The Washington herald., 1907-11-01
CHAPTER I.
"Your Daughter. Vida!'

"YOur Daughter. vidal"
CORN House looked on the sea, that is.
on keeI-torn. screw-tormeuted water Of.
the Firth of CanUre The misty blue
mountains of Sannox, anchored fun in
the fairway, made of the peninsula on
which il stood almost an embattled is
land. Yet the master of CORN House
stood at the window of his breakfast
room and looked on this beauty. but saw
nothing but a blur He had crushed a let
ter in tae palm of one huge hand. and
risen from his untoched breakfast to
stride about the room and frowu upon
the external world through expensive
sheets of brand-new plate glass. He had
ordered the yet newer footman out of his
sight. and kicked the morning Thistle
into the corner without even glancing at
the ''iron-and-steeI report. which as a
rule was as holy writ to him. Altogether.
Jacob Romer was in what Mr BUnyan
would call "an evil-yiHain temper"
His forceful hands twitched visibly as
You watched them. lie wanted somebody
10 contradict him, so that he might twist
his neck. Indeed i'm q very few minutes
he had worked himself into "a fine mon
arch-of-aH-I-survey" passion.
And this was the letter which had so
provoked him. 1t was from his brother
Tom-a celebrated doctor and man like
minded with himself-also one who had
never asked him for a sixpence Cknow-
ing that he would not have got it,, in all
points equally cross-grained. pushing. and
upscrupulous as Mr. Jacob Romer him
self.
Dear Jacob lthus ran the letter..
have done my best FOR you-aud a good
deal more than I would have done for
anybody else-more than YOU would ever
have done for me. or indeed than I should
have asked YOU TO do. But if it had been
of the least use I should not have minded
"As you suppOsed-personaIly Caroline
gave no trouble. I had her journey all
safely arranged for, and nothing would
have been said but for that imp of mis-
chief. your daughter, Vida. She II was
who brought the whole wasp-nest buzzing
around my ears. No sooner had we safe
ly planted her mother in the Thorsby
County Asylum land. really, the hest and
safest place for herb than this bantIiug
of yours well-ngh lost me my municipal
positions or police doctor and city analyst
by raising the whole town OF Thorsby
against me-
Up 20 this point Old Tweedle and
had worked the thing quite quietly At
tendants. accustomed 70 such cases, were
on the spot and took Caroline off from
Wood Green one moonlight night without
"a soul belng the wiser.
But the very next day your young
hopeful. instead of returning 20 school,
goes straight to the asylum and finds her
mother on the poor side-where | had
placed her according 10 your instructions.
as being less conspicuous. Then-crack,
OFF she flies like a fire-TOcket TO interview
the mayor at the town hall Inside of
ten minutes she has him persuaded that
I am a cruel monster and an Unconscion-
able tyrant. Next she appears before the
sitting magistrate-yes, before our stipen-
diary. Mr.. Eugene Bridge, and right in
the middle of the police cases my young
lady steps up and asks for advice.
Certainly says the magistrate, how
can l assist you?
Is il right (says MademOiselle) that
my mother, lady OF Independent means,