The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-30
1920 -. 1887

| haVenel nAd come 70 the Dank 10 seo after the safety of a bounty of his of which the bank was the custodian and the distributor among some poor Catho- | lie families of the neighborhood- John asked him if he would ride back with him to Enderley.
 "Enderley," said he. "Yes. How strange the dear old word sounds family, Lord Ravenel said: And l your daughter, baby Maud, is she grown l to be at all ike-like-" ''No," said John, and 1t was some minutes before either spoke again. Ravenel went to live again at Luxmore Hall and was almost daily at Beechwood. He sought | always the companionship of Maud. T know you like me-" said the artless l girl, because I make you think of my dead sister. Muriel."
 Now q great shock made Breech- wood tremble. John and Ursula dis 1 covered that their eldest son Guy. now i 21 years old, was in love with the | governess It took some time for 1 Ursula to comprehend the amazing fact. and when she did she was for reprov | ing Guy and turning the governess. | Miss Silver, out Of the house at once. But John talked 1t over with her and one day Mrs. Halifax called Miss Silver | into the library and, with a frigid con 1 descension. announced that she and
 
 marry their eldest son.
 To Ursulas astonishment, the strange | girl informed Mrs. Halifax that she had nosintention of marrying Mr. Guy. | Relief and indignation eat Miss Silvers 1 lack of appreciation of the honor strug- | gled for mastery in Ursula's mind. l But when that young lady informed | her that 1t was Edwin she loved, that Edwin loved her. the preplexed mother 1 was overwhelmed and flew to John. After much perplexity they settled 1t. l Edwin lover her, the perplexed mother l set up housekeeping in the Norton Bury house where John and Ursula had be- gun.
 With many tears and imprecations Guy declared he could not stay to wit ness his brothers happiness and begged to be allowed to go away. So his father sent him to Spain. ostensibly on business. and he wrote to the family afterward from Paris, where his mother feared that he was leading rather wild life. Guy had a strong vein Of 1 wilduess and adventure in him any way. Poor boy" sighed the mother.
 Scarcely was Edwin's wedding over than Lord Ravensl proposed for the hand of Maud.
 Y thought we were to be left in peace with the rest of our childrenr' cried Ursula; and Maud is only a child"
 "oh. I will wait two years if you wish it," replied Ravenel. But John answered: If gave my little Maud 1 to you 1t would confer no lasting happi- ness and it would thrust my child to the brink of that whirlpool where. sooner or later, every miserable life | must go down. Do you realize what l you were born to be? Not only q nobleman. but a gentleman; not only a gentleman, but a man. Would to l'Heaven that by any poor word of mine I could make you realize all that you are--all that you might ber'
 Tt Is too late." said Ravene1 sadly
 "In the whole wide world--in the | whole universe--there is no such word as "too late cried John.
 Lord Ravenel sat silent for while, gazing into vacancy. and then, saying You are right. owe you more than kindness. as I may prove some day. If not. believe the best of me you can.' he took his departure. Not many weeks after they heard of rhe death of the Earl of Luxmore in France, and that his son, before the old mans death. had voluntarily broken the en- tail of the estate, all of which would be swept away to satisfy the late | Earps creditors.
 The same paper which announced the death of the old Earl chronioled the marriage in Paris of Gerald Vermilye but not to Lady Caroline. One day, when John had taken his wife and daughter to Norton Bury on some shopping expedition they saw a crazy looking old-looking woman in | the street, surrounded by a jeertng 1 crowd of boys. She was dressed in an l extreme French manner, her face was withered, thin, sallow almost to death Illness, with a bright rouge-spot glow l ing on either cheek, and there was smile on the ghastly mouth.
 At that moment the Mythe carriage with Mir. Brithwood in it. dozing 1 through his daily drive. came slowly 1 numbering up the street The woman made a dart at it and the crowd tried to hold her back.
 "Canaille" she screamed in terror | more than anger. Give way, peoplel Don't you see my carriage? I am Lady | Caroline Brithwood!" and she flung herself under the horses heads.
 The squire heard her. For single l instant the besotted husband and the divorced wife gazed at each other with horror and fear, as two sinners might l gaze in Dante's Inferno. Then: Drive | on, coachman shouted the Squire. They took poor Lady Caroline to | Beechwood and kept her there an i invalid and wandering in her mind. | Until she died the unfortunate woman | asked again and again for William l the only D6luk WuOHl Sn6 AtAu SNNA loved with a pure affection. But Lord RaveneFs whereabouts were unknown.
 Guy was in America now-a pros l porous merchant in Boston. he wrote | them. He had got into debt in Paris and had had a drunken row with Gerald Vermilye. nearly killing that Lothario and having to flee across the ocean After a few years had passed | Guy wrote that he was coming home | and with him would bring his business partner They were to sail on the ship Stars and Stripes, But the Stars | and Stripes never reached port.
 As the months changed Ursulas dread grew into acertainty she dropped l and tfaded--iH in body and .mlnd with | grief for her eldest and best beloved son | Then one day a man stood in the door way, tall. brown. bearded.
 why, Maudl" he cried Don't you know me? am Guyw
 | The joy of that return revived Ursula l for a while. but her hold on life was l stI!l precarious, and John. too. began | to have strange heart attacks which might mean sudden death at any time or, the doctor told him, he might live | to old age
 | The partner whom Guy brought back with him from America turned out to be Lord Ravenel, now the Earl of Lux | moro. known In America as ACr. William