Show 7 h e R ea I 1 A at a f kv 0 0 by pictures by edith weil huntington walters mason y cm bell ales r wilson copyright MT 1007 by A 0 mcclurg co afe SYNOPSIS a v CHAPTER r lord wilfred vincent mid archibald terhune are arc introduced at ifie lie opening of tho story in england ii Cri gland th dit latter ietter relating the tale the pair on an outing miss their train anti and sec seeking icing recreation meet tile the honorable agatha whose vl iose liand land Is much sought after because of her wealth on visiting the castle they are introduced to io two other girls both known as agaten j CHAPTER it the inside of the castle save gave ever every evidence of enormous wealth and every imaginable luxury was provI provided deI after a little interchange of pleas andries in the spacious hall our black haired friend filand raised her voice valce in a 4 stentorian shout lu in answer to which n braak elderly lady came gowa dews isis manigand mano mani gany stairs and welcomed lit in cordially she was introduced as oui ap aunt and chaperon mrs armistead amid deals acala of laughter from the girls although althou h wo see any joke W then went to 0 o our rooms kooms which con failed we ie could possible U s have desired a and d when we came doar to dinner the footman told us thai mrs Armist armistead cad and the young larlie ladies w were ere awaiting us in tho the drawing room N ve ive crossed the hall and when heavy curtains that separated it fron the huge draw di awing lil g room were lifted tc t admit us we saw at least 20 girl ranging in age a ge from IS 18 to 23 standing or sitting around the room in attl attitudes attitude tude of expectancy I 1 found acuna out later that there were really only six of them but at the time there looked to be 20 they wore were all pretty all wore evening L dress and all were talking at once but as vincent vin cent anil and I 1 entered the them s topped stopped and mrs armistead came for wari ward and presented us to the three wo we had not nol yet seen the first farat of the fhe new three agatha T fourth lou rth a as vincen and I 1 called her later was talland tali and very fair with won jarful blue eyes and a beautiful figure that I 1 at our bewilderment and astonish ment increased when she also was pre se cited to us as the honorable agatha may be easily understood y 1 the next one had lightbrown light brown hair with gold lights in ill it and tier her eyer were a golden li hazel izi As she too was introduced as the honorable Wyck hof I 1 bowed mechanic mechanically aUy as did vincent not daring to trust myself to utter a word or repe repeat it the th e name then turn ing from agatha fifth we met the fleno honorable rable agatha sixth and last and I 1 thought she was as the prettiest of all all delicate and small slie she was but every inch in an aristocrat from her small charming head to 0 her dainty little leet feet her oyes eyes wore were dark brown lier her coni com alexion clear olive and her hair straight raight sf and soft and jet lack black I 1 took to lo her at once though 1 I thou thought alit slie she looked rather sarea sarcastic the introductions over we nye went in ili to dinner and in such sucha a meal as that was N as at one end of the table at mrs ai armistead mastead mi stead while I 1 sat at the othor other agatha first sat on mrs armi arini right next to her sat vincent and next to him agatha fourth the tall fair haired beauty I 1 have do de ascribed scribed tanni at length so that it is I 1 jilt not to reco keen thorn apart nez neat to her on oil my lort sat the plilip liev girl with the blue eyes agatha third then on my illy right oh fortunate me sat my little lady aristocrat agatha sixth and next to her agatha second her unruly brown curls somewhat subdued and looking very fetching in ili a costume of pink and white I 1 should have thought that these girls were Anio american rican had I 1 not had reason to belove believe that they were english there was that breezy simplicity and becomingness I 1 1 ic ness about their gowns which I 1 S seem ee nisto sto be distinctly american but I 1 have omitted from my lily category agatha fifth the agatha of the hazel eyes I 1 will not rw new take time to do justice to her many charms but shall do so later for reasons which will soon appear mrs Armist eads secretary who came in late and slipped into the seat at mrs air Armist eads I 1 left of t completed the number of persons at the table she was a quiet young woman dressed in ili a severely simple gown of gray and her hallwhich was done one very plainly was distinctly red in color mrs armistead introduced her to us as her secretary miss marsh the meal was ans well cooked and beautifully served bild by the time the salad course arrived vincent and I 1 had lost much of our conati constraint aint and self consciousness and were talking and laughing with the best of them the levity and freedom from the conven usually observed at a dinner party in which those girls indulged was a bit shocking to me a although it did not seem to disconcert vincent in the least after dinner our adventure developed its most astonishing feature at the close of the meal tile the ladies arose and we wre w bre re invited to remain and smoke some exceptionally fine cigars but before she left the room the secretary carne came over to us and in a low tone told us that when we had finished our smoke mrs armistead desired that we should join her in the library to discuss business she the secretary would come for us as we would not know the way we were am amazed abed Bui business iness what ahat ba business could we e possibly have with mrs airs armistead however PIo wever we told the secretary that we would be happy to join her mistress in ill the library in about 20 minutes although as I 1 said we lia lant the wildest idea wh what t we could possibly have to discuss with tier her when the secretary se cretai y withdrew vincent burst into a flood of excited conjecture are we in a girls boarding school or a lunatic asylum or what he demanded 1 I dont know what to make of it if its an all asylum then im distinctly for lunatics they re the most attract attractive iva lot ive ever seen but if all sisters why papa and