Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1912-06-07


/ did not leave India for several
months. During that time / was con-
cerned to hear that my special friend,
DR.. Collett, who had sent me the
cipher cable, had died suddenly. His
death had taken place on the very day
on which I had received the message.
We were greatly attached to each
other, and had been associated In
more than one investigation of inter-
est. Two days before / left Calcutta
for England I received the following
from Tregenna.
derstand that you will be back in the
metropolis some time in June. / hope
as soon as ever you arrive you will
come straight down to Tregenna
Manor. / want to show you the boy.
He is as fine lad as the heart of
in the country, and sometimes visits
at the Manor, but with my heir to look
at, no longer mind him. In short,
breathe freely.
Yours,
John Tregenna"
I was altogether unprepared to re-
ceive letter written in this strain
in view of what had heard from Col
lett. I had preserved the cablegram,
and now took it and read it over care
fully. There was no doubt whatever
of the meaning of the words. 1t stat
ed clearly that Lady Tregenna had
given birth to boy, who had died
after an hour of life. / could only
wait for the mystery to unravel itself.
/ resolved to accept the invitation ex-
tended to me, and in due course of
time I arrived at Cornwall.
Sir John met me at the station. All
his taciturnity and gloom had left
him-he was now a talkatiye and
cheerful man.
1.-THE boy is in splendid form, Hall
fax" he cried, as he wrung my hand,
"and Lady Tregenna is also in fine
in few moments"
The baronet whipped up his horses,
and soon afterward we drew up in
front of the fine old mansion. Lady
Tregenna was standing on the steps,
nurse little behind her holding
baby in her arms.
well, Kate" called out her hus-
band, here is our old friend, Halifax.
Bring the lad along. Now, Halifax,
what do you think of him, eh?"
HE is indeed a fine boy" I re-
marked to Lady Tregenna. Curious
ly enough, I CHANGED to be in the
same hotel at Madras with your hus-
band when he received the cable
gram announcing his birth"
/ surveyed the infant critically. He
was well-grown boy, with somewhat
large features, but / could not detect
the slightest likeness to either parent
The nurse, grave, middle-aged wom-
an, with dark face and thin, COM
pressed lips, took the boy in her arms
and vanished with him around a cor
ner Of the house.
Look after Halifax, Kate" said
Tregenna. 81 must go to the stables,
but will join you presently"
Lady Tregenna conducted me under
a thick arch of roses on to a small
lawn, where she seated herself by a
little tea-table. She motioned me to
a seat near her.
ut is strange" she said, shat you
should have been with my husband
when he received the message that he
was the father of boy"
'sThere is something else stranger"
I said, impelled by an unaccountable
impulse to force my information upon
her. "I also received a cablegram
in cipher from my old friend, Doctor
Collett, on the same night. 1t gave
false information with regard to the
matter. Collett told me that your
baby died shortly after its BIRTH
Her cheeks flushed crimson, then
turned pale. what an odd mistake
to make" she said. "That was abso-
lutely without foundation. But then,
Doctor Collett died on the day of my
baby's birth. He may not have known
what he was cabling to you about"
nave nOL 4CuL1OACQ Tic AAobtOA
to anyone" began, but at that in
slant we heard Sir Johns voice in the
distance, and Lady Tregenna mo-
toned me to be silent.
''Not word to him." she said in an
eager whisper. II would not let him
know for the world. He would think
it unlucky. You will promise?"
Gas did not tell your husband at
the time, should have no reason for
the news now" said.
"His affection for the child is quite
touching"
That evening Tregenna took mel
into his study, and we spent short
time examining the valuable photo
graphs he had taken in India of the
suns eclipse. Just before we parted
for the night he spoke again of his
heir.
$50 you think the boy a fine little