wished for more, often
asked for extra sums, and always got
them. -,r
. flHdlly Tier StllUlIAOuS 0SSAC AiACA ~
self on Philips entire fortune for her
self and children; for, like other feline
creatures, this cold and cruel woman
was devoted mother. -a'
j. The more her thoughts dwelt upon
the subject, the more certain she felt
that she and her children ought to be
and were to be Philip Grayson's heirs.
She was right, too, for Philip had al
ready made will in favor of his sister
and her family; and it is more than
probable that the will would have re-
manned unchanged to the day of his
death had he not fallen in love and de-
termined to take wife.
It was this reflection which added the
last touch of bitterness to Mrs. Mar
tins feelings; for she had ferreted out
the facts about the will. and knew how
the greater part of his property had
been devised previous to the unlucky
hour when Philip saw and loved Clar-
ice Mowbray.
"But he shall never marry her-nev-
err" she declared to herself again and
again.
III, &I>ox, oI,od "a