Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-10-16
Continued from last week.

any dear young man." he said, III
congratulate you that you and your
sister need no longer submit to an
odious dictation."
He was about to say more, but at
that moment Daniel came down the
steps and walked across the grass to
the motor. AS he passed the group he
smiled genially and observed:
Looks to me as If 1t was going to
clear up cold"
"Good afternoon, Mr.. Pike" answer
ed the earl and motioned the others to
leave.
Pike merely nodded his head and
Hawcastle came up to him.
'It fs a pity that there should have
been any misunderstanding in the mat
ter of your wards betrothal." he said,
and Pike smiled grimly.
"Oh, / wouldn't call 1t a misunder-
standing" he said, and the earl went
on.
'It would i'll become father to press
upon the subject Of his sons meritsS-
he began, but Pike cut him short.
81 won't talk with you about him."
he said. 81 don't want to hurt your
feelings"
Hawcastle glared at him and was
about to reply when Mariana entered
with letter on tray, which he hand
ed to the lawyer, who regarded it curl
ousiy. There was growing menace in
the earl's attitude, and as his anger
grew his suavity grew with it.
"There is another matter to which
want to call your attention." he went
on, and Pike answered him at once.
"Tn talk about anything else with
you" he replied and looked up to see
Ethel coming down the steps She
came forward to the earl and said:
"You wished me to come here%
IT wish to tell you that I see light
breaking through the clouds. Have an
other talk with our friend here, and,
believe me, all will be we'll"
With q bow he left the garden, and
Ethel stood staring after him. Pike
looked up quickly from the letter he
was reading and crossed over to her.
"Im glad you've come" he said
awe got something here I want to
road to you. When l got your letter at
home / wrote to Jim Cooley. our vice
consul in London, to look up those
Hawcastle folks and write me here
how they stand"
"You did thatp she cried in anger.
"You had the audacity' to pry into the
affairs of the Earl of Hawcastle"
"why, I'd "a done that If it'd been
the governor of Indiana himself" he
replied, with surprise. Besides, Jim
Cooley's home folks His Office used
to be right next door to mine Ia Ko-
komo. I haven't opened the letter yet
but 1 haven't much doubt but Jim ii
have some statements In 1t that'll show
you I'm right about these people"
"How do you know thatP' she de-
manded heatedly.
Because I've had experience enough
Of life''-
"In Kokomo?" she asked scornfully.
Eyes, ma'am," he answered. There's
just as many kinds of people in Ko-
komo as there is in Pekin, and didn't
serve a term in the legislature without
learning to pick underhand men at
sight Nov, that earl, let alone his
having bad eye-his ways are toe
much on the stripe of t. Cuthbert
Bentley's to suit me. T. Cuthbert was
CnlcuBO SeuIleHdu, Will LUZ ilueu
overcoat, that opened up bank in our
town, and when he caught the Cana
dian express three months later all he
left in Kokomo was the sign on. the
front door. That was painted on. But
there. here's the letter Read 1t fol-
yourself
He handed it to her and watched he,
while she broke the seal and then be
gan to read:
Dear Dan--The earldom of Hawcastle is
one of the oldest in the kingdom, and the
St. Aubyns have distinguished themselves
in the forefront of English battles from
Agincourt and Crecy to Sebastopol The
present holder of the title came into 1t by
iccident. He was younger sons younger
son and had spent some years In Russia
In business under another name. Nothing
here in his English record is seriously
against him, though everything he has is
mortgaged to the handle
She finished with look Of triumph.
.'What a terrible Indictment she
said scornfully. $50 that was what
you counted on to convince me Of my
mistake? I shall tell Lord Hawcastle