The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-08-10


Where is he ncw?" asked Reere
Mr.. LeXham shrugged his shoul
= ders. Il have not the least idea
His father does not know. In Londol
. somewhere, imagine Sir Reginald
offered to make Ronald an allow
ance; but he refused it and know
that he has not asked his father
for money since they parted"
"Still, the young man must come
in for all this remarked Reece
casting glance at the house
He will come in for the baron
etcy and the estates" said Mr. Lex
ham; but there will be little or nc
money 10 support them. Why YOU
should kow that seeing that you
are here ON business connected with
this loan"
How is it they are so poor?'
asked Reece. The Desboroughs used
to have plenty of money"
so they had until the last baron
ct, Sir Mortimer, came into it-l
mean, of course, the man whom our
Sir Reginald. cousin. succeeded.
You have heard of the famous Sir
Mortimer, / suppose"
Dexter Reece made a gesture in
the affirmative. Yes; and while
YOU were describing Sir Regiuald's
son. | was thinking how well his
description would have fitted Sir
Mortimer-as | have heard. of him %
That's So agreed Mr.. LeXham,
They are alike as two pease. in
face and form and character Sir
Mortimer was one of the handsomest
men of his time, and the most reck-
less. And his end was a tragic and
consistent finish to a wild and adyen-
turous life"
Tel me about him." said Dexter
Reece quickly; then, in a more cas-
ual way, he added, that is, if | am
not asking you to commit a breach
of confidence
Certainly you are not" respond
ed Mr. LeXham, The story is pub
lie property, and | should have
thought that YOU must have known
it; one forgets that the memory of
the present day world does not ex-
tend to even the traditional nine
days. SO many sensational happen
nings trip up each other by the heels
that one story effaces another from
the public mind. | can tell you the
tragedy of Sir Mortimers life in "A
few sentences. As have said
he was as Wild and reckless as Sir
Reginald's boy, Ronald; he belong.
ed 10 the fastest set in town, and
was ringleader and chief in most of
the mad exploits of his day. With
the title he came into a large sum
of money. which he set about spend
ing in all the approved and disap-
proved fashions. At last he made
England too hot to hold him
though, mind, he had been guilty
of nothing dishonorable, as the world
understands the word"
"Up to his neck in debt, | sup
pose and-other difficulties, mur-
INJURED Reece. >,
Just So" assented Mr. Lexham.
He disappeared one morning, and
the world lost sight of him. As a
matter of fact, he went to Italy.
One would have thought that he
had had enough of adventure for a
time; but he was one of those men
who could get into scrapes on
desert island.
81 should scarcely call Italy a
desert island, said Reece softly !
Il should imagine it to be just the
place in which man like Mortimer
could find plenty of scope and OPP
poitunity for his peculiar gifts"
yes, he found an opportunity !
soon enough" said Mr.. Lexham, with
a shrug of his shoulders
And, of course. the trouble was
a woman" suggested Reece
"A woman" said Mr.. LeXham !
She was a young girl. the daughter
of a farmer, and betrothelI to a
respectable young fellow-the son |
of a farmer also, probably Sir Nor
timer met her, made fast and fu-
rious love to her, snatched her, so
TO speak, out of the arms of her |
the night before the |
and bolted with her. There |
was M racictinu ,,,ar' Cl..