The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-09-05
CHAPTER Xxx.
AND WHEN EVERY ONE WENT
HOME.


Though the hour was getting late,
no one among the crowd thought of
leaYing the court. Even the desire for
tea, SO peculiarly insistent at g certain
hour of the day in the whole of the
| British race, was smothered beneath
the wave Of intense excitement which
swept right over every one.
Although the next Worcestershire
each in their turn came forward to the
foot of the table-swore to tell the
truth n faced the coroner with more
or lwess assurance, they could but re-
peat the assertions Of the head of the
family; nevertheless the public seemed
ready to listen with untiring patience
to the story which went to prove that
the man whom everybody believed, to
be the heir of one of the oldest titles
n richest rent-rolls in England was
the son Of a Chaplain bricklayer, a
master of atudacity and of fraud
The nother-a worthy and simple
soul-was the first to explain that
Paul, her only son, had always been
something OF a gentleman. He had
done very we'll at school and rever
done a stroke of work like lis father.
When he was fifteen he was quite
stage-struck. always play-acting,"
as the mother put it, AN could recite
poetry beautiful"
Mrs Baker seemed distinctly proud
of her sons deeply rooted horror of
work. She thought that all the in
stincts of a gentleman We're really in
him. When he was a grown lad, he
went as footman in a gentleman's
family somewhere in the Midlands. The
mother loftily supposed hat it was
there that "a earned his good man
ners.
He was a perfect gentleman, SIR"
she reiterated complacently.
1t appeared too hat the wastrel had
had a period in his career when the
call of the stage proved quite irresistible,
for he seemed to have left the gentle
mans family in the Midlands some
what aruptly and walked on as super
for a time in the various melodramas
produced at the franc Theatre, Not
tingham, whenever a crowd was re-
CURED on the stage. There seems also
to have existed a legend in the heart
of the fond mother and of the doting
sister that Paul once really played a
big part in a serious play. But this
statement was distinctly wanting in
confederation.
What was obviously an established
fact was that the mar had a certain
spirit of adventure in him, and that he
had been q regular rolling stone, a reg
ular idle, good-for-nothing wastrel,
possessing a certain charm of manner
which delighted his family and which
was readily mistaken by the simple
folk for that Of a gentleman.
They We're all called in turn; the
sister, and young Smith from next
door," and the ~latter's sister. Not one
Of them swerved for a moment from the
original story told by Jim Baker. Emil
ly and young Smith told Of the meeting
which occurred on a fine summers
afternoon between themselves and
Paul By the strange caprice Of wanton
coincidence the meeting occurred in
side. Green Park.
Paul seemed a little worried, thinking
that the passersby- would see him talk
ing to poor people like u.s. as Emily
4 Baker had it, although" She added.
proudly, Il 'ad me new at on, with the
pink roses" Otherwise, he was quite
pleasant and not at all "off-'and."
The account of his interview was
fully corroborated by young Smith
from text door," Jane Smith, who at
one time had considered herself en-
gagged to Paul Baker, had a few tender
"reminiscences to recount. She had seen
the prodigal once on the boards of the
Queens theater, Lewisham, and she
had declared that he looked I" perfect
gentleman"
The day wore on, or rather the com
m~encement of evening. The evil smell
ing fog from the outside had made It's
home inside the dismal room. People
there only saw one another through a
misty veil; the corners Of the room
were wrapped in gloom. Exciting as
was the story which had been unfolded
this afternoon, one or two among the
audience had given way to sleep. Lady
Ducies' feathers nodded ominously, and
the old dame who had munched sand
wiches was inclined to give forth an
occasional snore.
Louisa's eyes were aching. Constant
watching had tired them; they ever
ceased to see clearly. Her brain had
become somnolent. She was tired OF