Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1905-11-17
BY MARCUS CLARKE

thorough master of his trade, troubled
with no scruples of honor or of delicacy,
he made money rapidly, and saved it
when made. He married his sister to
wealthy Bristol merchant, one An
thony Frere, and married himself to
Ellinor Wade, the eldest daughter of
Col. Wotton Wade, an uncle by mar
riage of a remarkable scamp and dandy,
Lord Bellasis. At that time, what with
lucky specula tons in the funds, and the
legitimate profit on his government con-
tracts, he had accumulated princely
fortune, and could afford to live in
princely magnifcence. But the burden
of parsimony and avarice which he had
voluntarily taken upon him was not to
be shaken off, and the only show he
made of his wealth was by purchasing
on his knighthood, the rambling but
comfortable house at Hampstead, and
ostensibly retiring from active business.
His retirement was not a happy one.
He was a stern father and a severe
master. His servants hated and his wife
feared him. His only son Richard APP
peared to inherit his fathers strong will
and imperious manner. Under careful
supervision and a just rule he might
| nave DSCh SuioSu W SOOu, Dul iC4I "
his own devices outside, and CALLED by
| the iron yoke of parental discipline at
| home, he became reckless and prodigal.
| The mother-poor, timid Ellinor, who
| had been rudely torn from the love of
| her youth, her cousin, Lord Bellasis-
tried to restrain him, but the headstrong
| boy, though owning for his mother that
| strong love which is often a part of such
| violent natures, proved intractable, and,
| after three years of parental feud, he
went off to the continent, to pursue there
the same reckless life which in London
| had offended Sir Richard. Sir Richard,
upon this, sent for Maurice Frere, his
| sisters son, and bought for him a com
mission in a marching regiment, limiting
| darkly of special favors to come. His
| open preference for his nephew had gall
| ed to the quick his sensitive wife, who
| contrasted with some heart-pangs the
| gallant prodigality of her father with
| the niggardly economy of her husband.
Between the houses of Devine and long
| descended Wotton Wade there had long
been little love. Sir Richard felt that
the colonel despised him for a city
| knight and had heard that Lord Bella
| sis and his friends had often lamented
the hard fortune which gave the beauty,
Ellinor, to so sordid bridegroom.
Lord Bellasis visited at Sir Richards
| house during the first year Of his cous-
| ms marriage; but upon the birth of the
| son he affected a quarrel with the city
| knight and cursing him for a misery
! curmudgeOn, departed, more desperate
| ly at war with fortune than ever, for
| his old haunts. He was now a hard
| ened, hopeless old man of sixty, bat
| tered in health and ruined in pocket;
| but who, by dint of stays, hair-dye and
| courage, yet faced the world with I'M
| daunted front. Of the possessions of the
house of Wotton Wade, this old manor,
| timberless and bare, was all that remain
! ed, and its master rarely visited it.
On the evening of the Sd of May
! Lord Bellasis had been attending a
| pigeon match at Hornsey Wood, and
| having resisted the opportunities of his
| companion, Mr.. Lionel Crofton, who
! wanted him to go on into town, he had
avowed his intention of striking across
| Hampstead to Belsize Il have an ap-
| pointment at the fr-trees on the Heath"
he said, with a parson."
| ga parsonv
| w SIA, AiC 40 OAiiJ JuoI oAdeIuCus L
met him last year at Bath, on his vaca-
ton from Cambridge, and he was good
| enough to lose some money to me-
! 'And now waits to pay it out Of his
first curacy. l wish your lordshp joy
with all my soul. Then we must push
on, for it grows late"
Thanks, my dear sir, for the we
but | must go alone" said Lord Bella
| IT,
with me for the sitting of last week
Hank! the clock is striking nine. Good
| night"
At half-past nine Richard Devine quit
| ted his mothers house to begin the new
| life he had chosen, and so, drawn to-
| gether by that strange fate of circum-
| stances which creates events, those two
| approached each other.
As the young man gained the middle
| of the path which led to the Heath.
he met Sir Richard returning from the
village. 1t was no part of his plan to
seek an interview, and he would have
skunk past in the gloom, but seeing him
+ thus alone returning to a desolated
home, the prodigal was tempted to ut
ter some words of farewell and of re-
| greet. To his astonishment, however,
Sir Richard passed swiftly on, with body
bent forward as one in the act of fall
ing, and with eyes unconscious of sur
roundings, staring straight into the dis
lance. Half terarifed at this strange
appearance. Richard hurried onward
and at a turn of the path stumbled upon
something which horribly accounted for
the curious action of the old man. A
dead body lay upon its face in the
heather, beside it was heavy riding
whip stained at the handle with blood.
and an open pocketbook Richard took
up the book and read, in gold letters
on the cover, Lord Bellasis."
The unhappy young man knelt down
beside the body and raised it. The skull
had been fractured by a blow, but it
seemed that life yet fingered. Over
come with horror-for he could not
doubt but that his mothers worst fears
had been realized-Richard knelt there