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Show I I 1 TneUnspoken f I Word J ! f I ByJsitEtWSbTfi 1 (Otprrianv ,. Wetwa Mswssapw Uataa.), "Am I tee later Dudley North had traveled nearly a thousand miles by land and water. He was wearied and heavy-eyed, but he propounded the query with mingled' solicitude and eagerness In his tones.. Once the house he hadjnst entered' hod been his home nnd 'the Servants had admitted this old favorite without delay. Dudley bad hurried to 'the library, li-brary, where Mr. Velio, tho faintly, lawyer, law-yer, and Doctor Parish, stood engaged In serious consultation. Both welcome ed him with ;a friendly, handshake. "Your relative has rallied," spoke the latter, "but he will not last long.", "He may see his under asked Mr. Velle. j in "I see 'nonobjection. Mr. Rardlnge hts asked far htm repeatedly." ''North,'! added the lawyer, close to the ear of the young man, "your Uncle Is about to makojhls will: In the ab-t aence ot that, as ds nearest living rel-: atlve, you are5 the natural heir, bat he, has expressed' the desire and intention, ot choosing another legatee." t "I understand perfectly,"' spoke Dudley Dud-ley with cleafv, open promptness and. candor.' "My nnfcle haa been a true friend to me. He gave me a hoate for years and the backing which has enabled en-abled me to form a business connection connec-tion that IS 'permanent and full of promise. I ask no more, "I expect no mote." " ,"He Is very weak," said the, lawyer. "Do you know tie prospective helrT' V"I do not," answered Dudley., ''Just I before' I wenVaway on my last trip we I had a taeart-f.c-hfeart talk. My -uncle revealed to me that I would not be his heir, that ho Intended' to 'leave, hts for-. tune to another;! He simply toldme that he felt It his duty to makeftp for, as great wrongV tried to 'express 'my deip gratitude for aU'heJwdidfltte.for, net I told htsa'.taithfully that M4 ex-; pected nothing further from Us'nindly generosity." H, . , , ... !, r.They were.ln she Btc'ooW;t4otnJ tai the next!he4nent;'.,Upoa!a!euch ley John Batduge. the dying , man. ..linn it mji..i.iliilii!fililuMiutiii .. BsKlaNflBs3BBn&JBH r BBBsisnBsBltfii' . Twlee He Saw Her.- i Re was tke uncle ot Dudley North, by marriage only, but aa he opened his eyes and recognised thla unexpected hit longed-for visitor, hts 'bloodless face took on a quick 'flush and his dull eye glowed with pleasure. ' " "Uncle l" spoke Dudley fervently,, as he clasped the feeble trembling' hand extended,'-and" then -the- doctmwhls pered.in hla sssin criUcalji glance at his patient "Haste Is vital for; the execution ot his last wish," nodded to the lawyer and lerft the room, j DwUy stepped aside and the, lawyer opened his portfolio' nnd seated himself him-self at the bedside.' He drew forth a document that he had 'Just prepared in the library. It was, brief, simply describing the holdings of his client Ton jrisn to leave your fortune, to n person whose name you have not yet given. Mr; Bnrdlnge." he lntl- sated. "To make right ,vhatwas a wretched, wretch-ed, unmanly act, yes," uttered the invalid in-valid with dlmcultyv "I will write la' the name and'kave the wUl witnessed." . "Yes, the name Is" 'fAh, be haa collapsed. Quick, the, doctor," exclaimed Mr. Vlele, but he himself hurried In quest of him. He 'did not And him in the library, it seemed, for Dudley heard his heavy, tread cross' tho room, and then' his -voice In the hall beyond insistently calling for the only person who might revive the dying' man. iDndley had sprung to the side of the cotLh. At a glance he'dlscovered that death bad struck Its final blow. Tho body of ,lhe dytnrman after a -quick corivulslon-waa growing rigid, the face lud become ghastly;) Barely, able to jaoVa, Jobs' Hardtof expressed I voiceless appeal. It spoke In bis beseeching be-seeching eyesv Dudley -North comprehended. compre-hended. The name which his uncle wished to impart was all important, butHard-Ingo butHard-Ingo was past speaking. Ho clutched out with his trembling fingers and sets' ed a pencil, that lay upon the medicine tray. "Yes, understand," said Dudley quickly. He ,drew a card from his pocket He knelt by the bedside. Ho steadied the pencil -in the nerveless Sogers of 'tne'dying : tnani ' "Write," he directed. ' ' The Unsteady hand traced a letter, another a. word. Then-he sank back with' n gasp.', .There was a sliock', a shudder, and he was dead. .The doctor doc-tor came hurrying into, the room, but' paused as he glanced at-his patient l , "Too late,"jhe said la a low tone to' Mr. Velle, who had followed him. . ' Half an hour later, in the library,' Dudley glanced at the card. He bore, n scrawled word, one only, a, name. "Annette.". The unspoken word transcribed tran-scribed told, him nothing., A 'woman's, name, who was she? what was the Interest In-terest of Mr.