The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1915-10-14


Judge, was facing the swooning colo
mel and also was unaware Of the silent
struggle In the hallway-the struggle
that had caused Colonel Stanley to
swoon, for the colonel saw in his
minds eye the barring Of his plot, his
own disgrace at undertaking 1t and,
worst of all, the triumph Of his enemy
Of blood.
Like a stole Nanny Lucy, holding
the false heiT, had never stirred or
changed attitude.
DR.. Lee, standing closer to the colo
mel, sprang at 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-
Cling, 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 OF
his brutal strength the gypsy dragged
the woman to the little copse 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
DR.. Lee had revived Colonel Stanley.
Brace yourself:' the doctor whisper
ed. Remember, your heart will not
stand much Of thisw
81 am all right now," said Colonel
Stanley, moistening his lips. YOU
doctor, will certify that this Is a male
child born heir to the Stanley estates,
and will attest that he Is my son,
heir at my death to the diamond from
the sky and also heir to the earldom
of Stanley at the death Of the present
earl"
The English lawyer fumbled In his
green bag and produced the already
drawn up document Of attestation.
With firm hand, but giving the colo
mel q sad but searching glance as he
did SO, Dr. Lee signed the paper as
physician In attendance at the birth.
The colonel signed as father OF Ar
thur Stanley I'd Of Stanley han, Vir-
ginia." And then 1t was the turn or
Judge Stanley to sign as next Of kin.
For q 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
bitter curse for what he did. A mock
ing smile played upon the face OF Colo
uel Stanley. For one brief moment he
forgot the flower face Of the beloved
dead woman upstairs. For one brief
moment he forgot the girl child born
of their deep love, whose birthright
had been taken away In the fulfillment
Of his hate for his disappointed and
chagrined kinsman.
A few brief and stilted farewells and
perfunctory congratulations ensued be-
tween the still embarrassed English
lawyer, Marmaduke Smythe, and the
colonel and the doctor. There was
some evil brooding in the air, and the
aura of hate was felt by the English
man Of law.
ut is only a 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 toma-
hawk and burn each other at the stake
if they had opportunity" he added to
himself. II shall start back to London
tomorrow If I can and deuced glad
Of itr'
Uneventfully three years went their
round. The supposititious heir at
Stanley hall grew to be sturdy little
boy Of handsome appearance, but Of
violent and ungovernable temper even
as a child.
On the little girl, Esther, reared In
secrecy In a closed chamber in the
great house and ministered to only by
lue SlleuC anu HoNyb
the colonel lavished and outpoured the
great and growing love and affection
of his invalided and aging years. For
already the hand Of death was plain
upon him and every day he rode to the
cross upon the grave Of his dead wife
and prayed that he might see her face
to face and be forgiven in the great
tenderness Of the love they had borne
each other In life, for the wrong he
had done their child.
The fear Of the colonel that the wild
gypsy blood in the putative 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 and
placed among his papers. Upon the
outside he superscribed 1t: "To be
opened in case my son, Arthur STAN
ley ID ever does anything to disgrace
the Stanley name" This document he
left by his will in the care Of DR.. Hen
ry Lee. shonld the physician survive
him. as his executor. Then, too, the