The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-07-08

MS iuarr(age with the rich widow Of
the late J. Am0ry. esquire. from India.
He brings Lady ClaVering, her ;laugh
ter Miss Blanche Amory, Il young
lady, and his son and heir, little Frank
Clavering. Blanche has fair hair,
dark eyebrows. long black lashe5
yelling brown eyes, slim figure, small
feet, and constant smiles showing
sweet pearly teeth and deep dimpleS.
Sir Francis himself is Il weak cres3-
ture. gambler. fond of low company
and rapidly wasting his wife's prop
erty with constant demands on her
generosity. Lady Clavering, a good,
kind soul. ilIiteratc and numbering the
kings English is hardly more for
tunatp in her second marriage than in
her first with the sailor and convict
AnOry.
ShadoWing the Claverings is a myS-
FERROUS Colonel Altamont, with
strange influence over Sir Francis and
power to get money from him.
Pen becomes enamOrcd of Blanche
writes her love poems, and meanwhile
she leads him on only to drop him
again for anyone with better pros
poets. When thus dropped, Pen offers
himself to Laura, but in a half-hearted
way. Laura replies, "When next yea
OFFER yourself, do not say as yuu have
done to me. i have 10 heart do not
love YOU; but I am ready to marry you
because my mother wishes for the
match.'" After LauraS refusal, Pen
tires of the country and goes to Lon
don to study law. He settles III
chambers at the Lamb Court Temple
and makes a friend Of and rooms with
George Warrington, an older graduate
of "OXbridge." In London Pen leads
life not of study, but of joviality,
though rot of vice. He is too lofty to
stOop to vulgar intrigue. When re-
duced to his last few pounds, Pen, by
Warrington's help, gets IL poem ac-
cepted in magazine. is given books
to review. becomes a contributor to
the new Pail Mall Gazette, writes the
popular novel walter Lorraine" and
becomes well off and we'll known. His
uncle is proud of him, gets him invi-
tations to dine in high society, and
introduces him, among other celebri
ties, to the great duke of Wellington.
One ngkt the mysterious Colonel
AitamOnt, half drunk, forces his way
into the CIavering dining room in Lon
don and Major pendenniS recognizes
him as an Indian acquaintance. Soon
after this, he urges Pen to marry for
money, saying, ut is as easy to get
rich wife as a poor one" and en-
courageS him to court Miss Blanche
AmOry Somehow the major per
suades Sir Francis to give up his seat
in parliament in favor of Pen and to
arrange for Il large dowry for Miss
| Blanche. Finally, i'll lieu of any better
prospect, she accepts Pen.
The secret of Colonel Altamont's in
fuence over Sir Francis becomes pub
lie property and reaches Pens ears,
for AltamOnt is none other than
AmOry, the husband of Lady Claver-
ing. He was reported to have died,
but iii reality is alive. This makes
the Clavering marriage invalid and
Miss Amory heir to the fortune in
stead of young Frank. Pen then re-
fuses to benefit by the fortune or to
take the seat in parliament and writes
Blanche he is still willing to marry
her though he admits he does not love
her deeply. Later, when he calls, he
finds his old schOOlmate FOker rich
through his fathers death, now in
-,
Still, the fair Blanche cOnfidentialIy
confeSseS to Pen that she would prefer
him if he could lay aside his absurd
scruples." This he refuses to do, so
the Foker and Amory wedding is ar
ranged.
Then Pen, freed from this MERGE
nary alliance, finds his heart all the
while was really devoted to Laura. so
he proposes to her in earnest and this
time is accepted. FOker in turn finds
by accident the secret of AmOry'S sur
vival and what is worse, that Blanche
knew and yet concealed it from him.
For this lack Of confidence he leaves
the tickle Blanche, so that there is
only one wedding at Clavering and
that not at the barOnetS hall. 1t turns
out that AltamOnt, alias AmOry, al
ready had wife living when he went
through the form of marriage with the
future Lady CIavering; so after all,
Sir Francis and she are legally hus-
band and wife.
Sir Francis reforms. Miss Blanche
goes abroad and marries in Paris
count with doubtful title. Pen is
elected t. parliament on his own
merits, the new railroad buys some
of Pens lands and greatly increases
the value of the rest, SO he is well off
and most happy with the adorable,
high-minded and devoted Laura.
Copyright, 1919 by Post Publishing Co.
(The Boston Post)