Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1904-08-27
unknown past coHfronts me, demand
ing demanding wtatY

ing demanding Wtatw
Demanding nothing, my lord.'
"Humph! You are the first then
They all want something. You think
l am an old dotard who is ready, be-
cause you say you want nothing, to &C.
cept your absurd proposal. But 1 am
not yet fifty, nor as near it as these
fell maladies would have me appear
and man should be in his prime at
! fifty. Madam, it will require more
convincing testimony to make me listen
to you further"
'"The testimony, irrefutable, stands
here before you. Raise your eyes from
the ground, my lord, and behold it. If,
scrutiniZing me, you deny that l am
| your daughter, shall forthwith turn
from you and trouble you no more"
STAFFORD slowly lifted his gloomy
face, prematurely scanned with care,
and his heavy eyes scanned closely the
living statue that confronted him. The
sternness Of his features gradually re-
Taxed, and an expression near akin to
tenderness overspread his face.
amy man might be proud to claim
you, my girl, no matter how many 9th
er reasons for pride he possessed. But
you have not come here merely be-
cause some one fattered the Earl of
STAFFORD by saying you resembled
him."
"No, my lord. 1 am come to return
to you this document, which once you
presented to my mother"
She handed him paper, which he
read with intent care. 1t ran thus:
I have, in little much to say to you,
or else one Of us must be much to blame
But in truth I have that confidence in
you and that assurance in myself as to
rest secure the fault will never be made
on either side. Well, then this short and
this long which I aim at is no more than
to give you this first written testimony
that I am your husband, and that hus-
band Of yours that will ever discharge
these duties of love and respect toward
you which good women may expect and
are justly due from good men to dis
charge them, and this is not only much
but all which belongs to me, and wherein
shall tread out the remainder Of life
which is left to me
. STAFFORD looked up from his perusal,
blank amazement upon his counte-
nance.
"How came you by this paper?"
81 found it among the documents left
by my grandfather, who died a year
ago. 1t was sent by you to my moth
err
impossible"
"Do you deny the script?"
81 do not deny it, but twas written
by me eight years since and presented
to my third wife, whom l married pri-
yately."
''Your third wife? Who was she?'
'She was Mistress Elizabeth Rhodes, |
and is now Lady Stafford.
''Then she is your fourth wife. You
will see by your own inliting that this
etter was written in March, 1924
The date was Enthusiastically set down
" the same hand that had penned the
,old signature. Thomas Wentworth
md the bewilderment of the earl in
reaseds as he. recognized that here was
10 forgery, but a genuine letter ante
ating it's duplicate
SIS it possible" he murmured to him.
elf, 'that man has SO little original
y AS to do practically the same thing
wice?' Then aloud to the girl he
aid:
"Who was your mOther?"
81 had hoped the reading Of this
ocument would have rendered your
uestion unnecessary. Has man such /
lit Of forgetting that the very name |
the woman he solemnly married has {
ipped his memory as easily as the s
riting of the letter she cherished?" I
"She was Frances, daughter of Sir
,hn Warburton," murmured the earl. I
His only daughter, as am hers, my t
rd.'
''But when Sir John wrote me coldly Q
her death, he made no mention of c
" ISSUE"
my grandfather always hated you, a
Y lord. 1t is very like that he told 4
u not the cause Of my mothers death a
as her children's BIRTH" u
'Children? t.
Yes, my lord. My twin brother and Il
vself." j
If, as you say, you have brother,
~ is he not here in your place, you Il
the background, where you properly
long?" y
Sir, I suppose that her good name is a
ought more of by a woman than by a
nan. She wishes to be assured that p
, came properly authenticated into
s world, whereas man troubles lit u
of his origin, so be it he is here Ia
th some one to fight or to love. Or
'haps it is that the man is the deep q
and refuses to condone where a wo-
n yearns to forgive. My brother ID
lres our grandfather's dislike Of
1. He thinks you cared little for 81
mother or you would not have been
sent during her last days when"- II
I knew nothing Of it. The times ca
n, as now, were uncertain, requiring m
,orbed attention from those thrown
lingly or unwillingly into public af IN
rs. What can boy of sixteen know
the duties thrust upon a man in my