The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-08-28

ne is a h~ot-headed fool, and partly be-
u he has reason. His father Joined
the kings army a little before Naseby
hight and either was promised, or be-
heved he was promised, a 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 look 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."
Are they close relations?" 1 asked.
Close" laughed Sir Arthur. They
wouldn't be reckoned relations at ali
according to English notions. They are
OF the same name. and, 1 suppose. of
the same family. There is a tree some
where, worked out with painful dill
gence by my grandfather and showing
how We stand related, but l hardly
know where to look for it,
He dismissed the subject with a'wave
Of his hand and continued to stare into
the fire. The door now opened and a
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 a panel which
worked with a spring, n then we
went to a room on the other side of the
wide hall. This apartment was also
large and i~ll-lighted. SO hat the flames
Of the fire ~overpowered the faint day
light in the duskier corners, M shown
In rudy reflections on the dark Ike
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 h 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.
"It is possible said I. that yeur
thoughts are the same as mine. Was
1t not odd the manner in which we
criss-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 I. did she come
W. IA u 11C 1111SA1op WALL III LA
to defend herr"
1--WE reached home quite safely" said
Miss Vaughan.
Her eyes expressed an inquiry which
I fastened tot answer, n 1 related to
her the fright Of the fellows I turned
back to meet and my wanderings
among the hills.
the road, so well that we can scarcely
conceive Of the difficulty Is presents to
a stranger. I trusted, at any rate, 1t
was nothing worse" She was silent
for a 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 Owaln. He vas being driven back
before you, and I thought him in great
danger. / nave never seen him look
like that in my life"
And. now believe me, Miss Waugh
an" said i earnestly, h vas in nc
danger at all from me. My sole object
was to disarm him. I could not under.
upon me, merely because I was Eng
fish. My uncle has spoken Of it and ]
understand now"
At this moment Owatn returned
toward us and Sir Arthur. went out OF
the room. Miss Vaughan also retired.
and Owain and I stood near the fire
to talk.
that these red fellows will attack this
house."
"It is likely enough" said my com
panion.
"But to what %purpose?" I continued;
"a set Of ragged thieves such as they
are could make no entrance"
we 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 n resentment against anyone be.
sides Sir Arthur"
II do not think So" said Owain. 81
believe his feelings toward, say, my.
self, who nave been familiar with hin
from boyhood, are friendly, but he is 6
man Of that turn Of mind which would
give Nant-y-Bryn to the flames, anc
everybody within 1t, SO that his enemy
were included in the destruction"
my uncle represents him as a ma
extremely. vtndictive," said !. and de.
clares that his grievances are merely
fanciful."
I thought that this hint would caus
Owain to speak OF the differences
which lay between Sir Arthur an6
Ieuan Gwylit, but it had the opposite
e1GcL. lOOheu lllO LIE lIt
in silence, drawing his mustacht
through his fingers, and I knew Their
that had Sir Arthur not been my uncle
I might have heard another story. y.
CHAPTER *.
AN ERRAND OF MERCY.
;, On the third day after my arrival a
/ Nant-y-Bryn at about II o'clock of thu
! nanrninr I was at one of thl