Show E FAT L vr Q afu ID a T 0 R 0 V N DOV T g by 1 AI A I L author of mine own Fan tillar krand etc t p 1891 tv vastl compo I 1 11 xv 0 00 oo py p V r ig A t I 1 V 0 0 S R 6 1 str 6 4 9 16 jl 8 tn 14 1 1 A CHAPTER continued one member of the household was foon coon to discover this miss perkins perkina came upon him unexpectedly as he vaa aas stooping with his lack back toward her and apparently engaged in closely examining the keyhole kehele of the door belonging to his masters private I 1 oom loom that boure 5 on re doing she cried sharply the individual thus thua addressed started violently and something fell to the ground with a chink something which he immediately covered with nith his toot foot before he turned and faced her without making an reply youve changed your ways nays lately she said seeing he made no answer and aina always a s hanging about this door your game I 1 should like to know anyhow you arent up to no good people as gets into respectable houses under false names ery seldom Is up to any good I 1 with this Parth parthian lan shaft she turned away and left hlin him looking back once over her shoulder with that same me malicious smile as she marked the effect it had produced what did she mean by that remark lemarl of hers about a false name how could she bhe have found it out the shot was too near the bulls bull s eye to have been fired at random good leavens heavens was it possible she could have any suspicion of the real truth there was as no louice whatever from which she might have obtained this athla in formation ah ab ile he flew tip upstairs stairs at a tremendous rate flight after flight to the top of the house to his own room buat the door open and entered there was a mollest molest looking box in the corner of the room a box which contained his few belongings had lie remembered to relock this on the last time when he had occasion to resort to ita no the lid offered no resistance to his abts hand ile he began to turn over the articles which it contained but coull not hit bit upon the thing he be was vias in search of the liftee shabby prayer book contain ing his real name in his fathers own handwriting was gone gone stolen that hateful woman v oman with ith her sly ely catlike step and hypocritical was had taken advantage of his one act of ca carelessness in leaving the box un locked to pry into its contents and carry off the most compla compromising bising article of all well the damage ams ft as done doile and could not bo ba the only thing now was v as to try and stae off the dis covery of the double part he be haj had been placing a little while abile longer after a time lie he rose roae from his groveling attitude B ath his mind fully made up there was only one course coure to pursue and he would pursue it ile he must appear totally ignorant of th the e theft and i loceile ei aery cry allusion or insinuation with mth an affected utter lack of comprehension let her suspect hat she ehe might let her act and talk h she would he must keep up the delusion and try to baffle her for at least one more day or else it if she seemed inclined to show her te teeth eth it if she appeared disposed to be danger hiis oil he be mut hurry on the matter A little liter in the day as he was absently staring out of a window in the hall he heard a faint rustling sound round and looking up saw miss fer aers descending the staircase lie he allowed his ees to rest upon her for an instant telling himself that his opportunities port unities for doing so would mould soon be at an end now she must have felt his glance tor for a certain air of embarrassment seemed to fall upon lier her and the color rose in her face then she gave herself an impatient twitch as aa though she said to heisele hei self stand upon bour our dignity and do not allow the impertinent gaze of 0 a mere u N mental menial to d df compose ou on the young man w who ho hi A picked up my catalogue at the 9 academy I 1 one of the effects of the twitch was that it caused her to drop a magazine which she was carrying just its as her foot w was as upon the last step before she could stoop to reclaim it there was as a dart across the hall on the part of the mental menial in question and the article was as to her with m what hat haq not R ri ai i much the respectful deference of an inferior as the ordinary and natural courtesy of an equal the effect of this simple act of politeness upon its recipient was as singular elp sip gular as unexpected for a mo ment she stood motionless holding the magazine in one hand while she ehe looked at the individual before her wath a puzzled searching expression upon her countenance then a sudden light seemed to break in upon her she abe gave a gasp her expression changed from curiosity to amazement and uttering a little cry she turned sharply round and ran rapidly up the stair case leaving the othar a prey to the liveliest astonishment what other remarkable incidents was the day to bring forth meanwhile the oung boung lady had re gained the stronghold ot of her own apartment locked the door and throwing the now despised magazine into a corner sat down to confide the state of her feelings to the keeping of her faithful diary A most extraordinary thing has happened bapp ened she ft wrote rote my aly head bead la Is in a whirl and I 1 hardly know what I 1 am writing or what to do or think to imagine that I 1 have so BO often tied myself over that soung mans likeness to someone else a likeness which I 1 could never quite fix though I 1 have often seemed just on the joint of doing so very likely I 1 should never have hit upon it but tor for that apparently utterly insignificant action ot of mine in dropping the book I 1 was wag carrying ile he rushed forward to pick it up and returned it to me and all at once it struck me like a flash where I 1 had seen him before it was the same circumstance the same action and the same oung mani it Is a most extraordinary thing and takes my breath away aay even while I 1 write but there la Is no mistake about it there could