The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-02-14
The
|Riversharn
Heir
u. Stood Between a Title
and a Rascal
~ ETHEL HOLMES

,.,,h He left his seconu son, MdTtln,
,.,sa with the ground on which 1t
- contiguous to the family manor
..rsa Ralph married late in life
,oman near his own age, and 1t was
:. .nnposed his wife would bear him
:, hslr But. contrary to expectation.
-, was born TO her several years
,ner her marriage.
Martin Riversham. who had expected
;. oome In for the entailed estate at
4, brother's death, was greatly disap-
oo,r,ed at the birth Of an heir to 1t.
There was still one hope for him-the
cbnd was delicate, and there was a
.hsnee that he would not gfOw to man.
hooa If be died there was but slight
chances Of Lady Riversham having an
ether
-Four years passed, and little Richard
p,yersham still lived, though he was
rerv delicate. He was kept indoors by
his parents and Martin, who was much
Interested to know of his condition.
seldom caught sight of him, for when
sypr he was taken out 1t was in a close
carriage
Martin Riversham was family black
sheen and after many efforts to get
him to leave the dissolute life he led
BIS brother felt constrained to forbid
him bis house. Martin had seldom oc.
cuped the house left him on the prop
erty adjoining the estate of his brother,
but after ltle Richards birth he went
there in oIGer to watch the child who
alone wond stand between him and
the title and estate in case of the
earls death From n window In his
house Martin could see the family
mansion something like half mile
away and With strong glass he could
get a pretty fair view Of what was
going Ou there
One day he was walking on the road
when he SAW n carriage coming which
be recognized as belonging to his broth
er When u passed him he saw that it
contained Lady Riversham, her son
Richard li Il dog, the dog being a pet
Of Richard To whom he was devoted.
Lady i'iro ham shuddered as she
passed ael hrother-in-law but he did
not relce lgr. his eyes being fixed on
Zoe ias W..a he noticed. was very pale
sul .W
ie" lays after this Martin, while
wa hl- ae manor house, saw evil
teters o. "A cpmmotion on the part Of
It's o.gu ants. Servants were running
about ash, there WAS every evidence
that something dreadful had happened
Martin took il all in till quiet came
AGAIN. then, laying aside his glass. he
sail 10 himself:
u believe the boy is dead"
luat night he noticed lights in the
manor house later than usual. Think
ing under cover of the darkness, to
earh something by nearer view, he
elt ms house and. entering his broth
us grounds, stole near enough to the
uouse to see anything that could he
seen from the outside.
suddenly rear door was opened.
and by the light within Martin saw a
seSaht bearing an oblong box, issue
Hohl the house, followed by the earl
anu another servant, the latter carry
ms spade and lantern. The trio
waue their way to little patch Of
s'ouhd short distance from the man.
VI mousse set apart for a family GENE
very Martin followed as near as he
.Vuiu Without being detected and saw
'ue iacEey with the spade dig grave.
aHu he was about to place the box in
when suddenly Lady Riversham ap-
Feared on the scene
lhere was some conversation be-
,@eeh her and the earl. but before
4'''ih could steal close enough to
uear sat was said the party returned
,He mousse. taking the box with them
Aa1ln returned to his home, CON
sa'ulating himself that he had been
- 'ue nick Of time for what he had
seeI' An explanation of this night
was as plain to him as the sun
~ we heavens. Little Richard had
I' ana his father, In order to con
~ ai us death, had taken his body to
- ~ iaihily cemetery when no one was
49,, aSva' 10 see the interment. A live
lu was to be substituted for the
dead one.
mere was one unfortunate oc-
~ .ience connected with the affair. If
W oody had been inferred In the
se'ery Martin could have had 1t ex-
Intel and it would have been very
s ior him to expose this fraudulent
,pt TO deprive him of his inher-
~ Lady Riversham's following
Ma burial party and the change of
c,,a u "ere easily explained. 1t had oc-
NJ. - % her that the body should
ra De Inferred where Martin could
ia 0u Il But he did not believe that
,bl ,s would avail. since he could compel
~ .! law to produce what they
-. .sesertheless Martin was at a loss
+ ~, " iiat to do In the premises. Even
i, udrd was dead the earl would be
= l0ssession of the estate and title
~, lug as he lived But If a boy were
NJ Tos.ltnted for the legitimate he'll
,a aa "a Should get possession of the