The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-02-27

man may lay claim to the larger share. He is as wild as a March hare, and appears to be one of those ire sponsible beings who are entirely swayed by their own will. A fine young fellow; but reckless and ex- travagant to degree. He was al- ways in some scrape at Eton; was no steadier at Oxford, where he shone as the widest of a wild set. He got into the, Army by the skin of his teeth, and was immensely popular so popular that he ran into debt and his father compelled him to send in his papers. They never met but they quarrelled; and about three years ago they parted. probably for ever.''
 Where is he now?" asked Reece.
 MT. Lexham shrugged his shoulders 'I have not the least idea. His fath- CT does not know. In London some where, imagine. Sir Reginald offer ed to make Ronald an allowance; but he refused it; and I 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, cast ing glance at the house.
 'He will come in for the baronetcy and the estates" said MT. Lexham :, "but there will be little or no money to support them. Why, you should know that, seeing that you are here on business connected with this loan"
 How is it they are so poor?" ask ed Reece. ."The Desboroughs used to have plenty of money"
 "So they had until the last baronet, Sir Mortimer, came into it-I mean, of course, the man whom our Sir Reginald, cousin, succeeded. You have heard of the famous Sir Morti- mer, I suppose?"
 Dexter Reece made a gesture in the affirmative. s'Yes; and while you were describing Sir Reginald's son, I was thinking how well his descrip- tion would have fitted Sir Mortimer as have heard of him.
 That's so," agreed MT. Lexham. 'They are alike as two peas, in face and form and character. Sir Morti- mer was one of the handsomest men of his time, and the most reckless. And his end was tragic and consist ent finish to wild and adventurous life.''
 Tell me about him." said Dexter Reece quickly; then, in more casual way, The added, that is, if I am not asking you to commit a breach of confidence"
 Certainly you are not" responded MT. Lexham. "The story is public property. and I should have thought that you must have known it; one | forgets that the memory of the pres nt-day world does not extend to even the traditional nine days. So nlany sensational happenings trip up each other by the heels that one story eff l faces another from the public mind. I can tell you the tragedy of Sir Mortimer's life in few sentences. As have said, he was as wild and reck- less as Sir Reginald's boy, Ronald: he | belonged to the fastest set in town, and was ringleader and chief in most of the mad expliots of his day. With | the title he came into a large sum of ! money, which he set about spending in all the approved and disapproved 1 Co J too hot to hold him-though. mind, he had been guilty of nothing dis honorable ,as the world understands the word"
 and-other difficulties murmured Reece.
 "Just so,'' assented MT. Lexham. 'He disappeared one morning. and 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 would get into scrapes on a desert island"
 "I should scarcely call Italy a des- ert island" said Reece softly. "I should imagine it to be just the place in which man like Sir Mortimer could find plenty of scope and oppor- | tunity for his peculiar gifts
 "Yes; he found an opportunity soon enough" said MT. Lexham, with a shrug of his shoulders.
 And, of course, the trouble was a woman?" suggested Reece.