The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-09

She had strolled out of the back door,
she said, and had returned to find her
father dead and Locksley standing over
his body. She knew Richard Hare had
been hanging about the house with a gun
Otway Bethel also deposed that he had
heard a shot and met Richard coming
from the direction of the cottage, evil
IDENTIFY in a state Of great agitation. He
had seen no one else coming from It. Bar
bara begged that Mr.. Carlyle would see
Richard the next night and hear the
story from his own lips. 1t was so ar
ranged, and the youth told him the same
story he had told his sister.
but who was this Thorne?" asked Car
lyle.
IT do not know" answered Richard.
HE was apparently a gentleman and
used to ride black horse. He wore a
large diamond ring on one finger of
his right hand and had a peculiar way
of brushing his hair back with that hand.
Also he wore diamond studs in his shirt
front There was something peculiar about
his face-Richard could not forget it. Afy
had dropped hints that he was man of
high station and was visiting friends at
Swanson. He was an army officer, Afy
had said, a lieutenant shortly to be
captain. Richard had a loving interview
with his mother, got his money and hur-
ried away again, Carlyle promising to
try to unravel the mystery, for he had
himself become convinced of the truth of
Richards story.
Some months passed, but Archibald Car
lyle could not get the picture of the beau
tifui aid distressed Lady Isabel vane out
Of his mind. He had promised Lord
Mount Severn and Lady Isabel that he
would call at Castle Marling 'ff he should
be in that neighborhood," and now he
found business took him to neighbor-
ing town, and he called The life of Isa-
bel vane had not been a happy one In
the house of her noble relative. Lady
Mount Severn dislilxed her-almost hated
her-regarded her as an incumbrance and
was besides Jealous OF the attention which
was paid to her by Capt Francis Levison,
the London dandy, the Guardsman, the
roue, the dissolute and impecunIous man
about-town.
Before her fathers death some one had
asked Levison why he did not marry
Isabel vane, whose society he seemed
much to seek Not much" he had re-
piled with laugh, ''one likes at least a
respectable father-in-law, and Mount
Severn and 1 are too much in the same
boat. He has not a penny-neither have
/. I can't afford to marry Isabel In
the heart of Isabel Levison had contrived
to implant feeling of which she was
not aware herself, she was so young and
SO inexperienced. AS for Lady Mount
Severn, she was infatuated with the
dandy.
On the very day OF Carlyle's call a vio-
lent scene had taken place. Lady Mount
Severn bitterly reproached Isabel for
having gone walking alone with Francis
Levison, using course language and base
lnsinuations. When Isabel had holly and
Indignantly replied her ladyship had lost
all control of herself and struck the girl
full In the face. The Barls son and heir,
little Lord Vane. who was present. had
run to shield his beloved Isabel and been
boxed by his mother for his Interference.
Although she was convinced that had the
Earl any idea Of the treatment she re-
ceived at the hands of his wife he would
assert his authority in her behalf, Isabel
had made up her mind that she could not
complain to him and that she could stand
the life she was leading no longer But
what to do?
So she was rather pale and agitated
when she went down to receive Archibald
Carlyle. The Earl was from home and
his lady would not meet the lawyer. But
little Lord vane went along with Isabel
and in the course Of the ensuing CONVEX
sation the child babbled out the whole
story Of the assault upon Lady Isabel by
his mother and revealed plainly enough
the conditions which surrounded the beau
tiful girl at Castle Marling, in spite Of
Isabers attempts to check him. Then
ArctAba1a drew from her ~ story Of her