Show r floca y ft 4 A i IW by A C mcclar co SYNOPSIS lord wilfred vincent and archibald terhune are introduced at the opening of the story in angland the latter relating the tale the pair on an outing miss their train and becking recreation meet the honorable agatha ickson ic khon whose hand Is much sought after because of her wealth five other agatha are introduced the deceased stepfather in an eccentric moment male his will so that the real agatha heiress to alb fortune and alie castle at vye england might wed her affinity thus mrs armestead chaperon was in duty bound to keep the real agatha identity unknown an attempt by terhune to gather a clew from the chaperon falls terhune finds old books containing picture of a former baroness which Is exactly like agatha sixth whom he Is courting agatha f fifth confesses her love for incent and also that she la the real heiress he spurns her many clews to identity of the real agatha prove fruitless agatha fifth later confesses she Is not the heiress more apparently unfailing clews material ize vincent confesses love for mrs armestead s secretary wn marsh who told terhune she 18 married i CHAPTER V continued the inevitable happened for aln cent with a half articulate cry like a wild animal raised his clenched alst and struck at me fortunately for us both he struck wildly in his anger and I 1 caught the blow on my arm you liar be shouted oh you clarl and in a rage that shook him from head to foot he rushed from the room and slammed the door I 1 was alck at heart as I 1 stood staring after him to think that matters had come to such a pass between vincent and myself although no man can hear himself called a liar even by his best friend without resenting it still when the first flash of my wrath had passed I 1 forgave him for it for I 1 knew that the heat of his passion would permit no satisfaction but violence and of course it he really cared for the woman the words I 1 had used were about the most insulting possible however I 1 had done what seemed to be my duty and I 1 only reproached myself for not having told him of the secretary s marriage before his unhappy infatuation had gained such headway but he had disarmed mi first suspicions and I 1 had never dreamed that anything so serious was on foot that was a restless for me and it waa dawn before I 1 tell into a light sleep CHAPTER VI when we met at breakfast the next morning there were no signs of the breach between vincent and myself except his unusual pallor which sug to me that he too had spent a sleepless night the girls were inclined to joke our solemn cices but so long as the meal passed off without disclosing that something was amiss between us I 1 did i not care all day we saw nothing of each other but this was not unusual as we always pursued different courses I 1 spent most of my time with agatha fourth the only honor able whom I 1 found to be a really de girl and certainly the posses sor of lemarl able musical talent in the evening the others went out to row on the lal e and left agathi fourth alone with roc she sat at the piano and played everything she could think of while I 1 lay on a bicad divan where I 1 could watch her and listen to the soft music I 1 suppose that my lud night had something to do with the fact that I 1 was boor enough to fall asleep while the beautiful agatha fourth was play ing for me certainly I 1 know that I 1 was guilty of that appalling rudeness for I 1 was suddenly brought to a state of consciousness by the sound of a clock striking I 1 counted the strokes mechanically there were 12 I 1 must have slept tor hours and sure enough the room was dark except for the fire light and my slighted hostess aia gone from the piano stool As I 1 was about to rise I 1 heard voices and turn ing I 1 saw on the other side of the piano a man and a girl the man was vincent of course and I 1 thought as I 1 looked at him sitting full la the bright firelight that he had never looked so handsome ills evening dress showed off his superb athletic form to the best advantage and his tac was fresh and strong with the bronz of his tan extending to the roots of his hair which was cut close to conceal a wave in the gold of it it occurred to me at once that hla face had lost much of its boyishness and he looked every inch a man but it took me some time to realize that the girl w ho sat with him was none other than the secretary at first I 1 could not tell what it was that had SQ changed her whether it wae her shimmering white evening gown or the gleaming bracelets until at list it came to me in a hash that it was nothing more nor less than the glory of her hair that had wrought the transformation I 1 had never seen the secretary with her hair done any way but plainly and unbecomingly but now it was dressed as I 1 knew it should have been dressed long ago she wore it low on her long slender neck rolled at the sides and rippling loosely back from her forehead in shining waves i and little willful rings held in place with big shell combs and when at last it dawned upon me that it was really the secretary who wa vincents companion so breathless was I 1 with amaze that at first I 1 hardly realized that I 1 could hear perfectly what they were saying and when I 1 did realize it I 1 wanted to tse and let them know that I 1 was there but on second thought I 1 saw that I 1 must have been there tor so long that they would never believe that I 1 had not heard the whole of their con vers atlon furthermore it occurred to re that it might be well it I 1 stayed to hear what alsa marsh had to say for herself and so I 1 calmly took the dress and put it on lust to amuse myself I 1 heard the secretary saying and did my hair the way the others do theirs you know and it was so late I 1 thought no one would find me here and if I 1 haan hadn t left my pipe on the table no one would have found ou and I 1 think what I 1 should