The Springdale news., 1915-08-06

ward on the table. that the judge had hardly needed these slight extraneous rounds
 As for Marmaduke Smythe the timd and lewiidered English representative of the Earl of stanley, he. like the iudge, was facing the swooning colo He! and also was unaware of the silent struggle in the haIlway-the strugg.e that had caused Colonel Stanley t6 sWoon, for the colonel saw in his minds eye the barring of his plot, his own disgrace at undertaking it and. worst of all the triumph of his enemy of blood.
 Like steic Nanny Lucy, holding changed attitude
 Dr. Lee, standing closer to the colo nel. sprang Ut once to the aid of his friend and with all his skill sought to revive the stricken man.
 Down the hall to the great open doorway Matt Harding bore his strug. gling, silenced wife. The bank notes in his bosom, the price of the sale of his own flesh and blood rustled as he struggled with the frenzied half stran- gled Hagar By the sheer force ot his brutal strength the gypsy dragged the woman to the little eopse where their meager camp was pitched. Here he bound her with ropes to the seat of the van, gagged her with his neck kerchief, hitched his horses and drove off toward the dawn.
 In the library the ministrations of pr. Lee had revived Colonel Stanley Brace yourself" the doctor whisper ed. Remember, your heart will not stand much of this.
 "I am all right now" said Colonel Stanley, moistening his lips You, doctor. will certify that this is male chifd born heir to the stanley estates, and I will attest that he is my son. heir at my death to the diamond from the sky and also heir to the earldem of Stanley at the death of the present earl
 The English lawyer fumhled in his green bag and produced the already drawn up document Of attestatioh. With a firm hand, but giving the colo nel sad but searching glance as he did so, I. Lee signed the paper as physician i'll attendance at the birth. The colonel signed as father of .tAr thur Stanley 2d of Stanley hall. Nir ginia. And then it was the turn of Judge Stanley to sign as next of kin. For minute he faltered. look of bit ter hatred on his saturnine counte nance, and then he affixed his sigma ture and threw down the pen with q bitter curse for what he did A mock ing smile played upon the face of Colo. nel Stanley For one brief moment hc forgot the flower face of the beloved dead woman upstairs For oue brief moment he forgot the gifl child besh of their deep love, whose birthrieht had been taken away in the fulfllment of his hate for his disappointed and ehagrined kinsman.
 \ few brief and stilted fareweNs and perfunetofY= congratulations ensuea be tween the still embarrassed English lawyer, Marmaduke Smythe, and the colonel and the doctor There was some evil breeding i'll the air, and the aura of hate was felt by the English man of law.
 1t Is only q veneer of civilization that thinly covers these crude Yankees in these wild parts" said the English lawyer to himself as he aWkwardlY mounted his horse in the moonlight outside Stanley hall and rode down the darkened lanes behind the gloomy judge. They jolly well would toiHa hawk and burn each other at the stake if they had opportunity. he added t3 himself. T shall start back to London tomorrow If can and deuced glad of it
 Eneyentful1y three years went their round. The supposititious heir !; Stanley ha1l grew to be q sturdy ftt1a hoy of handsome appearance but e violent and ungoyernable temper even as I child
 On the little girl, Esther, reared ia secrecy in q closed cham CT in the great house and 1ninistercd to only the silent and faithful Nanny Lucy the colonel lafished and outpourcd th great and growing love and affection If his invalded and aging wears Flo. already the hand of death was pilif upon him and every day hc rode to the cross upon the grave of lis dead wife and prayed that he might see her face to face and be forgiven ill the great tenderness of the love they had borne each other in life, for the wrong he had done their child
 TAe fear of tbe colonel that the wild gypsy blood i'll the putatiye heir might bring him to courses that would dis grace the Stanley name preyed upon the colonel.
 And so the colonel drew up a docu. ment, which he securely sealed ani placed among his papers. Upon .the