Year: 1874


known Burdois for over year, the latter
being an art connoisseur and speculator in
relics and antique paintings He ever felt
an aversion to the man, yet hi acquaintance
with the Countess Tutti made him at the
same time court, yet dread his confidence
and friendship.


With heavy heart, distracted by con-
tending thoughts and opinions and await
ing gloomily and fearfully the arrival of the
Markhams, Thurston resumed his daily
LABOR with a listlessness which ill-accorded
with his natural activity and love for his
profession.


IL was the morning of the day following
the startling announcement made by the
avowed son of Colonel Markham to that
person, and his subsequent naccountable
disappearance. Bright and beautiful
dawned the morning, nature rouslng under
the tender influences Of sun and breeze,
and putting ON greener garb after the re-
freshIng rain Of the night preceding But
to the woe-strlcken man the charms of
nature had no significance, no power to
revive his heart, absorbed as he was i'll his
own misery and stunned by the appalling
truth which had been forced upon him.


Looking back through the centuries,
tracing, with the remembrance of those
life-lke portraits Of his ancestors which
hung i'll the library, his noble pedigree,
unstalned by Al untrue action or dissoute
descendant, the I'D man wept as he real
lied the consequences of public expo
sure Of his youthful imprudence. Perhaps
he imagined the case far worse than it was
iii reality, yet his heart could not acknowl-
edge his visitor as his son, his pride re-
\ fused to give him place i'll his home with
his pure-minded, idollzed daughter, Clari
\ bel. No, no he refused to accept this
man, this adventurer, he bitterly termed
hlm, who had gained possession of a secret
involving the life, fortune and rsspecta
billty Of family second to none i'll social
standing in the broad land Of freedom. A
compromise must be effected, and from
/ Clarlbel, the secret must be kept.
4 With unsteady steps and groan of an
gulsh, the Colonel arose and retired from
the room The servants were already astir
but he gained his room unperceived
WEAKNESS and the necessity for rest soon
buried him in a profound slumber, from
which he uid not awake until the sun was
far past the meridian.


81 was Just coming up to call you,
papa SPOhC q oNCCts NV NOlOCg dS AiC Weso
descending the staircase "A gentleman
has been here waiting for you for some
hours, and should have called you before
but | feared you had remained up late
last night and did not wish to be dis
turted, and Claribel Markham held up
her sweet, red lips for greeting


"A gentleman T. uneasily repeated her
father, returning her salute.


Yes, papa. He said he was well-known
TO you, and had come some Instance to see
you. So | showed him by his request, all
over the house and grounds He is in the
library now. Do not shut yourself up iii
that uark place Tonight, papa, she plead
ed, but come into the parlor and | will
play and sing for you.


Raleigh Markham passed on to the libra
ry with fearful weight at his heart. He
felt instinctively that the visitor referred
To by his daughter was the same individual
whom he had encountered the previous
night, and he had seen Claribel. His pure
minded daughter in the presence Of this
man, whose words and actions proclaimed
him to be a studied man of the world.
There was no time for speculation or
thought, however, aid the next moment
the Colonel had entered the library and
stood face to face with his visitor.


II see you are determined to delay no
time III presenting your claims, coldly
said the Colonel, as he locked the door
and seated himself opposite his visitor,
surveying his elegant apparelled form, and
the faultless air of composure and courtesy
observed by him.


81 am pleased to observe that you dis
trust my claim no longer was the reply,
in well modulated tones. II left abruptly
last evening, for felt that there was no
use remaining while you were in the state
Of emotion you then exhibited.


81 am not playing on your credulity or
feelings Colonel Markham, and although
shall finally insist upon public acknowl-
edgment Of my paternity by yourself, | am
willing to follow your advice in the matter.
Your daughter spoke of your visiting Rome
shortly Z


The latter sentence was apparently sug
gested by the speakers view of Miss Mark
ham as she passed the window with pet
spaniel Colonel Markham looked suspi-
cIously at the stranger, something in his
apparently disinterested proposition strik
ing him as indicating an under-current Of
thought. He little knew that the key
note was in his last words, in the abrupt
allusion to Claribel.


81 may not judge you Alright" finally
spoke the Colonel, "but l think that my
gray hairs and sincerity in dealing with
you will at least cause you to respect and
return my confidence. Your pretense or
claim | cannot dispute. From what you
say believe you to be the son OF Estelle
Saltore. Whatever other issues the facts
you have developed to me involve, between
you and myself, the fact that you are my
son must remain, at least for a time, q
secret. 1 cannot tender you a fathers
love-I fear | cannot offer you an ordinary
| friendship, yet | can give you home,
social position, and wealth. Accept these;
but oh if you are human, spare my only
child the terrible blow it would be to her
to know that | was already husband
when | married her mother =


The visitor started visibly at the Colo
nel's sudden words of entreaty. If he was
playing a part, he acted admirably well,
tor he extended his hand, with visible sim
cerity and emotion in his voice, and said


''Sir, if may not call you father, ! can
at least meet you as man. What my
past life has been, q waif thrown hither
and thither, regardless of my mothers fee
bic commands and having my own way,
you can imagine. Yet all my vicissitudes
nave never led me to utter an untruth or
neglect to pay respect and adherence to
those who should command it. Whatever
decision you make | will abide By it. Only
assure me in writing that am what may
some day claim to be, the son of Estelle
SaItore and yourself.


Colonel Markham was deeply touched
by his visitors words. He moved TO the
table, filed out a blank sheet Of paper,
stating the facts Of his early marriage and
the belief that this man was the fruit of
such marriage, and signing it, handed it to
his ris -G-uis, who folded it and placed it in
his nockat-hooE