The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1908-07-30
The Elton Case.
[Original.l

The orphan Earl of Elton, four years
old, was playing in his nursery ona
morning when Mrs Rawson, who was
in full charge of him. brought in Its
| tie girl of about the same years, say
| ing to him:
Here's a little sister for you, Ralph.
Her name is Gladys. Now, don't let
me hear any more grumbling about not
having playmates like other children"
rs she my sister," said Ralph, look
ing at the girl admiringy. Why
haven't l seen her before?"
Don't ask questions or I'll send her
away"
So Ralph and Gladys proceeded to
enjoy each others company III the
amusements of childhood AS they
grew older they wondered why they
had been separated till their first meet
ing and had been kept together ever
since Since no one seemed disposed
to inform them they spent much time
building up hypothesis. Gladys prefer
ring those which accounted for her abs
sence from her brother, she having
been stolen by a fairy when she was
baby. But she had very little re-
membrance Of her early life.
They had no playmates except each
other. No one interfered with their
growing up together in any way their
fancies led them. By and by Ralph
began to talk about Gladys being his
wife, to which she responded that she
didn't believe brothers and sisters ever
married And so as they passed
through different stages of develop
ment there came different kinds OF
feeling till at last they were nearly
grown.
One day when they were fifteen
years old they discovered Mrs. Raw.
son packing Gladys belongings. When
asked what she was going to do, she
away. The color vanished from the
face of each Nature had met for them
its first conflict with civilization, and
nature always makes a desperate fight,
especially in the case Of the young.
These two had been left to mate like
the birds. A separation now could
not be endured. Something must be
done. Several days elapsed before
there We're any signs of Gladys i'm
mediate removal, which time they,
spent in talking the matter over. What
was there for two children brought up
as they had been to do except to
fee?
IN tnO q
money they had-money was never de>
MED them-and counted IS, some shil-
lings and lot of pennies. Taking this,
they went off on such a ramble as
they had often taken together before.
They had been kept so aloof from
the world that there is a possibility
they did not know what marriage
meant, especially between brother and
sister. Be that as it may, they deter
mined to be married. After much diff
fculty they found clergyman, who
consented to marry them for all the
money they had, and the knot was tied
After the ceremony they strolled aim
lessly about till they came to a little
park, into which they entered and for
got everything else in the enjoyment Of
stream, on the bank of which they
sat throwing stones into the water.
They were thus amusing themselves
when policeman went to them and
arrested them Their fight had been
discovered and the police notified.
The next morning Sir Michael Frame.
a retired barrister, read in morning
paper Of the flight of the young Earl
of Elton and his sister and their mar
rage, at which all England was
shocked. Sir Michael had been a close
friend Of the last Earl of Elton. He
knew that minor was heir to the
title. but for his life couldn't remem-
Der that there was girl. He finally
recalled the fact that a sister Of the.
last earl, the Hon. Mrs. brewer, had
left little girl and that Mrs Dwyer
and the earl's brother, Tweed Spencer,
had been left in charge of the estate
and the two children, who were Or
phans. This Spencer on assuming this
responsibility. had discharged Sir Mi
chael as solicitor for the estate and
employed another man. 1t occurred to
Sir Michael that since his old friends
boy was in trouble he would need the
services of some one who would be in
tereSted in him. He took the train the
same day for the town where the chill
dren were detained and before they
slept had passed some time in hearing
their story.
When the trial came up the next
morning the children's guardian,
Tweed Spencer. was there to claim
their return. What was his surprise
to see Sir Michael step forward and
announce himself as their solicitor. In
deed. Spencer turned white He was
playing game that would have been
very easy had not the children over.
stepped all supposed bonds by falling
In love. AS it was, his defeat was GER
tain. He made clean breast of it and
admitted that there was no intention
to make the children believe they were
brother and sister, but Sir Michael in
troduced evidence proving that the
guardian had intended to marry the