Evening journal., 1903-07-18
STORY OF
A VALE T

his whims and concelts TO perfection
when he made break one day that
took my breath away.
II was just after Lady Kildare had
spent two hours at the manor and held
a private conversation with him.
took it that she had come to solicit
subscription of some sort and had no
curiosity about It, Lady Kildare was
a widow OF fifty who still went much
into society, and she was reputed TO be
a great schemer.
When she had driven away, my mas
ter called me in He was walking up
and down the room with the gait of an
old man, and yet l saw at a glance
that he was seeking to get the stoop
out Of his shoulders and the stiffness
out Of his knees.
"Tench,' he said, I'm going a-court-
ing. Yes, am. Lady Kildare is going
TO put me alongside Of a handsome lit
tie girl who may fall in love With and
be willing to wed a sad old dog like
me, and If things turn out right you'll
see a mistress at Brookhaven within
six months. Sad old dog! That's good,
ell, Tench? What do you think of the
idea?"
ITS not for me to presume to say,
sir" l replied, realizing in a moment
that his mind was fully made up.
"Tm TO go to the Cedars next week
to,meet the young lady, and of course
you will go with me. You must do a
little extra rubbing to get me ready
and'you'll'look after me when there.
Iflyou are asked about my age by any
Of the servants you'll stick TO fifty-fye,
and' you'll say am as spry as any
man of thirty"
never came to understand all the
ins and outs of the affair, but learned
enough to satisfy me that it was a
put up job on the part Of Lady Kildare
TO marry off a penniless niece Of hers.
1t went through with a rush. The
| girl was fair looking and played her
cards well. she wanted the old mans
name and money even If she had to
take him with them. On his part, he
fell in love with her at first sight, and
before a fortnight had passed their en-
gagement was announced.
There were a dozen others in the
party at the Cedars, and almost from
the first / learned from the butler that
Captain Carew, who was one Of the
party, had paid Miss Montague marked
attentions and that there would have
been a match except for his poverty
on. two or three occasions during oul
7 stay without in any manner playing
the spy l caught on to several little
things to convince me chat the love az
Il fair was not dead and would not enc
with the girls marriage.
Well, the wedding took place in tw'
months, and after a trip lasting tw
weeks Sir Edward and his bride re
turned. She didn't like me, and
didn't like her, but / stayed on. o
course the old regime was upset an
n new one instituted, and it seemed I
the old servants as II we were stand
ing on our heads half the time.
After six weeks, in spite Of all M
efforts and the cordlals of the doctor
Sir Edward could hardly hobble abou
and looked to be eighty. There wer
days at time when he cOum not leav
his room, and the young wife treate
: him with in concealed contempt.
In six months Captain Carew calle
only three times. ana 1 had begun
believe the old love affair dead whe
the gardener informed me that Lad
Edward and the captain had met NOR
than once of an evening in a certai
summer house.
| dared say nothing to master, q
least until l had seen with my ow
, eyes, and one evening posted myse
where / could either cOrrObOrate or di
prove the gardeners assertions.
my own mind believed him mistakel
. The young wife might despise her ol
wreck of a husband, but I did not b.
I lieve she would trife with his hone
and hers.
On this night Sir Edward had gon
to bed early after a feeble day, and /
appeared to be sleeping as / stole ava,
: 1t was a fairly bright night in mi'
summer, and l walked across I'll
grounds to find a man and a womai
he with his arm around her, slow
walking up and down one of the path
AS they approached me l hid behind
bush, and they passed within ten fe
of me. 1t was the captain and Lad
Edward, and they were talking of lov
= They walked on for perhaps tweni
rods and then turned to come bac
and as they did so felt hand on n
arm, and a voice said in my ear;
"Not q word or a move, Tench.
. have long suspected this, and l a
here now to make sure
. 1t was Sir Edward. l wouldn't ha'
thought it possible for him to Dire
~ himself and walk the distance. l b
gan to protest but he cut me sho
with:
: "Not word, say, and don't mo
~ an inch"
4 We stood there like two men of stor
Sir Edward was rigidly upright al
firm on his legs, and believe l hea
the beating of his heart as the love
4 slowly came forward. When they we
exactly opposite he stepped out Al
fred at Captain Carew point blar
and before l could raise a hand
turned the pistol on himself and Sc
- 4 bullet into his head. The bullet
nu tended for the captain missed him
a hairs breadth, though he stagger
I.