The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-05-24

N
"a Nicholas Harding, VI. p. ]. p.
(aiso OF Fish Street TIill, u. c.,
and Winwood Han Suffolk: his Eve
daughters, his manservants and maid.
servants and a. certain stranger within
his gates.
Nicholas Harding was fifty years OF
age and widower for the second time.
He was big. blond. jovial. loud. over.
bearing man. without a gray hair In
his massive reddish head or a sign OF
sorrow upon his healthy, pink, domi.
neering face. Yet private bereavement
was not the only misfortune that had
fallen to a lot otherwise enviable
enough. Since the last general election
little charge of fragrant bribery had
found its way even to an assize court.
where 1t had indeed broken down, but
not in fashion wholly satisfactory to
the accused. ~
An important witness had refused to
open his mouth, as some said because
he was we'll paid by Mr.. Harding to
keep 1t shut and endure the penalty.
In any event the charge was not per.
mitted to be Withdrawn, but the ac-
ton merely dismissed to allow Of a
new trial. Of which nothing had been
heard up to the present time. But a
naked sword thus dangled over Nlcho.
las Harding's rudy, hard head, whose
true temper the situation served TO
prove. So far from resigning his seat
he returned to the house with a shrug
and half smile and In the whole mat.
ter continued TO bear himself with
such modest gallantry as to remove
the preJudices OF many who had al
first sided with the enemy.
Claire was not yet twenty-one. The
only child Of his first wife, Claire had
never occupied the place Of the young.
er ones In her fathers affections. had
been consistently repressed in child,
hood, but had since contriyed to please
that critic by her clever management
Of an enlarged establishment. Indeed
the girl had come home from school
very capable and shrewd and self pos,
sessed, with an admirable drawing
room manner and even better qualities
Of which Mr.. Harding would have
thought less, 50 they were carefully
hidden from his view, for Claire had
also her faults and was both secretIye
and polite In the home circle as n re
suit Of that early repression and inJus
tice. Given that cause aud this effect
and some clandestine folly may bt
counted upon In nine eases out Of ten
and Claire's was not the tenth.
II came about at WInwood Hall. the
Suffolk shooting box where the family
had spent the last three autumns
Nlch0lns Harding had begun there In
characteristic fashion by quarFelIng
with the gentle. white haired pnrson
(whD would yct IL neither dUmineered
nor oycrl0rsc by an Intrrloping Lon.
dOner1 aud by fUrbIdding bis daughters
the church. glebe, rectory or any com
muniratI0n with its inmates from that
day forth 4 week or two later he
came full upon Claire and the rector's
lille son comparing notes In the lane
aud a pretty scene ensued. Mr. Hard
Ing shook his stick at the lad, who
snatched II from him and snapped II
across bis knee. Claire was imprisoned
under lock aud key for four and TWEEN
~ hours. and young Tom Erlchser
Skinned up the waterspout and sat %
her window sill while the rest were al
dinner But this aud succeeding Incl
dents never came To the ears of Nlct0
las Harding. Aud partly In revenge
for the inllgnity 90 which she had
been subjected and partly by reason oI
those adventitiUus traits already touch
cd upon, the mothcrlpss aud then uI
but frlendleas Claire dIsobeyed aud In
trlgued thencefOrwarl without qualm
The single page known to NirhoIa,
Harding was thing Uf the past 10 hi,
mind. lie never thought 0f II now ant
for the best Of reasons. lie firmly he
Ileved that Claire Intended to marry
an entirely different person. Of whom
he himself most cordially approved
and IL made him for the FIRST time al
cordially approve Of Claire.
Aud Claire on n sudden OWNED 4
oil and saw Calso for the FIRST timer thI
false position In which she had place.
herself and Jet never regretted II, bu
rather gIoried In having the least IIttl,
thing TO suffer for Toms sake.
Now. the other man In her mind ant
IN Nicholas IIarding's, too, was th,
stranger within their gates.
james Edward William, sir EmIIIul
Daintree's son and heir 90 the baronet
cy aud entaiIed estates, was q fneIan
eholy. brOoding bachelor little wors,
tlfuu thirty ppuFa ar ,fssn fF,.tffs.. II.