Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1905-10-19
LAM BERT'S
LINEAGE
BY EpeI ~. SarSenf
Copyright, 1905. by Il. b. Mcclure

hall. What did lie say" she wills
pcred eagerly.
What the governor Of North Caro-
lima said to the other fellow began
Preston Lambert. Then | said want
ed to marry you, and he put the bottle
back IN the cellaret."
Then he won't let you marry mc?"
she said wistfully.
We'll, he didn't exactly say me nay"
admitted Lambert. but he made one
prohibitive condition. I've got to get
family
"a familyT she echoed.
Just that. | suggested that he was
q trife premature, but he explained
that what he wanted was back mum
bers, not future issues"
OH walled Mollle. why did he
ever find out that he was direct de-
scendant Of William the Conquerorf'
Pure crlssedness,' suggested Lam
bert Bill didn't hand down any
money or titles that reached this far.
1t was Jabez Gordon who did most of
that work"
Grandpa Gordon was awfully poor
when he married grandma" she as
scented. It's funny they never thought
about William the Conqueror before
they got married.
When you're poor" declared Lam
bert, lit doesn't matter much whether
Adam or Bill Sinit.. stands at the head
of your family tee"
II hate family trees" breathed the
girl vehemcnty II wish dad never
had heard of his gencalogy."
ooh. WELL" said Lambert cheerfully,
1--WE can't chop the Internal tree down.
I'll have to StuGy forestry and learn
how to grow one"
Did he say you could marry me IL
you did Z" she asked joyously
He said that for the sake of the
race he wanted his daughter to marry
man as nobly born as herself. He
sort of intinated that he had an eye
OH an English duke, with Il pedigree
as long as snakes tall
Il won't be Duchess" Molle pro-
tested. II want to be Mrs. Preston
And so you shall" he declared. "Pll
have a family tree rs tall as u cocoa
nut backed up here on truck inside
of three months"
ut took pa three years and II half to
get his together" she dissepted
That's all right" laughed Lambert,
STOPPING to kiss her. I'm wonder
when | get started
Mollie followed him to the door and
watched him swing down the street.
Then she went into the now deserted
library and gained some consolation
from making faces ut the elaborate de-
sign whereby the Gordon ancestry was
traced in direct line to royal blood.
More than one small fortune had
been spent upon the tree, and 1t was
the pride OF Robert Gordon's life. The
millions he derived from his father
had been nothing to him unriI this an
cestral line had been discovered. He
had been merely Jabez Gordons son.
Gordon the elder had been 4 Forty
miner" and had left vast stores Of min
eral wealth to his son and faint rec
objection Of his grandfather.
Robert Gordon's respect for ancestry
amounted almost to a mania, and his
first attention upon becoming the heir
to the fortune was given to work on
his historical records.
None of them had been successful
until Gottfried Shackmeister had picked
up the scent, and III due course de-
l. Re-. ,1in 1n.
documents TO prove that the Gordons
were Il branch of an old English line.
1t had not only taken him more than
three years, but also involved travel
ing far and wide. Gordon, however,
had not grudged either time or money.
1t was less than three months be-
fore Lambert sought a formal inter-
view with Gordon
Il have that tree you wanted" he
announced lightly as he was ushered
into GordOns presence.
Tree was the puzzled exclama-
ton. Il don't remember any CONVEX
sation have had with you on the mat
ter Of trees, Mr.. Lambert 1 leave
those matters to the landscape gar
dencr"
Don't you remember" reminded
Lambert, that you sad could not
marry Mollie until | had some man
whose name has come laundering
down the ages to blame my existence
upon;"
Il recall saying that It was duty
we Gordons owed our race to marry
only into families as ancient as our
own" he corrected.
Well continued Lambert nippant-
=. 'thts IS a' lie nj aei upon the
table q small handbag. from which he
extracted old volumes, time stained
parchments, yapyrus and what not.
81 find" he ratified on, that | am
directly descended from the Pharaols."
Gordon rose migrily This is an in
suit he Stormed TO come here with
this absurd collection Of forgcries
which you presume to tell me are rec
ords dating back more than 1000 Years
and collected by you within three
months VIII you leave or shall |
have to cali the buter:"
Hadn't better call Peters" urged
Lambert smoothly. Il hate TO do It.