| Show T T y r copyright HOT by A 1 mcclurg co SYNOPSIS I ord wilfred vincent and archibald terhune are introduce 1 at the opening ot the story in englan 1 the latter relating the tale the pair on an outing alsa their train and seeking recreation meet the honorable aeatha ft CHAPTER I 1 continued this proved to be the case As I 1 addressed myself to her the girl rose with dignity and replied I 1 am the honorable agatha Wyc khon and I 1 ow n these grounds so you see you are trespassing tres passing dut her tone was laughing and her expression not at all severe so I 1 promptly told her who we berci ind we shook hands the honorable agathal smiling at me somewhat the way she had smiled at vincent though perhaps a trifle more appreciatively we dlan t mean to said vincent and I 1 hope ou dont mind youji forgive us wont youa the girl laughed and it was a laugh that I 1 like to hear not he silly repressed giggle of a dondorf londorf debutante shell very nearly do I 1 thought even if she isn t more than 20 forgive oiin she repeated of course I 1 will I 1 think it s great fun I 1 haven t seen a new man for six weeks I 1 was wondering what she meant by using the word new and waiting for vincent to aepli when instead of answering her he suddenly pointed over my shoulder with a look of hor the train he cried the train k suro enough when I 1 turned I 1 saw our train had started and although moving slowly was well on its way to the little town in the distance we were three quarters of a mile from the tracks by this time and of course pursuit was useless left behind cried vincent dra matl cally and barst out laughing that a just like him he always laughs at everything for my own part I 1 coulden couldn t see anything funny about it here we were set down in a little town that probably did riot con tain an inn while our luggage traveled merrily on to cumpstone Cupp stone all because of a foolish whim of his the girl laughed too so there was no use in telling him what I 1 thought of him then well what are we going to do I 1 asked sharply do echoed why with her permission well play a gama ol 01 gold with the honorable agatha and then go on to the station whatever its name s and take another train tor cumpstone Cupp stone its name Is vye paid th honor able agitha the town of wye and hats a very good plan just what well do and it wis just what we did do and ou should have seen that girl play golf by the time we had been around the 18 hole course I 1 felt a little fatigued one has to keep in training to do sort of thing at a minute e notice but vincent and ho honorable agatha seemed as fresh as when we started and proposed a race to the station I 1 told them to run on ahead and I 1 d meet them later so aw ay they dashed with rudolph and barking in front of them never doubt ing that the whole thing wag planned for his especial benefit when I 1 reached the station at last instead of seeing about our train or telegraphing to cumpstone Cupp stone about our late arrival was vincent sitting on the luggage truck with that girl and I 1 am ashamed to say he was hold ing her hand hen they spied me the girl tried to pull her hand away but vincent held on Th atou 9 he called as K it could have been anyone else chiae on up here we ve been telling fortunes and miss agatha a hand Is very interesting d doubt I 1 answered dryly but what have cu done about telegraphing to cumpstone Cupp stone and what train have you found we cart take there isn t any train said aln cent as cheerfully as it he were tell ing me a bit of good news only two trains a day run through wye from london and ours wag the last any way 3 our friend the guard thought we ought to get oft here and put off all our luggage I 1 looked around in consternation and there were our boxes all piled neatly at the far end of the platform for sake wilfred I 1 call ulm wilfred when I 1 am angry 1 said turning on vincent who was aaen busy telling fortuna do take some interest what are we going to do lan t there a matter here who B tell about the inns of athla ac y place it there ao any I 1 m starving vincent looked up and again smiled that irritating emale 0 his dont get hot be drawled its all right the honorable ono rable agatha has in eted us to the castle and she a telephoned for the dogcart and a wagon for our luggage haven t oj angel he ended turning his handsome bronzed face to the girl with one of his best smiles one ot the kind he reserves especially for the air SOY I 1 frowned vincent icalla makes advances too quickly hy ou say so at first I 1 said rather peevishly a I 1 sat down on the steps to await the dogcart which one could see already a blick speck in the distance on the road from the castle the speck finally als appeared behind a clump of trees and when it emerged and drew up at the station we baw what a stunning little turnout it was the horse was as fine as any meet on the lady s abile the harness was and shining with ornaments and the cart and the groom s livery were faultless the honorable agatha mounted the box seat christopher she said to the groom I 1 m going to drive you d better ride back with the trunks then before I 1 had alm to interfere vincent leaped nimbly up to the scat beside her ind 1 was obliged to take ahe rumble with rudolph who leaped up beside me as it to his accustomed seat I 1 was too anxious to get to the castle and get something to eat how ever to roalnd and the honorable agatha proving to be as good a whip as she wag golfer we were soon winding up the last gentle slope that led to the big building As we drove down the long avenue another dogcart us rapidly and as it camo almost abreast to my surprise I 1 