Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-11-29
suddenly he made an exclama.

aN~-aaA. S1oGSAts dC A8daC III c4Cl0
ton.
who this is?" came from him as mem
DRY cleared.
The marquis looked at the man on
the ground and then into the face OF
the captain. an .unspoken inquiry IN
his own eyes.
Sartoris took deep breath. the bet
/ ter to subdue his own Lively astonish-
ment
"Ifs-it's-Brancaste he said.
.
! For six days now Lord Bruncaster
| had lain IN one OF the old lofty CELL
| inged he'd chambers OF the ancient cas-
tie Of Falconhurst He had not re-
| gained consciousness for a moment
since the day he had been hurled out
when his automobile struck the stone
bridge.
Despite the words OF censure the
Marquis OF Beverley had spoken Of the
Earl OF Brancaster there was moth
ing for him to do now save to try to
efface them in every possible way.
Beveriey had done more than the sit
uation demanded. 1t was as IL the in
jury which had fallen upon the earl
had wiped out all the past and had
brought to the old racing nobleman a
renewed consciousness OF the brother
hood OF man. The most noted physi-
clans and surgeons OF London had been
summoned by him. and Sir Andrew
Beck. whose very retaining cast a dis
tinction upon the families able TO in
duce the great surgeon to visit them.
was even now in consultation with
some half dozen of the Kingdoms great
est surgeons. There was a question as
to whether they would try an opera
ton In the hope OF relieving the pres
cure upon the brain. but the consensus
of opinion was against IT.
The chamber in which Brancaster lay
had been the abode OF more than one
fugitive nobleman in the days OF the
commonwealth. which had followed
the ascendancy of the Puritans after
the execution OF Charles l.. and there
was a we'll authenticated legend that
Bonnie Prince Charlie" himself had
once been sheltered there when there
was price upon his hend.
But certainly never before had the
old apartment occupied by the uncon-
scious Brancaster had a more lovely
aspect. There were flowers every
where. but not in the profusiou that
would have meant annoyance to the
i'll man had he been conscious of them.
There We're lilies of the valley in the
old stone vase built into the old dis
used fireplace Their white loneliness
was accentuated by the long trailing
vines which formed their background.
for Lady Diana had seen TO the COM
fort and the decoration of the apart
ment of the man she was sure could
not be all quite bad.
The accident to this young man in
the prime of his life had done much to
soften her pride OF the very young. |
and she realized that her judgment |
was harsh.
In these days she accepted nearly |
everything without question. When |
the woman she had seen with Bran |
caster on the day he was known to |
her merely as the artist called at Fal- |
conhurst and asked to be allowed to sit |
by the side of Brancaster the girl had |
led her without question TO the bed
chamber. though her grandfather had
seen that a footman per-
formed that Office.
Lady Diana had not inquired rs to
the woman visitor anything more than
her name. The Mrs. D'Aquila' she
had received told her nothing. and she
did not ask other information as to the
dark. foreign appearing woman who
seemed to take Brancaster's injury SO
deeply to heart.
There was within Lady Diana a deep
spiritual sense. She felt that the strlck
IN earl might die. Indeed. she had
heard it so whispered. though the mar
luis tried to spare her such thoughts
is these. She felt in her pure con-
;ciousness of small sin that IL he died
without receiving the benefit OF the
Church of England or of any clergy
nan there would be cloud upon both
lis chances in world which might
understand him better and upon her
wn conscience. She could not forget
hose murmured words as the car shot
" her and that waving of the hand
urely that within us which makes
or righteousness" could not ignore
uch n spirit. His was a rare soul,
which must have it's chance in that
old into which 1t hourly seemed about ;
D escape.
So she had dispatched n note to the
icar innocently unmindful OF the fact
hat Sporting Jack" Thorpe rode far
etter TO hounds than he did TO grace ]
nd that even then he was taking the
ure for govt far from the village. the
reat name Of which was Beverley.
Today just as the sun was about TO ]
I she was waiting on the terrace of
lie Italian garden for the appearance I
Thorpe in answer to her summons. 7
s she walked to and fro along the 4
rrace. with many glances down the
tie path known TO her friends. who :
d not wish to drive three miles along v
e road through the acres Of the mar
lis before they reached the castle.
e was Joined by her cousin. Captain :
-eviIle Sartoris. The captain was, as
ual. ''deyilishly hard up." and he
as trying to evoIre a way to make a r