Show S i re R 1181 L STORY the ned asatha ag at ha 0 W 0 0 1 F by P doles by ed th we I 1 hunt agton walters mason F ey arrn N a ale hire wilson coper 1807 1907 by A C mcclurg air it co SYNOPSIS lord ilfred V incent and archibal I 1 terhune are introduced intro laced at the open ng of the store in england the latter re abing the tale the pair on an out ng m ss the r train and seek ng recreation meet the honorable agatha dyckhoff Wyck hott hoff whose hard Is n ch sought after be c ci SP se of her wealth F e 0 her agatha vi U y are introduced tl TI e deceased stepfan er in an c moment made his will so that the real agatha agathi heiress to ri 9 fortune and the cas ie at W we e bri bridgland gland in sh ved her afta ty tl ti s mrs arm stead chaperon vas in duty bound to I 1 e p the real agatha s identity an attempt by Terl tertule iune to gather a c ew fro n the chaperon ta fa Is Ie rhune fin finis Is old I 1 contain ng p pc c ture of a former baroness Wyck hoft wh ch ell is exactly I 1 ke agati a sixth whom he is n rt ng agatha fifth confesses her loic loe for vincent ind a so 11 0 at a e Is the real he ress he lie spurns her proposal many clews to identity of the real agatha prove tru fru CHAPTER IV continued lett left to myself I 1 was thinking out mv plan of campaign tampa ign as regarded agatha thild when a slight noise in the back ol 01 the room attracted my on I 1 looked up startled for it was late and the large dimly lighted draw ley room was rather an eerie place nd saw over oner the bad of my chair the t form of the secre approaching her hair was as neat as usual and her dress was the same simple gray gown she wore when I 1 had seen her first I 1 beg dour our pardon mr terhune she said timidly bet et without besita tion am sorry to disturb you but would mould ou have the goodness to give me a little of your time certainly I 1 replied rising though the hour Is late won t ou on be seated and I 1 found her a chair the secretary leaned back against it and folded her hands I 1 shall be quick she said but I 1 want to MI you something she sho spoke in a low voice but w th perfect composure though she never lifted her eyes I 1 caught caughe myself wondering whether she cast them down habitual ly so that people might observe the length of her black eyelashes yes 9 1 I said to encourage her of course you know lord vincent very well don dont t you youa 9 As she asked me this direct question she looked me full in the face and as my eyes met hers I 1 mentally thanked her tor for her mercy in not often permitting man to gaze into them 11 les es I 1 said recovering myself 1 1 I know him very well and he tells you things doesn t hea most things I 1 replied wondering at whal what she was driving then could you tell me please it if it if he accepted miss agatha the one with the hazel eyes that you call agatha fifth when she told him she loved him I 1 was never more astounded in mv life how did she know that agatha fifth had told vincent she loved him and how did it concern hera perhaps however she was acting under mrs armistead a orders but if so she ought to have said so that s a question of a very personal nature I 1 said and eyed her search angly but I 1 don t think lord vincent would mind as long as you know so much about it it if I 1 tell you tha he refused the young lady who was adia creet enough to ask him to marry her the secretary gave a s adden start and then by what seemed to be con sid erable effort regained control of herself he refused her I 1 continued for the girl and her questions and her genuine feeling interested me al tho agh she told him she was the real honorable agatha I 1 was so proud of vincent for that that I 1 was glad to be able to tell someone about it she said that and he refused her repeated the girl in an awed tone how could he do it how could he hea then it was true she is really the daughter of fletcher boyda I 1 cried eagerly at last I 1 had stumbled upon the truth for I 1 knew the secre tary lary m was as in the secret but she only smiled at in me I 1 you are a good man she said a good man the room was growing chilly and the fire was getting low and as she spoke she slipped down from the high chair and seated herself on a I 1 tile stool at my feet stretching out her slim hands toward the blaze I 1 thank I 1 ou she said simply and gazed into the fire a moment while I 1 gazed at her slender young figure her pink and white skin straight little nose and wide red mouth with its du maurier chin and all in a moment I 1 felt my elf pitying the poor I 1 little 1 lie girl vin ent was such an a attractive t active young scamp he might be playing fast and loose with her affections without in tending it or realizing that he was doing so involuntarily I 1 leaned to ward hei my dear yo mg ing lady I 1 said ind and as I 1 spoke I 1 caught myself thinking her really bood looking it if she only did her hair decently I 1 tho ight I 1 d call her a beauta I 1 really believe I 1 should mv dear young lady I 1 said tell me in confidence and per haps I 1 can help you do you r are yo i 1 er er laxter interested sted in lord wll wil fred 9 it if so allow me I 1 conjure con jure you nay ilay I 1 beg of aou ou to put all thought of him out of your head he doesn doean t mean it but he is a graceless young flirt he t mean a word he says let me warn you be advised I 1 stepped stopped short ih the midst ot of my well meant flow of words I 1 stopped short for coull coul I 1 I 1 believe my eyes the secretary was laughing at me my dear old man she said she did actually my dear old man your warnings are si st 0 is tor for I 1 am a married woman moman and still laughing she left the roon CHAPTER V alone I 1 sat for a moment speech less with mith aston shant as tle tl e secre tary lary left the room and as I 1 took my way slowly and tho thoi upstairs I 1 resolved that this was mas another thing that I 1 would mould not tell vincent he would mould be far more likely to ridicule me than to thank me for my effort in ill his behalf some sortie time after