-Hardlnge in her? '.'In the absence of a will," the lawyer law-yer said to him, as he prepared to' leave the house, "you become the sole heir." : . Dudley said nothing of the card. Ho, did. however., ask one .question. . ,,.; Mr. Velle,w.he satd,' "among my iHi cle'a friends or acquaintances, have you ever'heardnlm'speak'of, or" do' you know a person named Annette r '. Thn lawyer repeated the word and: beganto move' his head in negation.! Then be started and'stared strangely' at Dudley'.' "" ' "Why do yon ask that queationr he Inquired pointedly. , "Because I believe "that to be the first. name of the person, toiwhom my uncle Intended to bequeath his fortune." for-tune." , "Annette," spoke Mr. Velle In a retrospective re-trospective tone". "I can say this much, when your uncle wart a young man I recall thnt be was ensneed to a beauti ful girl named Annette., I did not know her, but I heard the story. All, the 'preparations tor their' marriage were made. Upon the wedding eye your uncle disappeared. I recall that the bride elect was crushed by. his unmanly action. Why Mr. Hardlnge .did not 'carry out the1 marriage I do pot Jtnow, bitt soon afterwards he married, mar-ried, another woman. He, probably broke the heart of a true, loving flan;; cee' Impelled by 'some later fancy. That U all I.can tell you. ,Of course, po will" having been' made, thla Annette, An-nette, If) she still Uvescoutd not In any way Invalidate your sole heirship." That waa!the'lawyer of l? The man of It was honest whole sruled, Dudley North. He searchod valtiVv for a week to find some trace of "Aunvtlc.' One, day a' man appeared; inquiry tor jar. .Hardlnge 'und'seeraMi'sbocxed when ; (earned of n demise. Dudley qUes-' otbitWwa.a tive. employed by his uncle to locate a'ltVi. Annette. Barton." His quest developed de-veloped he fact.that the lady had been dead for five years., ;Hertdaughter; also al-so Annette, the .detective traced down, working "in a ''department store. , 'Twin he had rtakes Mr. Hardlnge to the neighborhood of the humble 'boarding house; where-' Miss Barton lived, to view heriat a distance. There was a trifling balance due the detective detec-tive for hla work, which waa the cause 'Of bis preseat'calL ,, -i Dudley, paid the detective, and more, ,who guWed.hini to the .home of Miss Barton, as he had his uncle. For two days Dudley prosecuted Inquiry and investigation' aa to .tlie worthy girl who earned her own living and was universally uni-versally respected. .Twice he. saw her sneSrealiaed that he could never forget her.' ! Then Dudley informed the lawyer thatauwanJOsrwlute-purpose to transfer vthev estate 'to its rightful .owner. 'f Mr, Velle remonstrated, but Dudley was determined. He was surprised 'and dased, when, after a call upon Miss Barton, Mr. Velle said to hint: . ' "The young lady absolutely refuses to accept the fortune." , "On account of the action ot my uncle un-cle In the fnr.pastr , 'j "She only thinks that once her asoth-er asoth-er and.your uncle were tissual friends." "Then-" fl i "Bnohss'S0,k4ghiin eoneenttoi of yourunusuaLsiSriflc,thatlo, refuses) .to "beggar you." iifShe' ahall'havVwhat la HlhtMUy' ers," declared Dudley.' '" ' ' ' ' To his inner, spirit he confessed that he was glad of an opportunity to agate .see' the lovely Annette, who, filled, all hla ' waking, thought's. There was.'more, than one visit to the working' girl's humble home. Then one day Dudley called upon the lawyer with a radiant face. ' "We have compromised," he announced an-nounced gaily, - "You mean " . , ; . "8hare and share alike, .as husband and wife," waa the exultant reply. |