Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1907-09-27
CHAPTER XII.-(COntinued.)

cOrolai greeTlnR. Sholla was LOOKING Won-
derfully pretty in her long sealskin man
tie, her rudy, golden hair making bit
OF bright color beneath her neat hat to
match. Lady Daleswater was pleased to
approve Of her probable future sister-in-
law
''You here, Miss Fraser !" she exclaim-
ed. This is quite delightful surprise.
/ pictured you in Mountberry, enjoying
yourself"
81 was compelled to come to London
on business matters, and" Sheila added,
with a tiny sigh that did not escape Lady
Daleswater's keen ears, "Mountberry is
not particularly lively Just now"
"Can you give me any news Of my
brother-is he really so dangerously hurt9
Mamma Is such an alarmist, you know"
Sheila assumed a sad, anxious look,
although In reality she was not aware
exactly how Jack was at that particu-
lar moment, and had never been very
much frightened even at the verdict Of
the London doctors.
II am afraid ne IL very ILL.," she said
In low voice.
Lady Daleswater did not seem much
impressed.
II hope you are not returning home
immediately No? Oh, that is delight
full, and still more delightful that yOu
should be staying here. You must come
In and dine with me tonight. Mrs. Fra
ser is with your"
Sheila explained that her chaperOne
was her cousin, Mrs. Watson.
I'VE shall remain in London for a little
WHILE" she said, "and 1 hope to see
great deal Of you. Perhaps may be
able to prevail on you to come down to
Daleswater House when 90 back there.
1t will be very dull, my dear Sheila
but"
But my dear Sheila" would have glad
ly welcomed months Of dizziness to get
such an invitation as this. Her spirits
rose brilliantly, and she laid herself out
to please Lady DRleswater.
Three days later the Earl Of Dales-
water arrived In London, and immedi-
Rtely, at his wife's lnstigation, went
down to Mountberry to see how matters
were, and the very same afternoon, as
Stella sat yawning over a novel by the
fire, the door opened and Beverley Roch-
fort was announced. She started up Gag
erly to greet him.
where have you been2 1 thought you
were never coming back" she declared.
II have been busy" he said. II have
not been wasting time, assure you. You
wonder what took me out Of London
Well, will tell you. / went down to
Boothe the last moments Of Roderick Ans
truther. Yes, It sounds curious, doesn't
it2 But Fate for some strange reason
brought this man to our rescue just when
we needed him."
"HOw can he help us?' asked Shella,
incredulously, although her face was
flushing with excitement. more espe-
cially If, as understand you to infer,
he is now dead"
"You shall see, Miss Fraser. Ans
truther met me out in Africa he then
went under another name. always liked
the man, there was something grim yet
wonderful about him. When he found
was coming to England he gave me a
packet of papers to bring to his law
yers; before delivering them took the
precaution of sounding these lawyers
first, and as easily as possible l soon
discovered my companions real name.
Needless to say, l did not deliver the
papers, more especially when l found
that Anstruther was in England, and
supposed to be dying-he had evidently
found his end coming, and rushed over
to see Mrs. Fraser before he died. l at
once travelled off to seek him, and, of
course, had to tell a few dozen lies or so
to explain why l had done so. Fortu-
nately, the man was too Ill to protest
or question much; all he asked, all he
wanted, was to see Constance Fraser, and
confess the truth Of his treachery toward
her and his brother"
"And you call this helping us, Mr..
Rochfort2"
"As Roderick Is dead, and did not con-
fess 10 Mrs. Fraser, certainly do To
please him drew up a sort of written
statement, to which he managed to scrawl
his name just at the very last Here is
the document. Shall tell you what 1t
contains, Miss Fraser2"
Sheila nodded her head.
'This Is the last dying confession of
Roderick Anstruther, In which he owns
to having separated his brother from his |
wife for sheer malice, In which he also |
confesses that his brothers child did
really die, and that the girl now living
Is the offspring Of a secret marriage be-
tween himself and some country woman"
"And she Is that really2" Sheila asked.
''NO, certainly not. Audrey, according
to her uncle's dying confession, Is the |
child Of Frank and Constance Anstruther.
You forget, am reading what wrote,
not what Roderick Anstruther told me to
write"
"Wen?" the girl said after this, as her
brow cleared.
"This document then goes on to will |
the whole Of the dead mans fortune and |
possessions to this aforesaid child of |
his on one condition, viz, that she be- |
come my wife before six months elapse
If she refuses, she is to be placed once |
more in the Female Orphan Asylum till |
some definite and equally disagreeable |
abode is found for her. You will see |
that 1 have been very careful and very |
explicit, Miss Fraser. have left moth |
ing undone that can possibly help us"
You forget, she may always refuse" |
Sheila said, glOomily. This is not what
l had expected"
Il am not 30 nervous Of failure" Bev- |
erley returned. Audrey will be a rich |
woman If she becomes my wife, and her |
lot win not be an enviable one If she
FefuseA" !