Gilpin observer., 1916-10-12

parentage. Burton answered as best
he could, and gave such references az
lay within his power to those yet liv-
ing who might be connected with his
youth.
His mother had died soon after he
was born, and his father had been
killed by an accident within a few
hours of Mrs. Burton's death. John
had been told that they had come from
England only a few months earlier.
and that his father was a man of dis
tinguished appearance and refined
speech.
THAT is all l know about him, he
concluded. Since then l was
dragged up by the scruff of the neck.
Here l am, just as you see me- What
do you want with me, anyhow"
The stranger did not answer for a
few minutes. He took some documents
from bag and consulted them, COM
pairing certain statements therein
with the notes he had made Of Johns
dim but fairly accurate recollections.
At last he lifted his eyes and said,
gravely:
you must prepare yourself for a
shock. Mr.. Burton, but l hope It will
be pleasurable one. You are now the
tenth marquis Of Castleton, heir to
an invested fortune Of two millions
sterling, and an estate worth ops hun
dred thousand pounds a year."
What on earth are you talking
about, anyhow" gasped John.
Il am telling you the literal truth"
said the other solemnly. About thir.
ty years ago-to be exact, in 1856
the ninth marquis of Castleton, your
uncle. quarreled with his brother, your
father. Lord Richard Burton, because
his lordship had married a housemaid
whom he was in honor bound to wed.
The marquis had never married, hav-
ing lost the woman he loved on the
eve Of their wedding day, and Lord
Richard was always looked upon as
his heir. When, however, your father
contracted an alliance which the mar
quis deemed derogatory, he was cast
forth from the family, and the elder
brother Immediately proposed to and
was accepted by titled lady of his
Ouo UOT0 ulm Two
sons, thus. to all appearance, effectu.
ally shutting your father out from the
succession. Two months ago, Provi.
dence decreed that the marquis and
his boys should be passengers on a
liner which was torpedoed in the Med.
iterranean. They were lost. There
can be no doubt of it, because their
bodies have been recovered and
identified. You come of good stock.
my lord! Your uncle and cousins died
like English gentlemen. My firm, who
are the legal agents for the estate,
possessed some vague information as
to your fathers whereabouts when he
came to this country. That is why
am here. l assure you am not 70.
mancing. You are undoubtedly the
tenth marquis Of Castleton!"
It Is said that all the scenes of n
crowded life pass through a mans
mind when he is In imminent danger
OF death by drowning. Some such ex.
perience befell John Burton now.
He reviewed the years of his youth.
his Introduction to the factory. the
gradual requirement of manual skin
to position OF influence among his
mates. his friendship with poor.
tawdry Flora, the dawn of a real love
for that self-deluded philanthropist
and social worker. Mary Temple, and
the complete collapse Of his brief day
dream. Now the somewhat sordid rec.
ord was succeeded by the fairy tale
Just rejected. an almost unbelievable
romance. indeed, yet one which ap-
peared to have the sanction of law
and society.
Then John began to laugh sardon.
ically. He was on the verge of hys-
terra. More than once he seemed to
mutter q strange question:
"is humanity in the grip of evil?"
The stranger did not pretend to un..
derstand, 80, being discreet little
man. he kept silence and quickly took
his leave.