The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-11-15

An yuA NEA1tAt1tG Tx A-AANr -
was given 70 young derelict y-h9 one
hgured n the dock before y0u "a .
charge Of being IN unlawful pOsses
Sion
'sTi,e matter is not serious. then =
1T Is very serious. The real Philip
Morland j. my uncle
.fDO you mean to say that you learn
ed this fact for the first time today
from Sharpe X SMITH"
philip laughed. BY this time they
we're seated at the table. and their tall.
depended 10 a certain extent on the'
eomings aud goings OF servants. At !.
dinner en- famiile. the presence OF .
paaderoHs butler aud solemn lacEey
was dispensed with.
"Oh. yos ialsy 49, h. cried That.
q nice sort Of leading question But.
marvellous as II may seen TO y0u, I
must answer Yes. Ny mothers maid.
en- name was Aorland. Her brother
was much Oliler than she, aud Il APP
pears the dear woman married t9
please herself. thereby MORALLY offend
ing the beronet.5
''why the '0ffenser
Because my fathers social position
was not equal to that OF The aristoerat-
le MOrlauds. Moreover. her brother
had an accident in his youth which
rendered him irritable and moFnse.
From being a pleasant sort OF ma
which, indeed. he must have been "a
be share aught OF my mothers nature
he grew into a mis3.lthrope and gave
bis life to the classification Of Exmoo''
beetles. He treated my mother ver.'
badly. so vilely that even she. tcaf
souI, during her married life neid no
further communication with him and
never mentioned him to me by name.
Now, one day on Exmoor he found
lady who also was devoted to beetles
at least she knew all that the Encyclo
paedia Britannica could teach her. She
was a poor but handsome widow"
"Ah.'
EFT is delightful TO talk with You
Abingdon. Your monosyllables help
the narrative along Sir Philip mar
ried the widow she brought him 4
son. aged Ave. There were no children
born Of my uncle's marriage"
"Ohr'
when povnrty overlook my dear one,
she so far obIiterated 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 Morland or by Messrs.
Sharpe & Smith"
"Did they admit this?'
"By no means. | am telling you the
facts. | am still on top Of the Pyre-
nees."
..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 la
the Clerkenwen police court That is
why, the name Of Philip Morland wss
glib ON my tongue"
$50 have only heard historical
events--events prior to the last ten
years.
Exactly. My uncle is now sixty
years Of age. Lady Louisa Morlanfs
son il twenty-four. Her ladyships
whole aim In life has been to secure
him as the harOnet's heir. The title. of
course, he cannot obtain. But, most
unfortunately, he has no penchant for
beetles Indeed. Lady I.ouisa's re
searches have long since diminished IN
Nrdor. Her sons interests are divided
between the Sports club and the cory
phees Of the latest musical comedy.
Moths are more Id his line apparently
Ny uncle. who .is preparing a mono
graph on the fieas which patronize Ex-
moor wild ponies. came to town last
week to visit the British museum. Tn
happily he heard something about his
stepson which disturbed his researches,
There was a row."
"Why do you say unhappilyg
Because 4 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 fearful hub
hub 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 amy
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 sayY'
81 told them I would think over the
situation and communicate with them
further"
"Were they satisfiedY'
"By no means. They are exceeding
~ anxious to placate the old man.
They probably control good deal o;
his money"
"Um.'
"Of course! You see the delicacy Of
their position. After playing into the
hands of Lady Louisa for nearly a
quarter of a century they suddenly find
the whole situation changed by the
ha ronef's halatad discovery that hc
once U,Ttl u sister.