The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-05-01
CHAPTER XXXIII
The Family Skeleton

David went to his room to write
letters after dinner. and Mary and
Miss Varney sat together bin the
drawing room.
Doesn't Mr. Bretherton ever sit
with us-with you. l mean?" Mary
asked involuntarily.
Miss Varney looked up from her
crochet.
oh. yes; sometimes. my dear, But
he's not at all strong. you know. in
fact. at one time we never thought he
would i've to grow up. He's much
better now. but he has to be care
full. I like him to rest as much as
possible. But we shall see quite
lot of him, and You'll like him very
much when you know him better"
I ike him now" said Mary, in,-
pulsively.
Miss Varney looked pleased: she
twas never tired Of listening to praise
of her idol.
He's a wonderful man-wonder-
ful" she said. with quiet enthusiasm.
He doesn't make many friends. ana
he doesn't make them easily; but once
| he likes a person, he'd do anything
] for him.
/ I am sure he would"
He's just like his grandfather in
some respects. Miss Varney went on.
with evident enjoyment. He's the
straightest man l know. but once YOU
make an enemy of him She looked
Up al Mary with sort Of pride The
Brethertons never forgive" she said
severely.
Il don't-think that's very nice Of
/ them said Mary with a nervous lit
tie smile. They might need forgive
ness for something themselves one
day
Miss Varney unwound some more
cotton from the ball on her lap.
! It's family trait, my dear: can't
explainsit in any other way OF
I course. l know we are all taught to
forgive our enemies. but not many Of
US do so. / am afraid Just now
David was speaking of the family
ghost, as he calls it. but he didn't
tell you about the last time it APP
peared, and why it is supposed to
have appeared. did he?"
No"
1T was in his /grandfather's time
David's father was asyoung man then.
and his brother Ralph-you've heard
Nigel speak of his Uncle Ralph. Of
course?"
No"
Miss VaEney looked surprised.
| Haven't you? l wonder he didn't
tell you about him He was the black
sheep of the family He was older
( than DaHYid'c fa+bot apd 10 -,o+ ;,+o
some trouble here at home and went
off abroad. Nothing was heard of
him for years. until one day news of
his death was sent to his father He'd
died somewhere in America, and that
apparently was the end of him, and
every one naturally looked upon Da-
vid and Nigers father as heir.
81 supposed it must have been about
six months later" she went on, that
a woman arrived at the Red Grange
1t was November l wasn't here, of
course, but I've heard the story told
so often | almost seem to have been
here and witnessed it. She had
child with her. boy of 2 years, and
she said she was Ralph Brethertons
wife. and, that the boy was his son.
! NODoQy HdQ ever HcdIu Ol MS DelIlR
married, but she persuaded his father
into believing her. She had papers
and certificates, and goodness alone
| knows what, and she told him a very
plausible story of how she met him,
and what their life had been, and how
| he died.
We'll, to cut a long story short,
she was received here as Ralph
Bretherton's widow, and the child ac-
knowledged as his son. A nice little
fellow he was, believe; and, judging
from his portrait-there's one in the
| gallery-he was a very pretty boy,
but not a bit like Bretherton. He and
his mother stayed here for about two
months, living in luxury. before they
were found out. David's grandfather
took great fancy to them, it ap-
pears, and thought nothing too good
| for them.
"Then one night the Gray Lady
was seen; no fewer than three people
saw her. and all on separate occae
sions 1t was warning. so every
one said, that some disaster was fall
ing on the family. And sure enough
! it was, because the very next day
SOMEONE sent an anonymous letter to
the head of the house-David's grand
| father-and warned him that the
lwonran he was sheltering as his sons