The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-21

Sophia Wildwood. That wife had died
in India In her thirty-ninth year, under
circumstances peculiarly distressing, and
1t will be remembered that her horoscope
had predicted grave danger for her at
that period OF her life, period which
correspondent with the twenty-f1rst year
of Harry Bertram, in which year his
east of nativity had also predicted
peril for him as well as In his fifth and
tenth years. Sophia Mannering had re-
tanned her beauty and her love of adj
miration to the day Of her death, which
had taken place something over a year
before Mannering had returned to Eng
land
There was a young lieutenant In Man
nerins's regiment who hung much around
the Coloners quarters, being enamored
of the Colonel's daughter, Julia, a young
lady Of IS. Vanbest Brown was his de-
plorable name; he was of obscure origin
and no fortune, and was well aware that
It was gross presumption IN him to aspire
to the hand of Julia Mannering. The
Colonel noticed the young mans atten-
tons, and envious and slanderous tongues
persuaded him that. they were meant for
his wife. an idea which that romantic
and rather silly woman encouraged
though she well knew the true state of
affairs. She was one of those women who
delight in mystery and intrigue and con-
slider straightforwardness too common
place to be interesting. The result was
that Colonel Mannering. seeking some
trifling pretext, challenged Brown. The
two met In a lonely spot outside the lines
and the colonel shot the lieutenant, who
fell. as Mannering thought. MORALLY
wounded.
But just at the minute the young man
fell a. rowing party of hostile natives ap-
peared on the scene and the colonel and
his second cut their way through to safe
ty only after hard struggle, leaving the
supposed dead man in the hands of the
marauders. Mrs. Mannering, suspecting
the duel and the cause Of 1t, had fol-
lowed the duelists in her pelanquin and
was surrounded by another party Of the
marauders, but was quickly rescued by
a party of cavalry The confession of the
man who had melted Mannerings jeal-
v,
fight and believed himself dying. and the
frank explanation of Sophia, who re-
ceived her husbands full forgiveness,
could not check the progress OF the fatal
disease from which she had been for some
time suffering and which had been ag-
gravated by her anxiety and the shock
of her capture by the wild Indians. That
he could have killed young Brown in a
causeless quarrel was a matter of cease
less remorse to Guy Mannering.
after the colonel had set out for England
the young man had been liberated from
his capity, had been promoted to be a
captain, his regiment had been ordered
home and Brown himself was on leave,
secretly engaged in pursuing his courtship
her mothers love OF romantic mystery
and was, moreover, afraid that if she re-
vealed to her father the fact that Brown
was alive and lowering about her would
prohibit her from seeing her lover, kept
her own counsel-except that she wrote
voluminous letters TO a girl friend con-.
corning her love affair, couched in such
language as romantic young ladies' ad-
mire.
Thus matters stood when the colonel,
on tho morning after his appearance at
the inn Of Kippletringan. rode over to the
place of Ellangowan with honest Mr.. Nc
Morlan, sheriff substitute for the neigh