The Washington herald., 1919-07-23

being drunk in a gambling house he
had quarrelSi with Sir Gerard Yer
milye, who years before had induced
Lady Caroline to elope with him.
had struck the man, and possibly
killed him. He had now to fee from
France. By the time the letter
reached his parents he would have
sailed for America.
II Muriers death had ended Johns
youth Guys disgrace did the same
for his mothers. / first noticed then
that Ursula was beginning to grow
old. Up to that time she had been
matron. ripening with serenity.
More than maturity came into her
beauty now, a sadness, a depression.
which she rarely threw of. Though
, peaceful years came with the news
that Guy had settled in Boston.
where the business of which he had
become the head was prospering, the
| llight-heartedness went out of our
home forever. In my case that was
| the more true owing to the fact that
on the day when Edwin was mar
rled / had surprised John. for whom
my affection was that of Jonathan
for David. passing the love of wom-
en-" in an unusual fit of pain. He
had been so strong and well through
out all the years in which we had
lived together as brothers that the
thought OF his suffering was new and
strange to me. 1t became stranger
| IL not newer when the paroxysms
were repeated. This was only at long
intervals, so that We were able to
keep the secret to ourselves. Even
Ursula did not know. and John bound
20 Ell L., L. ell
| was not till Guy had been some
years in America, and a little daugh-
ter had been born to Edwin and Lou
Use. that John told me the doctors
| verdict concerning him. He might
live to an old age. or he might go at
| any minute. With the knowledge of
this possibility my own death seemed
| to begin.
Nevertheless more years went by
with no greater disturbance to the
current of our lives than a sudden
perplexity with regard to Maud. 1t
| was not only with regard TO Maud.
but with regard to Lord Ravenel.
Why neither John nor Ursula had
| foreseen what might happen there
I never understood. for to me such a
possibility had long been evident.
\ Maud was now IS: Lord Ravenel a
| romantic. somewhat Byronic, figure
OF 81. To her parents the difference
| in age precluded love; to me love
knew no limitations. When. there
fore. Ravenel came to us asking per-
mission to try to win the child her
parents refused. While nothing was
| said to Maud, the disappearance of
| her lover-he was almost that-left
| her wounded and wondering. II was
not only the difference in age which
had dictated the course of John and
Ursula, but lack of confidence in the
| stability of the young mans charac-
| ter.
That was soon to be tested. Within
| short time after he had left US,
with the understanding that he was
| not to return. the earl. his father,
died. leaving large entailed proper
ty. but otherwise. nothing but debts.
To pay these debts, for which the
law held the new earl in no way re.
sponsible, Ravenel, now Lord Lux
| more. renounced his rights of inheri-
| tance. He himself was left with the
smallest income on which a man OF
| his rank could live. To John and Cr-
sula this unexpected force Of char
| acter brought mingled satisfaction
| and regret. The more they rejoiced
| in the nobility of the fact the more
| deep their anxiety lest they should
| have interviewed to the injury of two
whom they loved.
And still more years went by. Ed
win was now relieving his father OF
some of the cares of business; Wal
ter was preparing to go out into the