Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1933-02-16

reached lnAl portion Oh the hi0sNs
devoted mainly to the Manning family
Here were Moses Manning's fine war
servIce-the trip to France-and mere
too. was the Countess Blanchel Inc
story of the greet chests that came
over the sea. And, at last, came the
date of the twins birth, and, Few
pages farther on, that OF Lauy
Blanches death. But between these
dates was something that Philip hau
not yet heard
q. And the Lady Blanche, being
very weak after her long travail, was
sorely spent, for she was female
elegantly formed. but not sturdy. or OF
sound health. She lay in great pain.
and ever and anon she sank into q
stupor from which none could rouse
her. nor did she regard my exhorta.z
ton, or the lamentations of her az
ficted husband. But suddenly she did
speak In d loud voice. saying, Since
| must die. neither shall any other
woman In this village who bearetn
twins survive her cruel labor and
though | perish, there shall be, In
every generation. Blanche Manning
Oh this farm, who shall have not only
my name, but In whom nay person
shall also be. seen, again. And she
shall wed for love, being holly wooed,
even as | was wooed. by stranger.
But because | have suffered. for all
my love. in this unfrlendly, cold coun-
try, and because he who swore to love
me best has not saSed me from an
gush, but hath shown his love to be
but seIfishness, since he hath failed
me when | most did need hlm-there-
fore, | say, she shall not love for long.
| Within five years of her marriage
| either she or her husband shall die.
| and die with the bitter knowledge that
neither riches nor passion nor high
| romance. nay, not even all three to-
| getherr suffice To make that great
| thing called love unless there be other
things, which my lover hath not given
| me, added unto them. And, In the
hour of their death. will appear unto
thnsa wha- die and comfort sthamr
the manner Of their passing shall be
lonely and grievous altogether.
And thereat,n went on the chron-
/ icler, ~she lay back upon her bed In
/ peace, and did not speak again. And
we marveled greatly that one SO gem
| tie should seek, In her last moments.
to lay curse upon her innocent de-
| scendants."
Philip closed the book, shIverIng
| and angry and ashamed because he
was shverIng. That silly old super
| stition-what did II amount to- But
had 1t amounted to anything7 He
began, involuntarily. to recall the his
tories OF other members of the Man
ming family. The countessg girl-twIn
the second Blanehe-had married u
Virginian, classmate of her BROTH
er's ct Harvard who was shot after
they had had only few radiant
months together. In 8 duel with the
man who had once been his best
friend The lawyer, Moses, had q
daughter named Blanche. who went
west In prairie schooner on her
honeymoon. and was never heard Of
again after she passed the Alieghenies
And the lawyers eldest son had a
daughter who-but that story was too
dreadful, and contained shame as well
as tragedy. Feeling as If his throat
we're being clntched, and as II he
could not shake himself free Of the
hand that choked him. Philip sprang
to his feet to see an apparItlon stand
Ing In the doorway.
Blanche also had been spending hei
time that rainy morning by making
an excursion into the past. Her moth
err had felt 1t a good opportunity fol
chests carefully slowed away In ths
attic In search of treasures to add K
her trousseau and they had found {
tiny iron-bound trunk, thrust far I'm
der the caves and forgotten full O
the countess clothes; Blanche hat
carried them down to her bedroom
and tried them on They fitted her al
If they had been made for her
) "Conldn't | keep one of them on
/ and surprise Philip"
, II think 1t would be lovely AM
{ you can do your hair like hers In tn
! portrait and wear that white brocad
/ dress that she had II painted in-youi
/, be the living image of herr
!, ~ Accordingly. after careful stud
: Of the famous picture, Blanche oil
] her hair with Vioet's help. high O
] her head. powdered 1t. laced hersel
! into the stiff magnificent gown tina
9 had been the countess wedding dress
c and went out to join Pf1 ttffifp
e The startled. almost terrified CT
Z that escaped him when he saw hel
: frightened her almost out Of ne
e senses. She ran to him, and put he
:, arms around him, trembling, too
e what, is itTs. she exclaimed. "Ol
$ Philip! What's the matterT'
"Nothlng-nothing. How loy'
, ly you look NJ. Are those some {
!. the first Blanche's clothes?'
Yes. Don't you think they'r
: prettyT
W