Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-12-09


very unpleasant discovery, Abingdon,
can speak freely Some people named
Sharpe & Smith wrote to me yesterday"
Il know them-an old established firm
of solicitors"
We'll, they urged me TO give them an
appointment ON private matter, and /
did so. They began by trying to cross
examine me, but that was an abject fail
ure. Seeing that whatever they had to
say must stand on its own legs. they
told me an extraordinary story. 1t APP
pears that at a place called The Hail,
Beltham Devon, lives an elderly baronet,
named Sir Philip Morland."
"Morland! Philip Morland!"
"Ah, you remember the namel 1t was
given to young derelict who once figured
in the dock before you on charge of
being in unlawful possession"
"The matter is not serious, them
1T is very serious The real Philip
Morland is my uncle"
DO you mean to say that you learned
this fact for the first time today from
Sharpe & Smith,"
Philip laughed BY this time they
were seated at the table, and their talk
depended to a certain extent on the com
ings and goings of servants At dinner
en- famille, the presence of a ponderous
butler and solemn lackeys was dispensed
with
"Oh, you lawyers!" he cried That's
a nice sort of leading question. But,
marvellous as it may seem to you, must
answer Yes My mothers maiden name
was Morland. Her brother was much
older than she, and it appears the dear
woman married to please herself, thereby
mortally offending the baronet,"
Why the 'olfense'g"
Because my fathers social position
was not equal to that of the aristocratie
Morlands. Moreover, her brother had an
accident in his youth which rendered him
irritable and morose From being pleas
ant sort of man; which, indeed, he must
have been did he share aught of my
mothers nature-he grew into mis-
anthrope, and gave his life to the classi-
fication of EXmoor beetles. He treated
my mother very badly. so vilely that
even she, dear soul, during her married
| life held no further communication with
| him, and never mentioned him to me by
name. Now, one day ON Exmoor he
|
| beetles At least, she knew all that the
Encyclopaedia Britannica could teach her.
She was a poor but handsome widow"
"Ah!"
1T is delightful to talk with Won.
Abingdon, Your monosylables help the
narrative along. Sir Philip married the
widow. She brought him a son, aged 5.
There were no children born Of my
uncle's marriage"
Obi"
When poverty overlook my dear one.
she so far oblterated a cruel memory as
to appeal, not once. but many times. to
the human coleopterus of Exmoor, but
she was invariably frozen off either by
Lady Louisa NIorIand or by Messrs.
Sharpe & Smith"
Did they admit this -
BY no means. l am telling you the
facts. | am still on top of the Pyrenees.'
Then how did you ascertain the
facts -
| Il have in my possession ever since my
mothers death the letters they wrote to
/ her. They were fresh in my memory
when you and / first met in the Clerken-
well police court. That is why the name
of Philip Morland was glib on my
tongue"
80 / have only heard historical events,
events prior to the last ten years"
Exactly My uncle is now go years
of age Lady Louisa Morland's son is "a,
Her ladyship's whole aim in life has been
to secure him as the baronet's heir. The
| title, of course, he cannot obtain. But,
most unfortunately. he has no penchant
for beetles. Indeed, Lady Louisa's re-
searches have long since diminished in
ardor. Her sons interests are divided
between the Sports club and the cory
phees of the latest musical comedy
moths are more in his line, apparently
My uncle, who is preparing a monograph
on the fleas which patronize Exmoor wild
ponies. came to town last week to visit
the British museum Unhappily, he
heard something about his stepson which
disturbed his researches. There was a
row"
why do you say 'unhappilyY"
Because | am dragged into the
wretched business on account of it. After
a lapse of more than twenty five years
he remembered his sister. went to his
| solicitors, made a fearful hubbub when
he heard of letters received from her and
answered without his knowledge, and
ascertained that she was dead. and had
a SON living At any cost, they must
find that son. They have guessed at my
identity for some time Now they want
TO make sure of it,"
And what did you say?"
81 told them / would think over the
situation and communicate with then
| further
Were they satisfied"
BY no means. They are exceedingly
anxious to placate the old man. They
probably control good deal of hi.
money"
UNI"
"Of course' You see the delicacy OF
their position. After playing into the
hands of Lady Louisa for nearly a quar-
ter of a century, they suddenly find the
whole situation changed by the baronet's
belated discovery that he once had sis
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