Omaha daily bee., 1901-03-10
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"
TriStram of Blent. Y
\ Being An Episode in a Story of An Ancient House ~
4 BY ANTHONY HOPE "
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reported. lie Iell lulO q collapse, mistaken
for death by those about him and even by
his medical attendant; after lying in this
state for twenty-four hours he revived and
lived nearly week longer A second letter,
apprising Mrs. F-of this fact and an
nouncng the correct date OF his death as
the 18th of June, reached her at Baden
on the 2Sth BY this time she was married
but the validity Of her new union, solem-
nized 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. II came as a thunderbolt.
Sir r had been residing in a small Russian
town near the frontier. he was interested,
understood. in some business there. The
servant to whom | have referred was an
uneducated man and he had picked UP
little French, but spoke no Russian. The
servant gave the dates | have set down
the 9th Of June in the first letter, the 18th
in the second. The letter writer put them
down and Mrs. F read and Immediately
accepted them. 1t did not cross her mind
or Captain F--'s that the dates used were
the ordinary Russian dates-were in fact
old style and consequently twelve days
bthlih Nut itNhOulhb VI btl many VT VI
England. 1t did not occur either to Nine.
de Kries or to myself to raise the question.
Indeed, who thinks OF the old style at
this period of the worlds history? Besides,
I did not know at that time, and | do not
think Nine de Kries die, where the first
letter came from. Mrs. F said nothing
about II. But when the certificate arrived
about the middle OF July, as | understood,
the mistake was clear; for note in the
officials hand translated 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 of June,
new style, had actually died on the 12th,
old style. or Gath, new style.
THE mistake as to the date of death
was the first source OF confusion. since
1t caused Mrs. F-'s wedding to take place
while her husband, Sir r., had still day
to live. But this error would not in itself
have proved fatal, since there would still
have been time to repeat the ceremony
and make a valid marriage of 1t before the
birth of the child. Here the misapprehen-
sion about the old style came in. Led to
believe that, although Sir r. lived 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 24th,
as his wife reckoned time, and her wedding
to Captain r on the 23d was an idle and
useless form. When the discovery was
made the boy was born-and born out of
lawful wedlock.
what did they do then? Nine. de Kres
was reticent, but | extracted from her the
information that they we're hurriedly mar
ried again. One could laugh, If the matter
had not been so terribly serious to them
and to their boy. For Mrs. r was not
indeed in possession of--but next in sue
cession to considerable estate and ancient
title. Marrying again could not mend the
matter. What else they did to mend, or try
to mend it, Nine. de Kries professed not to
know either. There Is only one thing to
say They could not alter the date of
death; they could not alter the date OF the
wedding; perhaps 1t would seem rather
rcre possible to alter the date of the birth.
At any rate, that is no business OF mine
| have set the story down because IL seemed
to me curious and interesting episode.
For my own part | am inclined to hope
that the baby's prospects in life will not
be wrecked by the absurd Russian habit
of using the old style.
ITO return to serious questions, the Gus
toms barrier between"
MIR. Jenkinson Neeld laid down his
friends journal and leaned back in his
chair.
Really" he murmured to himself
Really, really"
Frowning in a perplexed fashion he
pushed the manuscript aside and twidded
the blue pencil between his fingers The
customs barrier OF which Josiah Cholderton
was about to speak had no power to in
terest him, the story which he had read
interested him a good deal; it was an odd
little bit OF human history, a 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 bookcase and took
down a Peerage. reminscence was run
ming in his head. He turned to the letter T.
'Tristram of Blent-Adelaide Louisa
Aimee, in her own right baroness-23d in
descent, the barony descending to heirs
general. Born II December 1853. Mar
ried first Sir Randolph EGge bart-no
issue. Secondly, Captain Henry Vincent
Finhubert date Scots Guards), died 1877.
lssue-one son land heir). Hon Henry Aus
ten Fitzhubert Tristram, born Goth July.
1873. The name OF Tristram was assumed in
lieu of Fitzhubert by royal license, 1854
Seat, Blent Hall, Devon"
Here Mr. Neeld laid down the book, He
had no further concern with the ancestry
the ramihcations, the abodes or possessions
OF the Tristrams OF Blent To him who
knew, the entry Itself was expressive in
what 1t said and in what ii omitted: read
IN conjunction with Josiah Cholderton's
journal, 1t was yet more eloquent. BY it
self II limited a scandal-else why no dates
for the marriages? With the Journal II
said something more. For the goth is not
early in July" He shut the book hastily
and put 1t back on the shelf. Scissors were
to his hand; with them he carefully cut
out from the manuscript the whole ac-
count OF Mr.. Cholderton's visit to Heidel-
berg dated IT, marked it with the page to
which II belonged in the Journal. and
locked 1t away in a drawer.
Good gracious met" he muttered. "The
thing is nothing more or less than an i'm
putatlon on the legitimacy OF the son and
heir"
That same afternoon he went over to the
lmperium to vote at the election OF mem
bers. II struck him as one of the small