The Weiser semi-weekly signal. (Weiser, Washington Co., Idaho) 1904-1911, 1904-10-15

unknown past confronts me. demand
ing demanding what?"
Demanding nothing, my lord"
"Humph! You are the first then
They all want something. You think |
j am an old dotard who is ready, be-
cause you say you want nothing, to ac-
cept your absurd proposal. Bat am
not yet fifty, nor as near It as these
fell maladies would have me appear.
and man should be In his. prime at
aftyy. Madam, 1t 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 II,
scrutinizing me, you deny that I 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.
"Any 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 fiattered the Earl OF
STAFFORD by saying you resembled
him."
. mo, my lord. am come to return
, to you this document, which once YOU
presented to my mother"
She handed him a paper, which ~
. read with intent care. 1t ran thus;
have In little, much to say to you
or else one OF US must be much to blame
But in truth have that commence y
Won and that assurance In myself as :
rest secure the fault will never be mao
> on either side. Well. then this snort an
l. this long which aim at Is no more Una
TO give you this first written testlmon
that I am your husband. and that hui
b.-d of yours that will ever dischare
a these duties Of love and respect towar
YOU which good women may expect an
are Justly due from good men 10 az
charge them, and this Is not only muc
'e but IL which belongs to me- ana where,
le / shall tread out the remainoer "a i'
v, which is left to me
re STAFFORD looked up from hts perusa
blank amazement upon his count
nance.
to "How came you by this paperf'
at found 1t among the documents ie
by my grandfather, who died We
ago. 1t was sent by you to my moi
n en-"
impossible"
"Do you deny the scriptT
II ~ do not deny it, but twas writ
Il bv me eight years since and present
II to my third wife, whom ! married p
VI vately.S o.,
Il .your third wife? Who was sher'
y "She was Mistress Elizabeth Hnod
n and is now Lady STAFFORD
I "Then she is your fourth WIFE !
q will see by your own inditing that
i letter was written in March, lo24.
Y THE date was Enthusiastically set do
= by the same hand that had penned
Va bold signature, "Thomas Went"or'
IN and the bewilderment OF the earl
n creased as he recognized that here
III no forgery, but genuine letter al
III dating its duplicate. :.
Sill as 1t possible" he murmureo 10
III self. that man has 50 niue orisl
III ity as to do practically the same u
M t1yice2, Then aloud to the girl
IN said:
III "Who was your motherT
Su - had hoped the reading OF
al document would have rendered }
question unnecessary. Has man
Gift of forgetting that the very N
al of the woman he solemnly married
slipped his memory as easily as
M writing of the letter she cnerisneu
! "She was Frances, daughter OF
Nh John Warburton," murmured the
"His only daughter. as am hers
lord"
"Rut when Sir John wrote me g
If her death, he made no mento
pA any issue"
IN "My grandfather always hated
- M lord. It is very like that he
HoA Won not the cause of nay mothers q
was her children's BIRTH
Children
sure. eyes, my lord Ny twin brother
Send myself" -
with "If, as you say, you have pr'
.men why is he not here In your place
cord in the background, where you pro
peak belong?"
"sir. l suppose that her good ma
glish thought more of by woman tni
zrlly a man. She wishes to be assured
less she came properly authenticated
He this world, whereas a man troupi
inter- tie of his origin, SO be 1t ne Is
ished with some one to fight or TO ioVe
wn a perhaps it is that the man Is the
ed to er and refuses to condone where
how man yearns to forgive. My d
play. shares our grandfather's dislil
'ence; you. He thinks you cared htt
3 wo- our mother or you would not nav
absent during her last days VINE
park. 1T knew nothing Of IT. The
then, as now, were uncertain, req
! toss absorbed attention from those
come uyfIlingly or unwilliDgiy into pun