Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1906-04-07

money. \ shrewd man of business. a
/ thorough master Of his trade, troubled
| with no scruples of honor or Of delicacy.
/ ne made money rapidly, and saved it
whom made lie married his sister to
wealthy Bristol merchant, one An
/ thouy Frcre, and married himself to
Ellinor Wade, the eldest daughter of
| Col Notton Wade. an uncle by mar
riage of a remarkable scamp and dandy,
Lord Bellasis At that time. what with
lucky Speculations in the funds, and the
/ legitimate profit on his government CON
/ tracts, he had accumulated a princely
fortune, and could afford to live in
princely magnihcencc. But the burden
Of parsimouy and avarice which he had
voluntarily taken upon him was not 10
be shaken off aud 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.
lie 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 viii
ana mperi0us manner. Under careful
supervision and just rule he might
have been guided to good; but left to
his own devices outside, and CALLED by
the iron yoke Of parental discipline at
home, h6 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 com
mission In a marching regiment limiting
darldy of special fayors 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 city
knight and had heard that Lord Bella
sis and his friends had often lameuted
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 misery
curmudgeon, departed, more desperate
ly at war with fortune than ever, for
his old haunts. lie was now 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.
umberless and bare. was all that remain
ed. and its master rarely visited It.
On the evening Of the 81 of May
Lord Bellasis had been attending n
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 hr-trees on the Heath, -"
| he said, with a parson."
a parson"
well, he is only just ordained. |
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 lordship 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
! sis, dryly. "To-morrow you can settle
with me for the sitting of last week
Hark. the clock is striking nine. Good
night"
A. haf-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 tw,
approached each other
As the young man gained the middle
Of the path which led to the Heath
he met Sir Richard returning from tn,
village. 1t was no part of his plan t,
seek an interview. and he would hay,
skunk past in the gloom, but seeing hin
thus alone returning to desolatet
home, the prodigal was tempted to at
ter some words Of farewell and of re-
greet To his establishment, however
Sir Richard passed swiftly on. with bod
bent forward as one i'm the act of fail
ius, and with eyes unconscious of sur
roundings. staring straight into the dis
lance. Half terarihei at this stranc
appearance, Richard hurried onward
and AT a turn Of the path stumbled upo
something which horribly accounted fo
the curious action Of the old man.
dead body lay upon its face i'm tn
heather, beside it was heavy ridiu
= whip stained AT the handle with blood
and an open pocketbook. Richard too
up the book and read, in gold letter
on the cover, Lord Bellasis."
The unhappy young man knelt dow
beside the body and raised it. The sku
+ had been fractured by a blow, but
, seemed that life yet fingered. Over
, come with horror-for he could nc
doubt bat that his mothers worst fear
had been realized-Richard knelt Their
: holding the man in his arms, waitin
. until the murderer should have place
himself beyond pursuit. 1t seemed a
2 hour % his excited fancy before he sa'
light pass along the front of the hous
& Ea kaa 10 81