Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-02-07


head to foot with eagerness. could not
restrain his excitement at this state
ment.
That is very unsuspeeted. Mr. Tai.
make, said Aer 1adyship calmly. You.
presume, had as little knowledge of
such claim as l myself?"
had none, Lady Avrill,' replied the
lawyer. Il did not at first believe it.
came down at once to see Mrs. Dene's
papers, which scientifically enough
mad retained in her possession. l found
them apparently convincing. If authen-
tic, she-Mrs. Dene-then Marion Rolls.
married Lord Avrill, who was then Mr..
Lawrence Challis, in Australia, and her
son Vincent was born year after. For
some reason, probably not hard to guess,
they agreed to separate, and she took
the name of Dene and called herself a
widow. | believe she met her husband
agal ma few months before his death.
when he gave her these papers and made
her promise not to publish the truth till
ne had been four months dead Every
thing must be searchingly investigated:
but l see no hope OF discovering any
fraud"
The lawyer paused, and the tension of
strained expectation in the room slightly
IelaXed-the worst had been heard John
looked from one to the other of the two
chiefly affected by this statement.
Honors lips were slightly parted. and
the diamonds on her breast rose and fell
quickly; for moment or two a shadow
of dismayed CONSERVATION rested on her
fair face. She had dearly loved and
priced her position as owner of the title
and estate; she had realized to the full
the honor of receiving such charge
from the hands of a long line of ances-
tors; and to lose all this was g shock.
But almost Instantly the shadow was
lost in sudden rush Of generous glad
surrender; she threw back her head with
proud smile, and, rising, moved nearer
to her lover, who had leapt to his feet
at the sound of the first announcement
and stood flushing and paling, his eyes
glowing red, in scarcely repressed tri.
umph.
Vincent" she cried, stretching out
her hands to him, 1T does not really
matter, does it? Soon it would have
been all yours"
Ana now it is mine-a very consider.
able difference, my DEAR" he said hur.
rledly, not noticing her offered hands.
John Dene gnawed his moustache
fercely. At that moment he could glad
ly have straagled his quondam brother.
Honor's hands dropped to her side, and
with little added stateliness she re-
turned to Mr. Talmake.
ut is very astonishing and wonderful
your news" she said gently; "but do
NOT tuhxy ~ =
not see why you should speak as if it
we're a disaster-this discovery that there
is a Viscount instead of a Viscountess.
You don't like feminine rulers, know"
she added, with touch of playfulness.
MY dear young lady," replied the old
lawyer slowly, 81 have the welfare of
the estate at heart; and, if you will al
low me to say so, l have yours far more
deeply at heart. / regret this discovery
If true-more keenly than / can say"
She flushed holly at this, the slight to
her lover was so pronounced; yet it was
impossible to be offended with the law
yer, who was evidently actuated only by
sincere affection for her.
Vincent tossed back the heavy black
curl which hung over his forehead.
at is no end of a surprise to me, /
can tell you. had guessed the mater
had some secret, but l had no more no.
ton of it what it was than any one of
you. / can hardly believe it yet. May /
look at the papers, Mr.. TalmakeY"
Certainly. Let me caution you not
to build on them till the statement has
been corroborated, was the cold reioin-
der. at is strange story, and it is diff
fioult to comprehend why Lord Avrill did
not acknowledge you or your mother,
also why he required the four months
delay"
"He was a whimsical old fellow, wasn't
he?" asked the young man carelessly. 81
think | can trust any statement the ma
ter chooses to make. She is not the sort
of woman to claim what she has no
right to-eh, Jackf"
"No, do not think she would make a
claim abe was unable to substantiate,"
came the steady reply, and the subtle
difference in the words did not fall I'M
needed on some of those present.
II guess we may take it as all true
enough" proceeded Vincent. "Well, Hon
or, it is a startling change, isn't it? Do
/ still look the same, deari"
She smiled with rather stiff lips; she
had not forgotten his manner of receiv-
ing her first apps5 to his generosity and
comprehension.
Perhaps you do not" she said, "for
it seems to me can now distinctly see
likeness to my uncle; yet never no
ticed it before"
"Bless my hearth" muttered Mr. Tai
make. tits true there is a likeness,
though he's much more like his mother"
81 noticed the resemblance to my
brother in his youth long ago." began
Miss Challis, speaking for the first time,
but considered it kinder not to allude
to it, feeling sure his mother or himself
would have done so if they dared. Do
you not think, Mr. Talmake, that very
strong likeness can exist and be unno-
ticed merely because one has not thought
of any reason for the existence Of such a
likenessT'
Hcr tone, after the sneering allusion
to the Denes, was absolutely expression
less, but her eyes fixed themselves on
his in a strangely compelling fashion,
ami when she naa as it were attracted
his she looked away. But she did not
look at Vincent.
"True, true, my dear madam" he
murmured, 'you are right. / have OBJ