The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-09-04
'Geoffrey Heathcote, ESQ.,
Ds '' f'"NaHokE" Copyright $780, by Mcclure Co.

AAS
cause he has reason. His father joined
the kings army little before Naseby
night, and either was promised, or be-
lleved he was promised, g regiment.
however, a gentleman from Wor-
cestershire obtained the command, and
the elder Vaughan considered himself
an injured party. He made no secret
OF his opinion, and over their wine he
and his successful rival came to high
words. A meeting was the result and
the Welshman was killed before half a
dozen passes had been exchanged He
was very pOor-We are all pOOr-and
on his death his creditors took nearly
the whole Of his estate. He had kindly
made me guardian Of his children. and.
l have given them the run of Nant-y-
Bryn.' IS
Are they close relations?" I asked.
Close" laughed Sir Arthur. "They
wouldn't be reckoned relations at all
according to English notions. They are
or the same name, and, l suppose. Of
the same family. There is tree some
where, worked out with painful dill
gence by my grandfather and showing
how we stand related, but 1 hardly
know where to look for it,
He dismissed the subject with wave
of his hand and continued to stare into
the fire. The door now opened and
domestic announced that the midday
meal was ready. My uncle hustled to
put away the gold in a secret hiding
place. constructed in the thickness of
the wall and covered by panel which
worked with a spring, and then we
went to a room on the other side of the
wide hall. This apartment was also
large and ill-lighted, so that the flames
of the fire overpowered the faint day.
light In the duskier corners, and shown
In ruddy reflections on the dark oaken
wainscot. The brother and sister were
standing before the hearth, awaiting
our arrival, and we sat down at once.
Upon the conclusion of the meal, my
uncle with scant ceremony, drew
Owain Vaughan to the further part of
the room and began to converse with
him in low tones The great length
| OF the apartment cut US in two distinct
parties, and I glanced across the table
to Miss Vaughan, who sat opposite me.
I found her eyes fixed full upon me and
I smiled.
1T is possible" said I, that your
| thoughts are the same as mine. Was
1t not odd the manner in which we
| crisis crossed for those two days?'
II was thinking of the same thing"
! she said, smiling also, though, after
ALL there is much in the fact that we
were making for the same point"
And Siani?" said l. Did she come
| to defend herr"
I'VE reached home quite safely" said
Miss Vaughan.
Her eyes expressed an inquiry which
I FASTENED to answer, and l related to
her the fright of the fellows I turned
back to meet and my wanderings
among the hills.
II felt sure Of it," she said, 1--WE know
| the road so well that we can scarcely
conceive Of the difficulty is presents to
a stranger. 1 trusted. at any rate, it
was nothing worse" She was silent
for moment. Then she said, in a low
voice, her color rising slightly: 1T must
seem very strange to you-the occur
renee Of this morning. But l did not
recognize you at all. I saw nothing
but Owain. He was being driven back
before you, and thought him in great
danger. 1 have never seen him look
like that in my life
And now believe me, Miss Waugh
an" said I earnestly, "he was In no
danger at all from me. My sole object
was to disarm him. l could not under
stand then why he thrust a quarrel
upon me, merely because I was Eng
lsh. My uncle has spoken of 1t and !
understand now"
At this moment Owain returned
toward US and Sir Arthur went out of
the room. Miss Vaughan also retired,
and Owatn and I stood near the fire
to talk.
my uncle" said I, seems afraid
that these red fellows will attack this
house"
1T is likely enough said my COM
panion.
But to what purpose? continued;
"a set Of ragged thieves such as they
are could make no entrance
I'VE should give them as hot a re-
ception as we could" replied he; ''fo1
if they did win entrance they would
make. clean work of it,"
This leader, this Ieuan," said I, has
he any resentment against anyone be-
sides Sir Arthur"
II do not think So" said Owain. 81
believe his feelings toward, say, my
SELF who have been familiar with him
from boyhood, arc friendly, but he is Q
man of that turn Of mind which would
J give Nant-y- Bryn to the flames, and
everybody within 1t, SO that his enemy
were included in the destruction"
my uncle represents him as a mar
extremely vindictive," said I, and de-
clares that his grievances are merely
fanciful."
I thought that this hint would cause
OWain to speak on the differences
J. which lay between Sir Arthur an6
Ieuan Gwylit, but it had the opposite
effect. Vaughan looked into the fire
In silence, drawing his mustache
through his fingers, and knew Their
that had Sir Arthur not been my uncle
I might have heard another story.
|