The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1907-12-13


rockingham and her son had arranged
to do their utmost to avoid meeting
the new master Of Draycott under the
roof from which his coming had ban
ished them forever.
Harold rockingham had nerved
himself to bear the sympathy that
was certain to be aroused when his
position was revealed. But Lady
Buckingham was terribly distressed
by the thought of the revelation that
would have to be made.
She was a proud woman, and 1t
humbled her pride that her son was
disinherited, and that his disinher1t-
ance would give rise to thousand
rumors and surmises as to why her
husband had concealed the fact that
he had son living by his former mar
riage.
To escape the sympathy which, I'M
der the circumstances, would be gall
and wormwood; to escape knowl-
edge of the gossip which the arrival on
the scene of the new Sir Mark Bret
tingham must inevitably give rise to-,
Lady Buckingham and her son had de-
termined that if their worst fears were
realized they would give up possession
of the Hall at once and leave England.
Their one fear was that John Will
son, the ex-convict, might claim his
right to attend his fathers funeral,
and even at the graveside Lady Bret
tingham might see her son supplanted
by man of whose very existence the
world that knew them was unaware.
The announcement, which in due
course appeared in the newspapers.
that Sir Mark rockingham was sue
ceeded by Mr.. Mark Buckingham. his
elder son, who had been abroad for
good many years, troubled every one
who had known the Brettinghams. No
one had heard OF son Mark. and
every one had imagined that Harold
Brettingham was his fathers heir.
Then one or two people remember
ed that before he came into the title
Sir Mark had been an officer In India
and had there married. The curious,
who looked up the "Peerage and Bar.
onetage" and other books of reference,
found the present Lady Buckingham
was Sir Marks second wife. But the
the birth. of a son by the first wife
was not recorded. and, finding this,
people began to shrug their shoulders.
Who would have suspected Sir Mark
of having a skeleton in his cupboard?
There was considerable sympathy
for Lady rockingham and Harold at
first and then the nine days wonder
died a natural DEATH 1t was only
among the servants at the Hall and
the tenants on the estate that the in
terest was maintained. These were
naturally anxious to know what the
new baronet was like. and when he
was likely to take possession.
Soon after the funeral Lady Bret
the Hall was left in charge of the
housekeeper. who was requested by
| the family solicitor to remain, pending
instructions from the new baronet.
The steward was also informed that
| there was not likely to be any change
so far as he was concerned for some
time to come, and the local gossips,
/ news to each other, came to the con-
clusion that the new baronet did not
mean to hurry home from his vague
address abroad in order to take up
| his residence in their midst.
The first intimation Mark Bretting-
ham received of his fathers death was
| contained in a telegram from Hank,
who had appointed himself to look
| after his clients home interests dur.
ing that gentleman's absence on the
| Continent.
The official intimation from the fam.
lily solicitor, who requested "Sir Mark
Brettingham's Instructions
Sir Mark, as soon as he realized that
he was now a wealthy English bar
onet, rose from the table in his sit
ting room at the Grand hotel and went
to the large gilt mirror above the con
sole table which was part of the furni
ture of the expensive suite he occu
pied upon the first floor
He looked at himself in the mirror
and was apparently satisfied with the
result of his inspection.
| Ito Be contlnued.)
Al