not possibly be two people so exactly alike and with nith pro casely the same manner unless this thin la Is a twin brother of the ether but it if so how Is it that one is a gentleman and the other only a servant was there ever such a combination met with before and what oh h what la Is the reason for his extraordinary conduct unless unless he Is the prince in disguise after all V IV that youre doln doing how the girls at school would envy mel me I 1 am living in the same house with a real live aaste y CHAPTER perkins ns revenge friday morning came bringing with it about eldien cle ten a message which struck a feeling of chill foreboding to the heart of the individual whom it concerned the master of the house desired to speak with the boung man inan edwards at once in the dining dinin groom room what did it meana mean was it merely some matter of small importance in connection with noth his household hou sebold duties to which he wished to draw his attention person ally or 9 mr was mas sitting in his place at the head of the table there was something judicial looking in a his at and expression and standing at a short distance from him was the housemaid perkins come in and shut the door was the first sentence addressed to him lie ile obaed noiselessly and cal caie e fully more than ever ener mindful of his as assumed umed position and grateful for each sec seconds delay which allowed him the opportunity of searching his brain for some way out af the diclem ma ran ed wards ards it ft was v as the voice oice i of his master mr ster and enema addressing him I 1 have one or tw ano 0 very serious ques eions to put to aou ou the young man bant his head deter defer lly and seemed to intimate his entire readiness to answer all inquiry les ies it has been brought to my notice that is I 1 have reason to belleve believe the voice olce continued as its owner seemed to experience some difficulty in open ing up the subject that I 1 have been deceived in you and in fact that the name under which ou on are at present presen t passing is not your own Is that so ted answered respectfully begging 5 our pardon sir but the name I 1 am going under is ma m ow own n might I 1 be allowed to ask who mho saas anything to the contrary 9 you mean to maintain that your name is edwards ards after all he be inquired bending his brows upon miss aliss perkins whose as he now thought fit to describe it unwarrantable arran table interference in the matter had subjected him blin to this annoyance my name is edward air an a at the end makes it sound better and I 1 there was no obJect objection ipa to t jar aiding the letter T 1 kioa 4 your name according to your c li fedward and you hm prey added the final letter it 40 1 acia sorry 11 athla to was more than th the woman could stand and she ehe broke ii in unceremoniously upon her masters speech edwardl ed ward I 1 edward what I 1 should like ilke to know lies iles deceiving you sir air in n trying to make oui st soi s t ills his our aur gnp gnp aak pam werm the othor la in and why v by tie lie a had to drop it mr air ferrers turned toward him w wearily la Is the woman right in as that the name you have given la is only your christian name in which case it would seem that you have added the other letter for or the purpose ot of malting making it do duty as a sur name I 1 there was a seconds hesitation during which the housemaid ott her lip v ith impatience before the tha answer came slowly my aly christian name Is edward it did not seem to me to be of any importance NN which aich I 1 gave perkins perkina triumphantly so you re going to try and get out ot of it that way she thought but it wont won t do 11 something in this last answer had helped to raise him in his masters suspicions 1 11 I 1 must insist upon your giving me your right name he ha said author authoritatively itil shall I 1 answer him with a lie w as the thought which passed through the others mind surely one more need not weigh nery ery heavily upon my conscience and in such alch a causel but in the same instant the face ace of this roans mans daughter rose up before him how she would despise him it she knew he thought with a sudden reaction and a sense of self contempt as he answered still respectfully enough 1 I should prefer not to mention it oh you would prefer not to mention it would you and what have ou done to make you ashamed to own ita exclaimed perkins ns the house maid who was carried away by her feelings at this point in a tone of triumph she bad better have remained silent t hold your tongue woman was the angry reprimand she ehe brought upon herself I 1 this is no business of yours woman indeed A crowning insult and to be told to hold her tongue ter her master turning again to the boung man repeated his question with the addition of the inquiry sug bug by the last remark of the woman perklee what have on done that you are ashamed ashamed of our name nothing was the proud reply given with head bead erect and defiant and there was vms something about the manner and tone by which the other was as obviously impressed why then do you refuse to answer the question I 1 have put to you he be asked in a milder voice there are famely reasons was as the answer family reasons A man servant with family reasons just as though he be were anyone else instead of being a n useful sort of machine hired out at so much a year with board and lodging no wonder there was mas something incongruous in the sound I 1 have nothing to do with your reasons was the answer ansa er and I 1 must absolutely decline to retain any one in my service under a false name ile he knew now that it was nas coming notice to leave on the spot or might there not be a reprieve 9 lie he was entitled to a month s notice in the ordinary course of things oh why had he procrastinated so long and wasted such golain opportunities A months iNa ining that was all he be prayed for A montha another day was all he be asked then sou aou refuse to give gic me your proper name I 1 ask for the last timed time to bo be continued |