Dewey County advocate. [volume] (Timber Lake, S.D.) 1910-1913, 1910-12-23
CHAPTER XII.

than inquisitively by Terhune, and saw
on the stoop under the port-cochere,
through the wide-open doors, a slight
young fellow of about Arch's build.
with a dark, anxious face, Just relin-
gushing long duster to his chauf-
feur. But even before had perceived
who 1t was, my eyes wandered back
Of him and took in the automobile he'd
just stepped from, with vague sense
OF having seen it somewhere before.
But its owner surprised me more, for 1t
was Murray Brancepeth-of all people!
What in thunder brought him here?"
wondered. hadn't seen him In .
year Of Sundays!
Hello, Vincent" he cried, on Sec
ing US. "And old Terhune. tool" And
he caught our hands in large. exuber-
ant grip. Too exuberant. could see
Terhune thought, for he was frowning.
and must say felt inclined to resent
Brancepeth's familiarity, myself, for !
had never known the fellow well. when
he followed his handshake by a great
slap on my shoulder. But by his next
words 1t was explained and excused In
the same moment, as were many other
things that had happened lately.
Where's Agatha First?" he cried.
tits all right now! Miss Simplin has
eloped and we can get married"
An enigmatical speech enough, I'll
admit, and, of course. don't mean to
say that it alone was the means Of en-
tightening Terhune and myself as to
the new turn this rather complicated
and stubborn affair of his aunt's prop
erty had taken.
1t was only after a number Of ques-
lions had been asked and answered
that we understood him. When it ap-
peared that he, Brancepeth, had been
in love with Miss Endicott and she
with him ever since the first Castle
Wyckhoff houseparty, but that there
was an obstacle to their marriage
which prevented their acknowledging
their attachment, which obstacle eon-
sisted Of the inexorable determination
of Brancepeth's sole relative. a
wealthy uncle, that he should marry a
certain Miss Simplin, an heiress her.
self. and a neighbor of his uncle's.
Brancepeth had not the faintest in
tention of marrying the lady Of his un-
cle's choice, or anyone other than the
lady of his own. but was still unable
openly to disregard that uncle's wishes,
having been entirely dependent upon
him all his life. The young lady in
question, Miss Simplin, had now de-
cided matters for him by clipping with
poor young squire, in spite of a tacit
agree mt with her father that she
would consider favorably the suit OF
young Murray. And by thus boldly sc.
curing her own happiness the young
lady had mt the same time opened the
way for that Of Brancepeth. deed for
which thought. when heard the tale,
she deserved the commentator Of the
community. l like good sport. But
this opinion Of mine in regard to Miss
&-mplin's escapade did not apparently
jibe with that of Brancepeth's uncle
for, as our visitor proceeded with his
tale, we learned that he was indeed
SO enraged by the very act which sc
delighted us all that when his nephew
emboldened by the tidings Of the
elopement, confided to him his attach
ment for Miss Endicott, his aggrieved
relative had seized with enthusiasm
the chance of proving to the scornfu
and fugitive heiress that she was un
regretted. He only awaited the ap
pearance of Agatha First, it seemed, tt
take her to his arms and enshrine hel
brows with diamond tiara that was tt
flaunt defiance and triumph before the
jealous eyes Of the poor sQuire's wife
whenever the two might meet.
This exciting crisis in Brancepeth's
romance having developed only tina
morning, it was friend Murray to hi.
machine and on his way to Castle
Wyckhoff without loss of time, and WI
were not at all surprised when b.
boosted that he had covered the dis
lance between his uncle's place at tn,
other end of the county and Wyckhot
castle in little less than an hour. W.
had just succeeded in grasping thes
details Of our friends love affair
though he had not given them in full
as have, but had rather sketched tn
story generally and rapidly, whel
Dearest appeared upon the scene an,
the whole wonderful tale had to b,
told again.
/ cTo BE coNT1NuED.)