The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-17

I MIN. L OE lWSlly-Sl6Il SCdlo lISiS
had been unbroken silence and the
old house showed what that silence
meant in its emptiness and Its forlorn
front.
1t looked more than usually melan-
choly in the dusk of November even
ing, ms horselnnn turned from the
high road and rode through It's rickety
| lodge gate. The rider was Garth
Blackham returning this way after a
long days hunting with the Buckley
foxhounds.
Mine in two more years." was his
| thought. as lie drew rein close to the
great hall door, and ran his eye over
the gloomy front of the house. What
the fool wanted to leave 1t in chan
Gerry for. when he had a sister living,
and l was her son. fiends and idiots
only know--except on the chance that
his beauty Of son, Bruce. would re-
turn. OF all the fools of an uncle
fer! what disposal of golden egg
for thirty years-to wait in chance-y,
and then revert to whoever should
happen to be next Of kin. That's me!
1t ought to make handy double
dovecot for you. my dear Gladys, even
though you've put me off once. and
have made room for that ranker,
Granger. But we'll see! Well give
little more attention to him-hang
him! You'll both reckon with me, even
YETI Then, unconsciousy, he said
aloud: Mine in twenty-four months,
with all the accumulated farm rents
for thirty years! It's lucky we're
CHARTERED here. for me to keep an eye
on it-and on other things'
Are you Robert Arlington, then?"
n ri 1,n %,,rS
little old woman, who had evidently
come up from the gates on the grass.
What do you mean7 Who are your"
he demanded. with snap.
1T was yours, you said" replied
the woman. so I thought you might
be Robert-Bruce Arlington's son.
But when come to think Of It, you
can't be. You must be only cousin!"
Blackham felt slaughterous. He had
received a terrific blow Already he
had visions Of his castle tumbling
about him in ruins.
What do you know about Robert
Arlington?" he demanded again,
harshly.
Nothing. and great DEAL" the
little woman replied. enigmatically.
y never knew him myself, although
he ought to have been my grandson
be. could say a great deal. Bruce
Arlington ought to have married my
daughter Rachel, but he didn't. He
married another woman, and Rachel
revenged herself"
How" Blackham was savage as
he asked the question. He was receiv-
ing shock after shock.
by stealing Robert when he was a
baby and losing him afterwards" the
stranger went on, without the least
disguise. She left him somewhere
near London. Bruce was Ill at the
time; he had made himself wreck
as he deserved to be. and he died
Two years afterwards his wife was
gone. too; but don't think she ever
knew that he was Lord Ribblemore's
| son."
| But how do you know all this?'
| Blackham demanded once more
From Rachel's papers. She neve
told me anything, but she seems t,
have found out where the baby wa
taken to after he was picked up. 1
was some charity place."
Have you those papers here?" chal
llenged Blackham.
His voice was keen. and his wratl
against Fortunes spite was black. II
she had refused to produce the papers
she would have been in danger OF
failing to leave the Grange alive.
| No: they are at home" she replied
II live at Camberworth, eight miles
away, and I have been coming here
once every three months for -four
years, to see whether anybody was lr
! the house. / would tell them the
story first, and produce the papers
afterwards"
Where is your daughter now?'
asked Blackham again.
"Dead-these four years. onl,