this on a perfect day agatha third and I 1 1 I had spent almost every hour dinep the dinner in her company I 1 may lemarl had planned a I 1 atle excursion wh ch ell would keep us outdoors all day we were going on a picnic up the little river hae han e 0 o i ever tried a pien e tor for twos tm 0 9 given the right companion and a day ill e that I 1 d warrant it to cure ans an attack of the blues agatha third had assured me thit that the prettiest spot tor for our huncl eon was a little island in the center of the stream where the turbent ran broad and deep about three miles b low tl ti e castle the day was fair the g rl was fairer and the moments were full of joy to me we had crossed a little bridge about a mile from the castle and were proceeding up the left bank of the river when a si adden turn of the stream brought two others of our house party 7 7 1 4 I 1 e 0 te tel I 1 me in confidence Conf dence clence and perhaps I 1 can help you I 1 into view on the opposite bank was vincent in high boots knickerbockers white shirt with mith sleeves rolled up and a farmer s broad brimmed hat bat of straw he was mas busy over a broken fishing nd ind which he was trying to mend in the center of the stream w where here the current ran swift and dan genously gerou sly deep a girl stood on a large bowlder boulder fishing other boulders bowl ders al ai in between the one she was stand ing on and the shore where vincent was indicated the means by which she had attained her precarious position I 1 recognized the girl as agatha sec see ond and smiled pityingly as I 1 thought of poor vincent invariably wasting his time with mith the wrong agatha hullo they cried cheerfully and we waved air hands and andied ked them what luck they fhy d had this esix isn t al v s a afe question to ak MI a fisher man but I 1 notice hat deop e who are not fishing themselves invariably find great satisfaction in asking it vin cent ald qaid he hadn haan t caught any fish and asked it if I 1 d landed mine yet just like lile his imp Impi impudence dence he hed d say any thing it he thought it was tunny funny no matter how it might annoy other peo pie just as I 1 was thinking of some re tort polite enough to utter aloud agatha second s rod began to bend and jerk and immediately there was fao BO much action going on that in my ex cit ement I 1 forgot what I 1 was about to say I 1 am a fisherman of or some skill myself well the pole began to bend and the agatha on the rock began to scream and vincent shouted diorec lions from the bank easy there easy he entreated her give him more line aggie more line I 1 cant she screamed at the top ot of her voice something some things s caught and he pulls so the reel I 1 shouted jumping up and down the reel pi ess the knob and let lot her go I 1 knew in a moment the sort she had it was just like mine a patent one with a spring reel mine often stuck that way all this time the fish was leaping about sometimes lumping jumping out of the water so that we could see him and he was a big fel low let me alone I 1 can do it myself cried the zirl 11 as vincent started to help her but even aishe as aishe spoke hei hey turn little foot slipped on the wet stone and losing her balance corn cum plemely sie pie s P ie tell fell backward into the deep water while the lod iod d sapp sap peare eared upstream in a moment vincent vv was as I 1 lunning at top speed along the bank till tilt he came to a little point of land near which the drowning girl must I 1 i ass As she ap pro preached ached he leaped into the water and striking diagonally upstream seized her by her clothing and fight ing his was back safely gained th point of land meantime I 1 had rui rut up the river toward a boat that I 1 hao haa observed near the bank J emping in I 1 soon read ed the spot where lay th unconscious form of agatha second all this time I 1 wal was dimly aware of the tact fact that agatha third had nevel never stopped screaming and was now run ning up and down on the opposite bank sobbing and wringing her bands hands when I 1 reached wilfred he was acx bously bend ng over the girl but ap par patently antly ly without the idea w what at to do I 1 immediately tell fell to chafing her hands and resorting to the other well known expedients for reviving the drowned and to enable her to tc breathe more freely I 1 removed the tight fitting dickey of her sailor suit it m was as not long before she began to regain con stress and it was at this mo ment that I 1 made a most amazing dis conery for around the neck of the girl I 1 saw a little silver chain and on it was strung a heavy gold ring set with a large cross of old fashioned em aralds I 1 called to vincent and as I 1 po at the magnificent and telltale piece of jewelry we both gazed at it speechless with surprise at discover ing in such a manner the secret of the honorable agatha agathas s identity beford she had quite regained her conscious ness I 1 readjusted her dickey and when she was able to stand we wrapped her in our coats and carried her to the boat there wasn gasn t room in it for more than two so I 1 made vincent get in with her and row back to the castle so they left us and agatha third and I 1 too thoroughly up set by the accident to wish to carry through our picnic followed them back walking one on each side of the stream until we reached the bridge where we joined forces As we returned I 1 did a great deal of thinking so it was agatha second after all who was the real honorable agatha gatha I 1 or certainly her possession of the dyckhoff Wyck hoff ring fing mentioned I 1 in n the will was proof positive now that I 1 thought of it the suspicious circum stance of agatha third s seem angly in voluntary rising when vincent toasted the honorable agatha admitted of many explanations at any rate whatever her reason for her action the pr presence of the dyckhoff Wyck hoff ring on the neck of agatha second had proved to me the falsity of that other clew claw and the identity of oar our fair but mys cerious hostess TO BE CONTINUED |