The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-04-27
NEVER thought to die and
leave her pennileSs. /
never thought"

tS-@V leaVe ueT pellitlleSS.
never thought"
L. And here a sharp, sud.
eA sw den spasm seemed to take
away the voice of the dying man; he
gasped for breath. and his wandering
fingers seemed to grope blindly in the
n dark, while little Juliet burst out into
sobs as she chung wildly round his
neck.
Mr.. and Mrs. Montague Aylesford
looked blankly at one another. Mr..
ns4Aysssford was much agitated. Mrs.
Aylesford turned pale with amaze
ment.
1T can't be" hesitated Mrs.
Aylesford. in a low tone, with an in
quiring elevation of her eyebrows.
1T must be-" nodded her husband.
And Juliet Dallas, throwing herself
wildly upon the corpse that a moment
ago had been her living. loving father.
cried out:
Dead. Dead! Oh. bring him back
to life, some one! Don't let them take
= him away from me"'
And then the poor child tainted.
"My dear" ssidSMx. Montague Ayles-
ford to his. Rsfe, I'm afraid this is a
bad bashss."
Sfy DEAR" said Mrs. Montague
Aylesford to her husband, 1--WE have
been under a mistake all along"
And they rang the bell for the hotel
chambermaid to come and ''look after
the forlorn young orphan. For Mrs.
Aylesford, who had dearest" and
darling and sweetest oned' poor
Joliet for the last three days. under
the impression that she was an en-
bryo heiress. had suddenly grown cold
since Digby Dallas dying speech had
produced so different conviction in
her mind.
do you think that we are under any
special obligation to take charge OF
--her% Mrs. Aylesford asked on the
day Of the funeral. when poor Juliet
sat in her deep mourning weeds alone
in the room in which her father had
died.
Mr.. Aylesford looked dubious. He
had just been examining the papers Of
the deceased.
II am convinced, my dear he said.
|'that we have been kept Systematically
in the dark as to my Cousin Digby'S
hffairs. He allowed us-wickedly al
lowed US, as I may say-to suppose
him a man Of wealth. and here he has
] actually had the-the presumption. my
dear. to go and die and leave great
( girl on our hands! A girl to be fed,
! and clothed, and educated. and - and
q all sorts of things, Mrs. Aylesford!'
IA But in this account of the existing
state Of affairs Mr.. Montague Ayles-
ford entirely omitted to mention that
he had hurried from a distant part OF
the country to his relatives dying led
side without any summons. There he
had volunteered of his own accord to
take the pretty young orphan in
neharge, and there he had fawned on
Captain Dallas after the most obse-
uious manner. firmly believing in his
tealth. And now. after all, to be dis
.
Its the most unheard-of thing that
yer transpired within my knowledge"
aid Mrs. Aylesford. But. of course.
ve can't be held responsible. and it's
nv duty to tell the girl so at once and
;epent any misunderstanding OF the
Subject"
She rang the bell and ordered q SER
Want to tell Miss Dallas to attend her
in the blue parlor.
Juliet came-a fair. shrinking young
creature, with soft. blue eyes, rose
fair complexion. and features cast af-
ter the pure Grecian type. straight.
clean cut and ariStocratic. Her dress
of deep black was plain. yet became
her like the robes Of 4 princess, and a
Jet cross suspended round her alabas-
ter throat upon q black velvet ribbon
was all the ornament she wore.
Juliet" said Mrs. Montague AyleS-
ford sourly.
The orphan glanced timidly up. She
could not comprehend why Mrs. Ayles-
ford's tone had so radically changed
T0W3ru uCI Jul iiiS INC iaSl lNSALs -LOut
hours.
"Yes. Mrs. Aylesford."
"Mr. Aylesford and l have been talk
your sad case over. 1t is nothing
&xtraordinary-in fact. it occurs every
Aday. and you may as we'll follow the
&asample Of others in a like predica-
1Ament and decide at once what You will
uliet looked little surprised.
<I thought" she hesitated. that
As to live with yOu."
airs. Aylesford compressed her lips.
s.Of course. you cannot expect to eat
lie; bread of idleness." she declared
Mr.. Aylesford and are merely dis
1snt relations. That We have kindly
interested ourselves in you so far is
more than could have been expected
Don't stare so," she added, with some
srritation in her voice and manner
ais there anything so. very extraordi
nary in what have been saying?
II think there is" Juliet said, in a