The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1915-12-16

Sun.
the excited visitor that Clarence, the
monkey, was not at all wild beast Of
the Virginia jungle, but simply an 1tin-
Grant organ grinders friend, compan-
ion and collector of external revenue.
Then the stranger made known his
name and errand.
Il am Marmaduke Smythe, barrister,
of London, England, solicitor and agent
of the estate of the earls Of Stanley Of
Stanley castle, Warwickshire," he said.
Lord Stanley died there n month ago
from the inflrmitieS Of old age. leaving
no heir in England. the succession fall
ing to the eldest son of the elder
branch Of StanIeys of this place, STAN
ley hall.
81 remember it well, for l was here
to verify the American heir nearly
| twenty years ago. And beastly eX-
perience l had. my dear young lady.
l was ambushed by croaking savages
and fell off horse and was thrown
thrown into the midst Of terrific and
bloodthirsty feud between Colonel
Stanley and Judge Stanley. both rip
snorting, bally fire eaters, as you Yam
KEGS way down east in Virginia say.
$50 my errand, young lady, in these
| wild parts of the American border Is
to notify young Arthur Stanley, both
| Colonel Stanley and the judge being
dead, that he is the Earl Of Stanley,
and the title and estates await him In
Warwickshire."
And then it was Esther's painful task
to tell the strange caller Of the accusa-
lions against the young man he sought,
Of his wild fight and disappearance.
MY word exclaimed the embar-
rassed London lawyer What dread
full way you wild Yankees have Of
tomahawking each other, don't you
know. If the American earl is GRIM
inal in hiding l must notify the next
Of kin. the late judges son, whom 1
distinctly remember as a vicious little
beggar who bit me severely.
"In case his lordship, as | must call
him, the fugitive. is captured by your
white cap chaps he will undoubtedly
be lynched. as is your invariable GUS
tom on the American frontiers here, l
believe. Hence the son of the late
Judge will be the Earl of Stanley.
"That is, provided, Of course" the
| London lawyer added. that this Hon.
Blair Stanley. as he would be called
with us, has not outgrown his vicious
propensities as child. For assume
If he bites your prominent border ruff
| fans he will be tomahawked or lynch
ed or put an end to in some unpleasant
manner. So you must excuse my TAX
ing leave. as I must notify the next Of
kin"
And he raised his tropic helmet pO-
litely and walked in wide circle
! around the chattering monkey, Clar-
ence, as though he rather doubted the
| alleged harmleSsneSs Of the animal he
deemed denizen Of the local jungle.
At the gloomy threshold Of Mrs. La
mar Stanley's house the London law
yer received further confirmation Of
his personal belief that Blair Stanley,
whose vicious propensities he remem-
bered. would never outgrow the san
culinary propensities of his childhood.
In the bitter mood that now obsessed
her Blair's mother informed the star
tied lawyer that her son. now next in
| line for the proud Stanley earldom, had
! fed. no one knew whittier. and she
hoped to never see his lace again.
All she would say in reply to the
barrister's nervous pleadings-for he
dreaded long search for the heirs of
Stanley in barbarous America-was
that Blair might be found at the home
of Mrs. Burton Randolph, his cousin,
in Richmond. And for that place the
lawyer took the first train from Fair
/ fax.