The Jennings daily record., 1902-07-21
THE AFFAIR IN THE BELFRY
By Charles Edward deS.

been est meEl child Of nature. Even
at oxford l learned none of those arts
o. polite and discreet Discrimination
which are such an aid to a fellow who
means to become famous.
She thought ! was always covertly
sneerlng at her, which protest never
did.
But. be that as it may. when she had
been mistress of Sundcw House about
four months something startling, vet
far from unconventional. occurred to
set me keen}y Oh the Qui viVe.
This was nothing less than the ap
partition at the Red Lion--our village
. in~'---of Il red-uosed stranger man. who
proved to be an acquaintance of the
stepmother'S.
AS usual. Mabel was uncOmmonly
smart on the least thing that tended to
diminish 'he regard in which l seemed
TO hold Mrs. Winstanley second. She
was terribly fond of novels. this sister
OF mine, and had an imaginatlon-pe
! hapS in which leaped to
conclusions with amazing celerity.
| Nevertheless. I felt it my duty to
read her pretty stiff lecture about
| The vices of uncharitahleness and evil
! thinking when she dumped her infer
cn.e upon me in one fell swoop with
| the words
! Rupert, that wretch at the Red Lion
! is Mrs. Winstanley's first husband: I'm
conv inced OF it
! 1t will be seen how far the govern
! or'S irfatuation had carried him when
! ! declare that he was quite unsuspi
| ciouS of the red-noSed man. The per-
! sons name in use was Fortescue. and
! Stepmother admitted that he was i cou-
| sin.
Il know she said to me on the sub
iect. with Il charming blush. that you
may be disinclined to believe me. but
| it is certainly the truth that that poor
fellow and are only cousins"
My dear stepmother,'' l exclaimed.
after these words. how can you take
so ignOminious view of meg
Whereupon she changed her tone
somewhat abruptly and confessed the
joy she felt in having at least one
friend at Sundew House besides her
husband. Friend seemed hardly the
word for the occasion, but l had no
wish to be over-critical
We all have our poor relations"
stepmother continued sadly, "and Tom
| Fortescuc is one of mine.
The phrase 'one of mine seemed so
ominous that could not help asking if
she had many others. But she laughed
at my question, called me terrible
clever fellow" and said she didn't de-
sire to be interpreted literally. OF
course Map!cton (our villagel was not
likely to see Il procession of her poor
relations. She should be perfectly sat
isied if Tom Fortescue would settle
down peacefully in some little cottage
in the ncighborhood and devote himself
10 the natural history tastes that alb
sorbed him. For my part ! felt scru-
pies about Tom ForteScue. The only
, obvious branch of natural history that
: interested him was that concerned with
the distillation of alcoholic liquor.
Ii is scarcely credible. but it is true
, withal. that stermother's cousin was
. allowed to settle in Mapleton and be-
come the talk of the village He took
a little ivy-clad cottage close to the
church. to which regularly every Sun
day he carried his red nose and bald
head. which did not deter him from
, u'tering tie responses very audibly.
Upon the whole ] could tolerate him
. very well. having that saving gift-a
! sense of humor. But the governor did
not like Tom Fortescue. though he tried
, hard white the feelings of the girls
I about him may be imagined when / say
!, that they were daily more and more
: convinced he was the only lawful hus.
. band of Mrs. Winstanley second.
I The village, of course. had its OWL
opinions. These | am sorry to say,
Q were not wholly unlike Mabel's and
= .AgnesS. But out of Difference to the
q governor our dear and humble neigh
I bors did not express their feelings on
, the subject broadcast.
1t came out hot and strong. though
one September evening. Phipps, the
!, sexton. was the miserable mouthpiece
g of the rumor.
i | had been to the doctors to ask
him to look in and take Il hand ii
n whist, and on my way back, havin.
i nothing much to do, l put my feet in
: side the church. where harvest decorat
ing was in force. If Tom FOrtescue
a was not there, with the ladies of the
4 parish. upon whom he beamed across
his red nose in the most ludicrOus man
;. ner! The girls We're there also-as fal
n as possible from stepmother's cousin.
- 10 me Us stood smiling by the foot