Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-04-25
CHAPTER XII.-(Continued.)

Win huNu CldlltI anu HhPoi S'HNN'
Sheila--by accident, of cours.-was just
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
derfully pretty in her long sealskin man
tle, her ruddy, golden hair making bit
of bright color beneath her neat hat to
match. Lady Daleswater was pleased to
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
orother-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 particu-
lar moment, and had never been very
much frightened even at the verdict of
the London doctors.
Il am afraid he is very ILL.," she said
In low voice.
Lady Daleswater did not seem much
impressed.
Il 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
SCI is with you?"
Sheila explained that her chaperone
was her cousin, Mrs Watson.
We shall remain in London for little
WHILE she said, land | hope to see
great deal of you. Perhaps l may be
able to prevail on you to come down to
Daleswater House when l 60 back there.
1t will be very dull, my dear Sheila;
but"
But "my dear Sheia" would have glad
iy welcomed months of dullness 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
Sheila sat yawning over novel by the
fire, the door opened and Beverley Roch
fort was announced. She started up eag
erly to greet him.
Where have you been? thought you
were never coming back" she declared.
II have been busy" he said. II have
not been wasting time, assure you You
wonder what took me out of London?
Well, l will tell you. l went down to
soothe the last moments of Roderick Ans
truther. Yes, it sounds curious, doesn't |
1t? 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 l understand you to infer,
he is now dead"
you shall see, Miss Fraser. Ans
tIuther met me out in Africa; he then
went under another name. | 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 l soon
discovered my companions real name.
Needless to say, / did not deliver the
pa apers more especially when | found
that Anstruther was in England, and
supposed to be dyng-he had evidently
found his end coming, and rushed over
to see Mrs. Fraser before he died l at
once travelled off to seek him, and, of
course, had to tell a few dozen lies or so
TO explain why l 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"
"And you call this helping us, Mr.. |
Rochfort"
"As Roderick is dead, and did not con-
fess to Mrs. Fraser, | certainly do. To |
please him | 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 | tell you what it |
contains, Miss Fraser?"
Sheila nodded her head.
This is the last dying confession of |
tlOleTlth AloNl uLIifi' III "h4rh AlS oN ho |
20 having separated his brother from his |
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 a secret marriage be- |
tween himself and some country woman"
"And she is that reallyF" Sheila asked. |
"No, certainly not. Audrey, according |
to her uncle's dying confession, is the |
child OF Frank and Constance Anstruther. |
You forget. I am reading what / wrote, |
not what Roderick Anstruther told me to |
rite"
"wenT' 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 |
IL 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 I have been very careful and very |
explicit, Miss Fraser. | have left moth
ing undone that can possibly help u.s."
You forget, she may always refuse"
Sheila said, gloomily. This is not what /
1 had expected"
Al am not 50 nervous of failure" Bev-