The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-14
WHEN SIR HUM
 PHREY SPOKE.
nr ALBERT HARDY.

Sir Humphrey Gradden had stood in the north wing of Gradden house, Warwick For 400 years. To be more explicit, his armor had stood there; what was mortal of the good-humored, sack-drfnking old knight had reposed in the crypt of St. Martin s-on-the-Hill during that number sof years.
 much for Sir Humphrey. That which the latter had left undone the former nlled tu, so that even the modern historical rial in end about Gradden House upon which to- feed his imagination.
 Amsns Gther thinSs tradtien ish c,d,5S nad on a s,a,o1 s. na ng.s eq bose had first seen the light of day, and with in whose walls he had been gathered to his fathers. Centuries before 1t had R been none of the family documents and none of his biographers could give the least excuse for a curse. this much-used Eng fish family heirloom had been softened into a cloud.
 s.s' Curse or cloud. or whatever it might k-. certain 1t is that Gradden House and as-ax eescenoants of the old nobleman had not prospered. Wealth there was in plen- ty, but death, gloom and misfortune seemed to stalk about hand in hand. Mar rfages had for generations proved unfor- tunate, either by sudden death or separa- ton, so that many of the male descend- ants had died without issue, until cousins three or four times removed eISS were sossna com .A the glory of the broad and profitable es- atate.
 Tradition is responsible for the. legend, "When Sir Humphrey speaks, joy will come to Gradden House. But so long as the oracle had been silent 400 years, his family had naturally given up hear
 There is nothing whatever in the family records at Gradden to indicate that Sir Humphrey murdered more than the av- craze number of wives and troublesome relatives. as accorded with the spirit of the times, and search as his descendants may, they can find no reasonable excuse for curse.
 But the fact remains that shadow Jay heavy on Gradden House. No later than young Sir Humphreys day, the present heir to the Gradden estate. mis- Fortunes had come thick and fast. Young Sir Humphreys father was drowned on his way home from France, his eldest brother was thrown from horse and killed. another lost his life in the wars, a sister ran away with a yeoman and set- tied somewhere in Canada, and on went the list of misfortunes until young Grad mother and youngest brother were living at Gradden House young Sir Humphrey himself did-in the sight of his relatives and associates--a dreadful thing. He went to America and married an Ameri-
 But so long as young Gradden was very much in love and at the same time had a mind of his own, he could not be per: euaded that his act should be catalogued among the Gradden horrors. The Ham, tnonds, from whom May Hammond de- seconded, had no family curse, and if there had besn clouds In past generations they were all financial and had long since been swept away.
 It was a case of love at first sight. this affair between Sir Humphrey and his American sweetheart , and while the brides relatives made no objection to the match the wedding was very quietly cele- brated in New York, the Graddens in England receiving the first news by cable gram.
 Sir Humphrey was 24, athletic. a grad nate of one of the famous English uni versailles, and fond of hunting and coun. try society. The new Lady Gradden was well educated. handsome and accomplish ed. She brought to Gradden House ar ample fortune which Sir Humphrey in sisted be kept in her own name. It wa purely love match, said their friends on this side of the Atlantic.
 which the American girl made as a bride In her heart there was doubt and fear but there was also love-the love of Q true, honest knight Of the realm, and or this she relied. Trustfuliy, then. she left her New York home. relatives and friends, crossed the Atlantic. and on 2 damp, drizziy night III early spring found herself with her husband outside the gates of Gradden House The ride from Southampton had been long and tire some. but in her imagination the young and happy bride pictured bright home coming. which, to her mind, would make
 Sunday. THEIR FIFTH AcT."e by Jan