The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-05-11
CHAPTER XU,-(Continued.

coming down the stairs as Lady Dales-
water was ascending them.
There was a mutual start, and then a
cordial greeting Sheila was looking won
derfuIly pretty in her long sealskin man
tie, her ruddy, golden hair making DIT
of bright color beneath her neat hat TO
match. Lady Daleswater was pleased 70
approve of her probable future sister-in-
law.
"You here. Miss Fraser" she exclaim-
ed. This is quite delightful surprise.
l pictured you in Mountberry, enjoying
yourself"
Il was compelled to come to London
on business matters, and" Sheila added,
with 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 hurt
Mamma is such an alarmist, you know.
Sheila assumed sad anxious look,
although in reality she was not aware
exactly how Jack was at that partlcu-
lar moment, and had never been very
much frightened even at the verdict OF
the London doctors.
Il am afraid he is very i'll" she said
In a 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
Scr is with you?"
Sheila explained that her chaperone
was her cousin, Mrs. Watson.
1--WE shall remain in London for little
WHILE" she said, land 1 hope to see a
great deal of you. Perhaps 1 may be
able to prevail on you to come down to
Daleswater House when I 60 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 Daleswater.
Three days later the Earl Of Dales-
water arrived in London, and immedi-
ately, at his wife's instigation, 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 been? thought you
were never coming back" she declared.
II have been busy" he said. II have
- Ioo 7
wonder what took me out of London :?
Well, l will tell you. 1 went down to
soothe the last moments of Roderick Ans
truther. Yes it sounds curious, doesn't
It? But Fate for some strange reason
brought this man to our rescue just when
we needed him."
How can he help us?" asked Sheila,
incredulously, although her face was
flushing with excitement. More espe-
cially if, as 1 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. I always liked
the man, there was something grim yet
wonderful about him. When he found
I 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 I soon
discovered my companions real name
Needless to say, 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. | at
once travelled off to seek him, and, of
course, had to tell few dozen lies or so
to explain why | had done so. Fortu-
nately, the man was too i'll 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"
sand you call this helping US, Mr..
Rochfort?"
"As Roderick is dead, and did not con-
fess to Mrs. Fraser, 1 certainly do. To
please him L 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 1 tell you what II
contains, Miss Fraser?"
Sheila nodded her head.
This is the last dying confession Of
Roderick Anstruther, in which he owns
to having separated his brother from hi,
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 secret marriage be-
tween himself and some country woman -
And she Is that really?" Sheila asked.
mo, certainly not. Audrey, according
to her uncle's dying confession. IL the
child of Frank and Constance Anstrutber
You forget, 1 am reading what I wrote
not what Roderick Anstruther told me to
write"
"Well?" 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 | have been very careful and very
explicit, Miss Fraser. I have left moth
Ing undOne that can nossihIv holn u.n