have missed vincents voice was eloquent of course it was very vain of me very vain she went on but you know when a girl has to earn her own living she gets a little tired of all work and no play and sometimes the impulse to pretend she s fortunate and happy and and pretty the secretary flushed under vincents gaze as she faltered the last word and hurried on and like the others Is so strong that it tempts her to deck herself out in borrowed plumes and sit in an empty drawing room at 12 0 clock at night enjoying the illusion for a brief hour iso said vincent softly 1 I dont think it was vain I 1 think it was the natural thing in the world and and I 1 m glad you did it he ended rather lamely the secretary laughed and I 1 won dered what there was about the sound im not married she said simply that boado vincent rave over it then as his ees wandered to her hair he sighed wh thou oh furnace she smiled at him I 1 was lust thinking about some thing about what you don t want to hear aha but I 1 do all right then he turned on her swiftly I 1 was just looking he said at 3 our hair I 1 it bet the angels hai e halos like that the secretary blushed its horrid hair she said giving it a vindictive little pull that only brought it to a more charming disarray I 1 hate the color of it vvhs when I 1 was a child I 1 never could acir to have the heroines of the fairy tales have a shining head of golden hair and I 1 used to think mine was gold and one day when I 1 said so and was told no 5 our hair is red not gold I 1 cried for days after ward lou poor little he said alsi face as full of sympathy as it those tears had just been shed and for the difo of her the secretary coulden couldn t help her lip trembling though she knew it was absurd and was very much ashamed of herself vincent broke the silence first e might do a little on the dead barons of he suggested it was evident that our affair of last night was uppermost in his mind for his air was very abstracted str acted no thank you my lord athla Is my evening off I 1 am no longer miss marsh the secretary but miss marsh the lady of leisure I 1 t think of it as and I 1 thought perhaps ou dlan t either when we did it together little boys dat think its a bad habit she said severely besides sou talk luket in the dolly dla bogues at this face grew desper ate and I 1 saw that she had goaded him into asking her the question that had been on bis mind all day and I 1 nearly tell off the sofi in my efforts to hear without being seen do 1 he said well that a because 1 something ive been want ing to ask ou all day long it a something very personal and of course I 1 vo no right that Is you won t think eo the boy was but I 1 TO got to know pitifully it s so bard to A 4 i be leva abit i ou would do it bellber abely Is it true lord wilfred said the girl straightening up you must speak more clearly it you want me to understand what you have been saying its this said lord wilfred facing her abruptly and terribly in earnest someone told me last night that you were a married woman Is it true I 1 could not see the ace of the secretary nut I 1 could not help perceiving the ring of truth in her voice I 1 m not married she said simply 1 I told mr terhune so because wanted to disabuse him of a false im pres slon he was laboring under but what 13 it to you this bald wilfred and he leaned toward her suddenly and grasped her hands and put his fice within an inch ot her I 1 could see by the firelight ita look of determination and ineffable ra alet the secretary gave a little cry and drew back I 1 conjectured that wilfred was on the point of making an irretrievable ass of himself EO ia interrupted proceedings by knocking a book off the sofa and rising to m feet at the first sound of the bool falling the two had jumped to theli feet and stood the girl shrinking dost to wilfred and wilfred with his arm thrown around her who goes there toe said sternly as he discovered my figure in gloom and ah its sou terhune as I 1 came into the circle of light in a tone I 1 hope I 1 may never hear from him again As the secretary saw who it was she sprang away and was gone from the room in a second well he said with sneer as the curtains closed behind her eaves dropper meddling as usual what can I 1 do for you I 1 sat down on the stool sit down I 1 said with quiet authority and we II 11 talk it over he sat down in mo ments like this be forgets his pen dence and remembers that at one time he used to obey me habitually I 1 wanted to comfort him but I 1 knew my anty better vincent I 1 said ap don t you see it won t do she s no match for you a girl with n family and no money and of her sta alon in life give it up I 1 implore sou think of your father ther has never been a misalliance mes alliance in the family it would break his heart vincent raised his held sirs armestead says her famal Is perfecta respectable he said 1 I asked her perfect respectable I 1 repeated contemptuously think of a vincent marrying a girl who has nothing in hei favor but the fact that her family wai perfectly respectable vincent sighed pathetically and t delivered one more blow think t said your brother edmund Is avei 40 unmarried and a sufferer frore rheumatism of the heart as ou know suppose he should die wouldn t yov make a more creditable heir to title it sou tied yourself up to a wife of obscure origin a penniless american girla and it you don t come into the title you re only a younger son and you know yourself your propensity for getting into debt and the foreign office for a boy of your age Is not a paying business no vincent youre not cut out for making money and its certain ou cant depend on your father forever cant you see how rash and foolish ou are to con alder such af thing I 1 leaned over and put my hand on shoulder ho turned ahls head and when I 1 felt his smooth cheek against my hand I 1 knew thai the battle was ivon TO BE |