The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1907-08-15
CHAPTER XII.-(Continued.)

coming down the stairs as Lady Dales-
water was ascending them.
There was a mutual start, and then a
c0rdial greeting. Shela was looking Won
dsrfully pretty in her long scalskin man
tie, her ruddy, golden hair making bit
.af bright color beneath her neat hat to
match. Lady Dalcswatcr was pleased to
approve of her probable future sistcr-in-
law.
"-You here, Miss Fraser :" she e1claim-
cd This is quite a delightful surprise.
pictured you in Mountberry, enjoying
yourself"
~ was compelled to come to London
on business matters, and Shcila added,
with a tiny sigh that did not escape Lady
Baieswater's keen ears, "Mountberry IS
nat particularly lively just now."
Can you give me any news OF my
krathcr--is he really so dangerously hurt?
Mamma is such an alarmist, you know
Sheila assumed sad, anxious look,
aIthough in reality she was not aware
exactly how Jack was at that particu-
lar moment, and had never been very
m,9ch frightened even at the verdict OF
che London doctors.
~ am afraid he 70 very ill.," she said
fa n low voice.
Lady Dalcswatar did not seem much
Impressed.
-'I hope you are not returning home
fnsmediately? No? Oh, that is delight
faA, and still more delightful that you
should be staying here. You must come
I'm and dine with me tonight. Mrs. Fra
SER is with youE'
Sheila explained that her chaperone
was her cousin, Mrs. Watson
I'VE shall remain in London for q little
while" she said. ''and hope to see n
great deal of you. Perhaps l may b,
ah}e to prevail on you to come down to
Italeswater House when | go back there.
II will be very dull, my dear Sheila
hrt--"
But my dear Shela' would have glad
liz welcomed months of dullncss to get
saIch an invitation as this. Her spirits
rose brilliantly, and she laid herself ont
to please Lady Daleswster.
Three days later the Earl of Dalcs-
water arrived in London. and immedi-
atply, ct ehis wifc's instigation. went
cSwn to Mountberry to soc how matters
wseue, and the very same afternoon, as
ssSeiia sat yawains over novel by the
frs, the door opened and Beverley Roch-
fart was announced. She started up Gag
sSfg TO greet him.
Where have you been? thought you
were never coming back" she declared.
~ have been busy" he said. Il have
not been wasting time, assure you. You
wonder what took me out of London?
Well, ! will tell you. / went down to
sassthe the last moments of Ro2erick Ans
fruther. Yes, il sounds curious. doesn't
if2 But Fate for some strange reason
brought this man to our rescue just when
wc needed him"
allow can he help us?" asked Sheila.
fncrcdulously, although her face was
flushing with excitement. More e8ue-
cSalIy if, as l understand you to infer,
he IN now dead"
-Eou shall see, Miss Fraser. Ans
'truther met me out in Africa; he then
r4vnt under another name. l always liked
the man. there was something grim yet
wonderful about him. When he found
L was coming TO England he gave me
packet of papers to bring to his law
Sers: before delivering them took the
Jsrecaution Of sounding these lawyers
eirst, and as easily as possible l soon
discovered my companions real name.
-NeNElcSs 10 sdg, ulu HOL ucllNOT the
papers, more especially when found
ahat Anstruther was in England, and
sapposed to be dying-he had evidently
found his end coming. and rushed over
TO see Mrs. F"aEr" before he died. II
AJnce Travelled OF to seek him. and. OF
G-eursc. had to tell few dozen lies or so
to explain why I had done so. Fortu-
aately, the man was too i'll to protest
sr question much; all he asked, all he
wanted was to see Constance Fra ser. and
confess the truth of his treachery toward
heS and his brother
"And you call this helping us, Mr.
Rochfort"
-.As Roderick is dead, and did not cen
tess TO Mrs. Fraser, certainly do. To
please him ! drew up sort of written
statement, to which he managed to scrawl
his name just az the very last. Here is
the document Shall tell you what it
contains, Miss Fraser?"
Sheila nodded her head.
"'This is the last dying confession OF
Rodcrick Arstrrtl,c- in which re owns
u having separated his brothc-. from his
wife for sheer malice, in which he also
confesses that his brothers child did
reaIly die, and that the girl now living
Is the offspring of secret marria>e be-
tween himself and some country woman"
"And she is that really?" Sheila asked.
mo, certainly not Audrey. according
as 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"
"well?" the girl said after this, as her
brow cleared.
This document then soes on to will
the whole of the dead mans fortune and
possessions to this aforesaid child OF
mis- on one condition, viz, that abe be.
come my wife before six monSas siapse