Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-05-30

JUS radiance.
For Luke the world a indeed
changed. With the advent OF Philip
Gle Mountford that spring afternoon
into the old house in Grosvenor square,
life for the other n~cphew-for Luke,
once the dearly lo~ved-became alto
getller different.
That n moment OF s%oftness. when
Lord Eadclyffc-a bent and broken old
man-went from the library up the
stairs to his w room, determined to
be alone, and gently removed L.ulke's
affectionatc hand from his own bowed
shoulders. that one ome OF soft
ness was the last that passed between
uliclc--almost fattlcl-and nephew.
After that, GOODNESS n cynicistu: the
same rs the old nan had meted out
to every n around him--savc Luke
for years past. O there Was no
exception. Goodness and cynicisln to
all; and to the intruder, the newcomer,
to Philip de Mountford, am unva1ying
courtesy and constant Difference that
at times vergel on impressive submits
sion.
And tho change. I must own, did not
come gradually. Have L not said that
only Il month had gone by, and Ar
thurs son., from thc land OF volcanoes
and earthquakes. had already CON
quered all hat he had come to seek?
He who had been labeled an impostcr
and 4 blackmailer ~took-after that one
intcrview-his place in the DID man'..
mind. III not in his heart. Heaven
only knows-fOr no one else was pres
Ont at that first Notwithstanding argu-
ments he held. what appeals he made.
He came like q thief. bribints his way
into his uncle's presence, and stayed
like Il dearly loved son, a master in
h house.
And Luke Was shut out once and
for all from Lord Isadclyffe's mind and
,-nrA Ma, ~A -..-y.
selfiess affection as the older man bore
to the younger can live for a quarter
of u century and die in one hour: Yet
so 1t seemed. Luke was shut out from
that innermost recess in Uncle RAIDS
heart which he a occupied, undis-
puted, from childhood upward. Now
he only took his place amongst the
others; with Jim and I.die and Frank.
children of the younger brother, of nc
consequence in the house of the reign
ing peer.
Luke with characteristic pride
characteristic Incidence, rnayhap.
where his own interests were Il. stake
would not fight for his rightful posi-
tion-his by right of ages, 20 years OF
affection, of fidelity and conradvship.
Tho day following the first mo
mentous interview, Lord Radcliffe
spent i'm lawyers company--Mr. Davies
in Finsbury court, then Mr.. Dobson in
oSllDIu IOM. lLS lcilLSt dIEQtl anu
counseled. Though papers might be to
all appearances correct and quite IN
order. there was no hurry to come to
a decision. But Lord l%;adclyffe
with that same dictatorial ohstin-
acy with which he had originally
branded tho claimant as an i%nposter
and a blackmailer-now chung 70 his
reversed opinion. Convinced-beyond
doubt. apparently = that Philip de
| Mountford was his brother Arthur's
son, he insisted on acknowledging him
openly as his heir. and on s%howering
on him all those luNuries Inc privileges
which Luke had enjoyed for 50 many
years.
Indignant n mentally sore. Jim and
| Eide protested with all the violence of
| youth, violence which proved as useless
as 1t was i'll considered. Luke said
nothing. for he foresaW that the end
was inevitable. He set about making
sister to be ready for them as soon as
the cataclysm ame when Philip de
Mountford. usurping every right. would
turn his cousins out Of the old home.
Frank, absent at Santiago young
attache out at his first POSTPAID been
told very little as yet. Luke had tried
to break the news to him in a guarded
letter. which received but the follow
ing brief and optimistic answer.
why. old man! what's the matter
with you? worrying Over such rubbish?
Take my advice and go to Carlsbad.
Your liver must be out Of order"
But the catastrophe came, neverthe-
Edie's language grew very ~unguarded
in Philips presence. and Jim-.in the
blues"-did not watch over his own
manners when tho new cousin was in
the house.
One evening when Luke was absent
yvac uopxy Cffon Tho no On ~. MD
the family gathering consisted of Lord
Radclyffe-sullen II morose; Philip.
pleasantly condescending: and Jim and
Edie, snubbed and wrathful. a differ
ence In political opinion between the
young people set a spark to the
s~mouldering ashes.
Phtlip-still pleasantly condescend-
ing-did not say much thai evening,
though he had been called a cad and
an upstart. and told to go back TO his
niger relations; but the next morning
Jim and Eide received a curt adinoni-
ton from Lord Radcliffe. during which
they were told that il such a disgrace
full exhibition OF impertinance occurred
again. they would have to go and pitch
their tent elsewhere.
They brought their grievance to
Luke: told him all that they had
treasured up in their rebellious young
hearts against the usurper and much
that they had hitherto kept from the
elder brother. who already. God knows!
had a sufficient load OF disappointment
to bear.
What could Luke do but promise that
Jim and Edie should. in future, have a
house Of their own. wherein neither
usurper nor upstairs would have access.
and where they could nurse their wrath
In peace and unsnubbed?
For tho first time since many DAYS.
Luke was alone with his uncle in the
library. Philip Vas out. and Lord Rad.
lcly6e was taken unawares.