The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-08-04
envy VIC n-l IA dl.- 81 little. took
an arm of each and piloted them stur-
Oily through the town.
CHAPTER K.
THE SLOUGH OF TRANQUILITY.


summer; the natives were as naked,
the trees as fully clad The six months
were passing away in spite of them
selves. Ten weeks were left before
the worn but determined heirs could
cast of their bonds and rush away to
other chimes. 1t mattered little whether
they went away rich or poor. They
were to go! Go! That was the rich.
est thing the future held out to them.
True, they rode and played and swnm
and romped without restraint, but be
meath oil Of their abandon there lurked
the ever present pathos of the Jail, the
asylum. the detention ward
Not until the end Of January was
there sign Of revolt against the ever
growing, insldious condition Of melan-
choly. AS they turned into the last
third Of their exile they found heart
to rejoice in the thought that release
was coming nearer and nearer. The
end Of March-eight weeks of! Soon
there would be but seven weeks, then
SIX!
And all this time the islanders toiled
as they had toiled for years. They
reckoned in years, while the strangers
cast up times account in weeks and
called them years. Each day the
brown men worked in the mines piling
gems into the vaults with resolute-
ness that never faltered.
From London came disquieting news
for all sides to the controversy. The
struggle promised to be drawn out for
years, perhaps. The lonely legatees,
marooned In the far south sea, began
to realize that even after they had
spent their six months Of probation
they would still have months, even
years, of waiting before they could
touch the fortune they laid claim to.
The islanders also were vaguely awake
to the fact that everything might be
tied up for years despite the provi-
sions Of the will. A restless, stubborn
feeling Of alarm spread among them.
This feeling gradually developed itself
into bitter resentment. Hatred for the
people who were causing this delay
was growing deeper and fiercer.
Their counselor, the complacent enc.
my. held himself aloof from the men
and women that his charges were
4 lighting. BE met the two lawyers
often, but nothing passed between
them that could have been regarded as
the slightest breach Of trust. He
lived like rajah in his shady bunga-
low. surrounded by the luxuries Of one
to whom all things are brought indi-
visible. If he had any longing for the
society Of women Of his own race and
kind, he carefully concealed 1t. His
Indifference to the subtle though I'M
mistakable appeals OF the two gentle
women in the chateau was Irritating
in the extreme. When he deliberately,
though politely, declined their invita-
ton to tea one afternoon their humilia-
ton knew no bounds.
Lady Deppingham and Mrs. Browne
should not be misunderstood by the
reader. They loved their husbands
am quite sure Of that-but they were
tired of seeing no one else, tired Of
talking to no one else. Moreover, in
support Of this one sided assertion,
they experienced from time to time
the most melancholy attacks Of jeal-
ousy. If Mrs. Browne In plain despair
went of for days ride with Lord
Deppingham. that gentleman's wife
was sick with jealousy. If Lady Ag-
mes strolled In the moonlit gardens
with Mr.. Browne, the former Miss
Bate of Boston could scarcely control
her emotions. They shed many tears
of anguish over the faithlessness Of
husbands, tears Of hatred over the
yiciousness of temptresses. Their quar-
rels were fierce, their upbraidings char
acteristic, but in the end they cried
and kissed and made up"
They did not know, Of course, that
the willy Britt, despite his own depres-
sion, was all the while accommodating
the most astounding lot Of evidence to
show that decided streak of insanity
existed in the two heirs.
IF they could only be married in
some way" was Britt's private lament
TO Saunders from time to time when
despair oyercame confidence.
I've got ripping idea" Saunders
said one day.
Lets have It You've always got
'em. Why not divide with me?'
Cant do it just yet I've been look
ing up little matter. I'll spring It
soon.'
How long have you been working
on the ideai"
Nearly four months" said saun-
ders yawning.
Cad, this climate is enervating"
was Britt's caustic comment.
Saunders was heels over head In love
with Miss Pelham at this time. so II
is not surprising that he had some
sort of an idea about marriage. nc
matter whom it concerned.
Night after night the Deppinghams
and Brownies gave dinners, balls, mu'
sicales, bridges" masks and theatei
suppers at the chateau. First one
would invite the other to great ball
then the other would respond by Civ
ing q sumptuous dinner.
One morning during the first week
in February the steamer from Alder
brought stacks Of mail-the customary
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