recognized the joung man who was sit ting with the groom as oung murray Urance peth he saw Us at the same moment and both dogcarts dog carts stopped hullo murray said incent and J together but he never bild the slightest at to us instead he jumped lightly from his high seat and came around to the honorable agatha s side of our cart reaching up he caught her band I 1 dont care whether you re the real agatha or not he sa idAla dark face flushed with the of his feel au AGATHA SECOND ing youve got to marry me some time I 1 m not after mono I 1 ve some of my own and I 1 II 11 make some more I 1 when you re tired of this folly I 1 m coming back tor you good by and he wrung her hand till the honorable agatha winced then he was gone lq a rattle of gravel and destt wa help heiring what he said and he dlan t seem to care whether we did pr nol hut we could hardly believe our ears young mur ray Urance peth that gilded idler declaring himself the victim of a mighty passion and more astounding still swearing that he would make some money he who had never done tiny work in his life besides that necessary to bleed his rich old uncle of his living expenses what was it he said I 1 thought about the real agathi and folly whit did it all mean As we drove up to the bistle en trance two girls of about 19 and 20 I 1 should say came tearing around the corner tennis racquets in hand and shrieked aloud evidently with gur delight at seeing us oh agatha cried the foremost ot the two a tall brown eed brown faced sylph with a ot wavy and very disorderly brown hair oh agatha where did you get tham im so tired of yes cried the other one where did they drop from I 1 thought you e allne gilr sha was a iy ay little thing this second one small but plump with fair skin and blue eyes very attractive somewhat embarrassing to me but vincent stood there utterly unperturbed bowing with that easy grace of his is the honorable agatha introduced us hut imagine our sur prise when she presented each ot those two young things as the honor able agatha dyckhoff Wyck hoff 11 thought y were the honor able M agatha I 1 cried unable to re press my astonishment so I 1 am she answered smiling and we followed her into the house silent but wondering CHAPTER 11 the inrid of the catl ave vry ot aon noua and t V 4 every luxury was iB after a little interchange of antiles n tl e spacious hall oar ate g haired raised her voice ghent in answer to a brisk elder lady came down fhil mahogany stairs and welcomed TJ coid lall shei was introduced as aunt and chaperon mrs armisto tt affeld peals of laughter from the girt although wo coulden couldn t see any joke mb then went to our which coa everything we could have desired and when we came din to dinner the footman told us tte mrs arm bead and the young jaetta w ere aw alting us in the drawing room we crossed the hall and when thai heavy curtains that separated it arote the hugs drawing room were lifted to admit fsr we saw at least 20 alrig s ranging lc age from 18 to 23 st andio or sitting around the room in attitude 0 expectancy I 1 found out later there were really only six of them bm at the time there looked to be 9 they were all pretty all wore erenio 1 dress and all were talking at once but as vincent and I 1 entered ahw stopped and mrs armestead camo tor ward and presented us to the thre girls we bad not yet seen the first of the new three agail fourth as vincent and I 1 called her later was tall and very fair with awo darful blue eyes and a beautiful figure that our bewilderment and ment increased when she also was pro dented to us as the honorable abatte dyckhoff Wyck hoff may be easily understood the next one bad light brown hair with gold lights in it and her edw w ere a golden hazel As she too wu introduced as the honorable I 1 bowed mechanical i as did vincent not daring to trust myself to utter ft word or repeat the name then lurn ing from agatha fifth we met taft honorable agatha sixth and last and I 1 thought she was the prettiest of all delicate and small she was but every inch an aristocrat from her small charming bead to her dainty little teat her eyes were dark brown her coa alexion pl exion clear olive and her haar straight and soft and jet black I 1 took to her at once though I 1 thought ahe looked rather sarcastic the introduction over we went ih to dinner and such a meal as tint was at one end of the table sat mrs armistead Armi while I 1 sat at the jtb er agatha first sat on mrs anal stead s right next to her sat vincent and next to him agatha fourth th tall fair haired beauty I 1 have described them at length so that it to not difficult to keep them apart antt to her on my left sat the plump girl with the blue ees agatha then on my right on fortunate mat sat my little lady aristocrat agac sixth and next to her agatha lecont her unruly brown curla somewhat subdued and looking very fetching i a costume of pink and white I 1 have thought that these girls american had I 1 not had reason to believe that they were english ther was that breezy simplicity and becca becoa dingness about their gowns walca seems to be distinctly american but I 1 have omitted from my category agatha fifth the agatha of the hazel eyes I 1 will not now take time to do justice to her manya charms but shall do so liter tor reasons which will soon appear mrs Armist eads sec retain who came in lata and into the seat at airs armestead 8 left completed the number of t the table she was a quiet young worn dressed in a severely simple gown at gra and her hair which waa doaa lery plainly wis distinctly red la color sirs armestead introduced her to us as her secretary miss marsh TO bia CONTINUED |
