Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-08-22

allied, was as intoxicated as ever h
onld desire to be.
Next morning saw nothing Of him
40 I settled 1t in my own mind tina
II had done with him for good an,
all; but l was destined to be deceived
iowever That afternoon the week
y coach brought to Barrabopg mos
inusuai visitor, IN tine person or !
vell-dressed portly gentleman, per
naps little ON the wrong side OF so
The mere fact that we shared bed
room was a bond in common, and be
fore the evening meal-it Gould MOI
with overstrained courtesy be called
dinner-was over. we might have
inown each other all our lives. Dur
ing . stroll later, he told me the rea
son of his being In the country at all
and of his venturing so far west
The confidence was certainly curl
ods one.
T He was an English solicitor, prac
ticing In a small country town In
The Midlands. For many generations
his firm had been the confidential ad-
riser of ducal families, and it was
business connected with their house
that brought him to Australia The
old peer was dead.
The upshot of our conversation was
that my drunken friend proved, after
all, to be what he professed to be, a
duke.
1t was like a denouement Of q
French novel.
AS ! was riveting the last links Of
my companions chain Of evidence,
half-caste boy came out of the dark
ness and stood before us. He brought
a message from my loafer friend, i'm
ploring me to come to him at once.
He was dying, and had something to
say to me.
The solicitor accompanied me, we
followed the boy. We found the duke
lying upon a heap of sheepskins and
-four sacks In the corner Of shanty,
feebly coughing his life away: After
he had welcomed us, he glanced at my
companion, and without betraying any
surprise, said:
80, my trusty Denton, you have
found me out at last? Well, what do
you think of me now that you are
here?"
The solicitors face was a piteous
sight He was trying to recognize in
the disgustingly dilapidated scare
crow before him, the happy, bright
faced boy he remembered of old
When he did speak, his voice was
choked with emotion.
your grace, how can l say"
Assuming new air, that for mo
ment made one forget the gunny bags
and the candle Quilted in the bottle,
the poor peer broke in: n
$50 the unnatural old scoundrel Is
dead, is he? The king is dead-long |
live the king. But, Denton, 1t has
come too late. It's just my cursed |
luck all over! All through my life
l never scored except when 1t was too |
late!"
There was a. pause, and then he
continued with a satanic sneer:
"But he couldn't take away the
title. l had him here. Ha! Hal
How he must have hated mel"
He laughed as the idea struck him,
and then be waved his hand round
he room.
What do you think Of this as a
place for duke to die in? By the
way, Denton, move into the light that
may look at you. Ali you haven't
hanged much since the old days;
'ou're just the same sanctimonions
found as of yore, I'll be bound!"
The old man WINGED at the insult,
tut it was impossible to resent 1t.
Ie moved to the bedside.
Can l do anything to make your
nd happier, my lord-%
Your grace Denton. Don't rob
ne Of that. Yes, you can help me.
Where's my willT
After fumbling among his rags, he
ventually pulled out the document we
ad untiringly put together
Overhaul that, and see whether 1t
J legally correct"
AS he read it a look Of consterna-
on spread over the old mans face.
Can 1t be that you are married."
Q questioned, huskily.
The dying man nodded his head,
nd called up the half.caste boy who
I'D come to fetch us that evening.
Let me present you to my son
nd heir. As Q dying man, Denton, I
barge you to do your duty to him.
charge-you-to to e-that-that
-his-interests are-conserved I
barge"
He could get no further. It was
lain that the end was near.
Fully 1--WE minutes elapsed before
s-spoke again, and during all that ,
melt seemed an eternity-the law 4
sr stood looking down at him, but h
ever seeing him. Suddenly raising 4
Imself to q sitting posture, the dying :
an said, very slowly: /,
"Denton-I give you my word
as innocent-innocent swear It
and"
When he fell back on his rags we a
Nv that Il was an over. What was "