The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-05

thing to amuse him and his roaring men. For one that he robbed. he had succored a score; so that for one their catcher who was after him there were a hundred devoted post boys. stable men and other adherents and spies to warn him and hide his trail.
 All these stories fell on greedy ears in so professional a place as Mrs. Margery Lobkinss. The old lady shook shook her head in respectful and appreciative homage and applied her self more assiduously than ever to the gin bottle, until, becoming maudlin, she would break out into loud lamentation over the disappearance of her little, Paul Thereat her customers comfort ed her rudely and none of them dream ed that the gay Captain Lovett was the little Paul Lobkins.
 Captain Lovett took good care that none should trace him. He had seen too many instances of loving pride be- traying men who were safe against treachery. He had left Paul Lob kins' behind in his first and only jail; and the few of his present associates who knew of his past were bound by a sacred oath not to reveal it.
 Gallantly he held the road. Great men whom he had robbed forgot the theft In the courtesy with which it was done. He charmed distinguished travellers with his conversation and manera. so that when he suddenly asked them to stand and deliver they hardly felt tho sting. The tongue of rumor said that more than one beauty had fallen in love with him. despite his mask. crediting his graceful person with possessing an equally admirable countenanca.
 One day there came to Captain Low ett, taking his lordly ease in his inn, a spy. who reported that the great Lord Mauleverer was to travel over a cer- tain road fifty miles from London. Lord Mauleverer high in the councils of the King luxurious to prohgacy, was sure to carry with him a rich prize of jewels and cash. Selecting his two most trusted men. Captain Lovett rode forth.
 Arriving at the scene of their op- erations day ahead of time. his coln- panions found need to amuse them selves by relieving a country parson of his coin. Captain Lovett came to his rescue and accompanied the fright ened old gentleman home There nc met the girl whom he had seen at the theatre when he was arrested-Lucy Brandon.
 There was no danger of recognition. even had Miss Brandon noticed the lad at that far off time. Little Paul. had become a tall and sinewy man. erect and bold in air, whose handsome and even chivalric face was framed by glorious curls, while a small black mustachio heightened the resoiute ex- pression of his short. curved lip.
 He wore a frock of dark green, edged with narrow silver lace. A short riding cloak. clasped across the throat with a silver buckle. hung pie turesquely over one shoulder while his legs were incased in military boots rising above the knee
 That evening he accompanied Miss Brandon home to Wariock Manor; and when he rode to rejoin his comrades it was with a heart tumultuous with love and brain that thought neither of lords nor robberies, but was occu- pied solely with planning ways to see the girl again.
 However. despite the new and ocer- wheiming interest which had come into his life, Captain Lovett conducted the ceremony of robbing his lordship with all perfection. As Mau1everer had just been made Lord Lieutenant of his county and was on the books for still higher honors, the affair caused a great hue and cry to go out. but as usual Captain Lovett disappeared as effectuaIly as the devil. whose name he bore occasionally.
 The robbery had been forgotten by all except Lord Manleverer himself when an old aunt of Lucy Brandon died and left the girl her entire fort une of sixty thousand pounds. The news gratifed her ambitious lawyer uncle immensely. He decided at once l to introduce his niece into society. in the hope that she would win Lord Mauleverer, who had already expressed himself as graciously charmed by her beauty and manner.
 The Honorable William Brandon opened a fine house in Bath and invit- | ed his neice with her honest. sirnple father, Squire Brandon. The latter accustomed to go through life good naturedly, suspecting no man. accepted his brothers sudden hospitality as a simple matter of family affection. They had drifted apart many years before and the country squire did not dream of the passionate ambitions that nam- l ed in his learned brother.
 It was more than rumored that ths ! lord was to be made & Knight of the Garter and chamberlain. while Mfr Brandon was to be made Judge, with l the certainty of becoming Chief Justice and Chief Baron. So society | gathered around them eagerly. and William Brandon began to think that | Lord Mauleverer was sure of Lucy when a new aspirant entered the lists. 1 This was no other than Captain Paul | Clifford. the man whom Lucy Brandon l had remembered ever since the day sho | had met him for the first and only time | at the parsons house. He made hls appearance suddenly with two others as flashing, if not as charming as him. | self. His air capitvated the women his money earned the respect of the men, and his naughty. arrogant bear. | ing sIlenced any too inQuisitiVe EOS. sip. It Is true that Lord MauIev. erer was puzzled to remember where and how he had heard the voice of tn. new arrival. But his brain, never River to extreme exertion. did not dwell or the problem.
 The strangers address. his easJ confidence and his romantic appear ance soon opened all doors to him fl this society that. with all it's apparen | rigidity of rules. was secretly advent
 urous and pining for new and fresl sensations. Neither the gaming table
 nor the bathrooms asked too closet, after pedigrees.
 B ythe time Mauleverer and Bran
 don awoke to their danger Captain
 Clifford had won the Squire over. Tn
 sturdy old chap declined to allow an,
 one to raise doubts in his mind as t
 the fine cavaliers real standing An,
 as for Lucy Brandon-that courted an,
 admired young woman turned from al
 the titles and estates and baubles tha
 were laid at her feet to give her whoI
 innocent heart to Captain Clifford iron
 Nowhere.
 He had been thrown among the lead
 CTS in his professionalism who's
 birth. in many instances. was by n
 means low, and who appeared by da
 as blue blooded gentlemen at Rane
 laRh. and made speeches worthy o