The Tupelo journal., 1916-09-22

parentage. Burton answered as best
he could, and gave such references as
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 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 a 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 Tor 2
shock, Mr.. Burton, but / hope it will
be a pleasurable one. You are now the
tenth marquis of Castleton. heir to
an invested fortune of two millions
sterling, and an estate worth one 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 thur
ty years ago-to be exact, in 1885,
the ninth marquis of Castleton, your
uncle, quarreled with his brother, your
father, Lord Richard Burton, because
his lordship had married a h~ouseruaid
whom he vas in honor bound to we'd
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 IN alliance which the mar
quis deemed derogatory, he was cast
forth frem the family, and the elder
brother Immediately proposed to and
was accepted by a titled lady of his
acquaintance. She bore him two
sons, thus, to all appearance, effectu-
ally shutting our 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 torpedoes in the Med
i%terranean. They were lost. There
can be no doubt of it, because their
bodies have been recovered and
identified. You come of good stock.
my lordt 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. / assure you | am not ro-
mancing, You are undoubtedly the
tenth marquis of Castleton." 4
1t is said that all the scenes of a,
crowded life pass through a mans
mind hen he is in imminent danger
OF death by drowning. Some such ex.
perience befell John Burton now.
he reviewed the years of his youth.
MS introduction to the factory. tins
gradual requirement of manual sk;,s
ana the knowledge of metals. his risa
70 a position of influence among his
mates his friendship with Door.
.awory Flora. the dawn of a real love
lor that self-deluded philanthronis,
M social worker, Mary Temple. and
Inc complete collapse of his brief dav
Now the somewhat sordid 80.
ora was succeeded by the fairy tafa
Just rejected. an almost unbel;evab,s
indeed, yet one which an.
peared to have the sanction of law
and society.
Then John began to laugh sardon.
lcaliy. He was on the verge of hvs-
,eria. More than once he seemed 10
nutter a strange question:
Hls humanity in the grip OF eyil?"
The stranger did not pretend to mr.
lerstand, so, being a discreet lftt;a
nan, be kept silence and quickly took
lis leave.
fsssSss ~ s--