Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-08-04

back into his usual state of como. II
saw the ceremony. and have a
copy of the register in the left hand
drawer of my bureau. That man there,
who calls himself the Marquis of
Merle, is nameless nothing, and the
rightful marquis is Harry Herne!"
CHAPTER XIV.
Mr.. Sinclair sat staring stupidity at
the old man, too amazed to utter
word
As for Marie Werner, the revelation
fell upon her like thunderbolt. She
clutched the edge of the seat as she
crouched in her hiding place, and lit
orally painted for breath.
The discovery was a stupendous
one, and meant for her, if she used it
properly, magnificent future, a fort
une, position which she had never
even dreamed of.
| For some minutes, ages it seemed
to her, the two men sat in silence;
/ then Mr. Sinclair recovered little
| from his amazement, and, with a
gasp, exclaimed in an eager whisper:
| "Then-then you mean to say that
| this Harry Herne, who has been
looked upon as the illegitimate son of
the last marquis, is the real marquis
and that that gentleman standing
there is the illegitimate son, and no
more a marquis than l amp"
Mr. Pollard inclined his white head
with solemy gravity betting the oc-
casion.
THAT is so,'' he assented
"Then-then-phew you have
taken my breath away-then why on
earth didn't this Harry Herne get up
and say SO? Why has he remained a
gamekeeper. or whatever he is, and
let this man walk about with his
! title and estates?"
Mr.. Pollard shook his head
"He did not know it. | concluded
that must be the reason. His mother
sacrificed her good name, concealed
her marriage from him and the world,
permitted herself to be regarded as
the last marquis mistress and her
son illegitimate, so that her lover, her
/ husband, might retrieve the family
fortunes by marrying a rich heiress."
Tits incredible!" gasped Sin
clair, and Marie Werner almost echoed
| the words.
Nothing is stranger than the
truth" said Mr.. Pollard, duly. Some
women are capable of such self-sacri-
fee. There have been many cases on
record; Bessie Richards is one of
them, but she sacrificed herself in
vain"
"How's that?" demanded Mr.. Sin
clair.
Mr.. Pollard put his hand to his
brow
Nothing could save a Merle" he
said. They have got the gamblers
faint in their blood. The last mar
quis did with his wife's money what he
had done with his own. Spent, gam
bled, flung 1t away. He had to sell
the court!''
"The Court! This placer ex-
/ claimed Sinclair, hurriedly
Marie Werner held her breath. She
knew what was coming, but she want
ed to hear every word of it.
Eyes, this place. He sold it to Mr..
Darracourt, who had held some small
property here, whose name was con-
nected with the place, and he was
anxious to get the principal estate. He
bought it..
But-but-" queried Sinclair, chow
could this Lord Merle sell it? Wasn't
| it entailed?'
| the consent of that man there, his
son.
but he wasn't his son-at least, not
his heir, and-and therefore the mar
quis had no right to sell it,"
NO." said Mr.. Pollard, and a
CHASTITY smile lit up his cadeverous
face. mo he ought to have got per-
mission of Harry Herne, the real
heir"
But he didn't" said Sinclair.
"and therefore the Court, and all the
property the land and the farms,
don't belong to Miss Darracourt at all
| but to Harry Herne!"
| He, grew SO excited by the thought
that he sprang up, and Marie Werner
crouched still lower.
Mr. Pollard laughed, a dry, harsh,
spectral laugh that sounded like the
| autumn wind among the trees
Exactly" he assented quietly. 1.-The
last marquis sold what was not his
| to sell, therefore this girl, this Miss
Darracourt. hold what does not belong
to her, but to Harry Herne, as you
call him, but as | call him-the Mar
| quis of Merle
Sinclair sat with his head in his
| hands, his small black eyes half
| closed. He was thinking the case out.
1t seemed too wonderful; too good to
| to be true.
| Does any one besides you know all
| this?' he asked, anxiously.