Middletown transcript., 1904-04-16

Thomas Hurst Seaton-Seaton was til,
name by which he said Ills father hat
chosen to pass-saiied for England, bein,
then twenty-four years Of age, of little O.
no education and rough unpublished man
ners. lie carried with him what pur
ported to be bis mothers marriage certifi
cate aud the letters from, Lord Erndale
arriving in England when the yiscount'
little daughter was only few months
old.
At the time Of Mrs. Welby's latest visi
Lady Erndale was a widow with tw,
children, a son and daughter, aged re
spectively five and sixteen, and until he
sons majority she was living in stric
seclusion, the estates being nnrsed for tn,
young heir. The children's education
was to be carried on abroad, whence Lad,
Erndale had come for a short stay il
London, chiefly for her daughters sake
whom her aunt Lady Herries had invited
OIL long and indefinite visit.
Just to prepare her for rIher future posi-
ton, my dear, Lady IIerries said coolly
You cannot expect Molly to vegetate in
Normandy till Geoffry is Of age. l know
the estates must be nursed for him it i.
only just and right-but Molly-Molly
must make brilliant marriage and that
she will never do under such auspices.
Lady Erndale mutely assented. She
had felt the loss of her husband bitterly
and had lived SO long in seclusion that
the idea of mixing in society once more
was utterly repugnant to her ; go she ell.
gagged quiet apartments in the house oI
an old servant, receiving no one and see.
ing no one but her sister-in-law, of whom
she stood greatly in awe.
She made an exception however in the
person of Naval officers widow who
had been governess to Lady Erndale her.
self. This lady, having tickets for a
matinee, persuaded Lady Erndale to let
Molly and Geoffry accompany her to it
and with many qualms of conscience she
consented.
l only hope it will not come to Caro-
lines ears, she said anxiously. What
would she think of me for allowing the
children to travel in an omnibus?
Oh, as to that, Mrs. Welby replied
cheerfully, will come and fetch them
myself and bring them back Nothing
can hurt them and it is far safer than any
train.
So Lady Erndale, listening to the voice
of the charmer, stified her many doubts
and scruples, and allowed her darlings to
leave the maternal wing for that OF Mrs.
Welby, on whose discretion she had
always been accustomed to rely.
She was unaware, and never at any
time suspected, that her visit to London
was known to the man who had tried go
hard to wrest from her husbands hands
his titles and estates. Still less did she
realize the fact of his bitter unending
enmity. But never for one moment did
the desire for revenge slumber in his
breast, and he only bided the time when
Lady Erndale should be within his power.
His agent was outside the theatre when
Molly and Geoffry entered with Mrs.
Welby, and he watched them into the
omnibus afterwards, entering himself
when he saw the chaperon left behind.
The rest was easy. It was dark at four
on that short wintry day, and his plans
had long been formed.
The fog was gathering thickly and rap
idly over the Park as he let himself gently
from the omnibus, and he was swallowed
up in the obscurity before the conductor
decended to his post. So, halting by the
Park ratings till an empty cab drove up,
the man got in with the apparently still
sleeping child, and, giving brief order
to the cabman, was driven away quickly.
1t was about fourteen years later that
the great rush to the Kimberley diamond
fields threw the world into fever. Young
men threw up their appointments and
apprentices ran away from their masters
all athirst for fortMe-mahy to die Of
fever or privation, and few to realize
their widest dreams and to return to live
in luxurious idleness for the remainder
Of their lives.
But great were the dangers Of the sue
cessful miners; for, conceal their good
fortune as they might, it usually leaked
out in the end, and robbery and murder
were too often the result.
1t was on the evening OF sultry day,
when the sun was sinking to rest in
flood OF golden splendor, that three young
men, linked together by late in their
search for wealth, sat smoking outside
the hut they had built for themselves.
One Of these men was singularly fair and
good-looking; the other two were more
ordinary but fairly good specimens Of
humanity, with frank good-tempered
faces, tinged just now by look of anxiety
and worry.
Van Belt is going to trek tomorrow,
said one, John Forbes by name, address,
ing his companions in low voice and
glancing round carefully as he spoke
yes, to trek tomorrow and We might
make as though We were going to Plum
mer's ranch, and when ON the way push
on for Cape Town.
That's just what I've been thinking, re-
marked the darkest of the tlree-Philip
Jones. Once out OF sight Of these dig
gings, We could make shift to gain the |
coast. We should have six days start if |
any one suspected tricks-three days to |
Plummer's ranch and three for our sup
posed return-and not even the fastest |
team in Kimberley could then come up |
with us.
No, said the young fellow WHO lad not |
yet spoken. Well do it, boys, for it's
our only chance of getting out OF this
horrible hole; and I've great wish to
zee England /; and 1 will see it--neyer
ear!
But you're All African by birth, Tom,
Forbes curiously. You were