INI mamma anima dyckhoff Wyck hoff find different names allies for en cm six Agat agathas bas and all the honorable at that its absurd but it doean doesn t seem to bother them they call each 0 orbr i ag and aggie and agatha just iut ay as if it were rose or owen gwen or maud what do you suppose poke it all means my heads in a whirl my aly dear follow I 1 said 1 I have a presentiment that we shall find out what it all means when we join mrs armistead in the library and wo lid did As I 1 have said my lily intuitions so seldom fall fail me the library was a little room at some distance from the dining hall it was beautifully furnished like the rest of th the house ehouse and a big fireplace took up one side of the room before it was a massive armchair arni chair worn and old as if the barons of dyckhoff Wyck hoff for ages back had sat in ili it on the largo large t ware borne legal looking pape papers vu abtil as we entered mrs armistead curoso and placed her hand upon them the secretary closed the door and tools took up liar her position beside her mistress while we stood before them ill at ease and expecting we knew not what gentlemen began mrs armistead Armistea A with great gi gravity 1 I am right am I 1 not in pre presuming that you are candi dates for the hand h and of the honorable agatha dyckhoff Wyck hoff T I 1 yes t that s just what she said candidates forsbe for J be hand of the Honora bj 0 vtha g at b a wr W r ft t my lily br away and abir J P r e I 1 bad time to speak and set her right I 1 heard vincent calm 7 ly y as assuring hr hir h ir that TO anro candidates candid d As lie he had bad i rashly committed I 1 could nL so go back on him so I 1 ia him make a all 11 the other answers that were necessary then anu wi wish to hear the will continued irs s armistead anti and vincent assented read the will said mrs armistead to the sec seer stary and the rating lady in gr gray ty picked up one odthe of the legal looking papers this is to certify sho she began and read to the t finish while lle I 1 held my breath for when I 1 had heard the i e of that extraordinary document I 1 was filled with amazement and curiosity not blot ed with a certain excitement ci cit ement in ili brief the provisions provIs lons of 0 this remarkable ible will ran thus fletcher boyd stepfather of tho honorable agatha Wyck hoft had left her his anthe fortune of about provided derl that she obey the conditions of his will should jie disregard d them tho the whole sum was to go to the endowment of a presbyterian hospital at now new bedford mass his nativo native town the will then went on to say that wishing to protect the girl who was not yet 21 years of age from fortune hun her s stepfather desired her at the completion of her edu education catlon to secure not less than three nor more than six girls from IS 18 to 2 23 years of age ea each ii bearin bearing L the name of agatha who would be willing to live with the honorable agatha at her castle in near wye england for two years in return for which they were each to receive a generous monthly stipend enjoy luxurious lodgings and rich fare and to live a life of idleness with ample entertainment it was further directed that before the girls left for J england Da gland some english lady 0 rank or position be secured bodwell to dwell at castle W V eckhoff in the capacity of chaperon in consider afian of a handzo handsome n e salary this lady to be prefer preferably abl y mrs Ari armistead sister of the real reab honorable agathas mother for the first year after mr boyds death the honorable agatha was to observe mourning by not going to london festivities but during this time she was to be permitted to amuse amuse herself and friends by entertaining at the castle any young men of whom the chaperon might ap approve provo mrs armistead should sho she be the chaperon secured was vas likewise charged to keep the castle supplied with guests the best young men that england could boast as 11 hei er lar laa acquaintance tance permitted her to do each visitor in the role of suitor for the hand of the honorable agatha was limited to six weeks stay at the castle a as s mr alfi boyd consi considered considers derc d that len length tai of time for him to find out whether lie he lound any ol 01 of the agathas or no not and the s tor was no not to mare make his declaration u until nill the very last day of the six boks woks anve flis allotted L him bim and of course was 11 limited 1 mi eted to one proposal in cm the event of any of the I 1 young men prop proposing oisin g to any of the agathas nab who 0 was not the step stepdaughter laughter of mr boyd the will permitted her to marry him i if she desired but with the distinct understanding der standing that she was ivas not the hon arable A agatha gatila in ill that case mrs armistead was v as to secure another agatha and the girl ahu desired to marry was to receive a dowry amounting to the full sul sum of the monthly stipends which she would have received had she remained at the castle for the entire two years tile the sams provision for tier her companions was roide made in the event of the real agathas marriage before the expiration of the time if any young man proposed to the real agatha ignorant of her identity and she accepted him she was directed by the will to produce and wear upon the third ringer finger of her left hand the betrothal ring of lie glicr r others mothers family a gold ring set with a big cross of emeralds as proof of he her identity lis as the real A agatha atha mrs airs armistead and all the giras were to be bound by oath not to reveal mhd identity of the real A agatha adia and e each ach of ale he latter ater was to be lik likewise a wise adar addressed bessea aa a 9 the honorable agatha Wyck holf by b y 4 suit suitors ors and servants irl in order to pre serve the secret this condition could be carried out without fear of recognition by the servants as the raf agatha bad not been in engl england and sinco since tier her early childhood thus her identity could be easily cosily concealed and by this means if 1 any proposal of mar inan ciriago ariage wore were made to her it would bo from a man mail whose motives wore were not mercenary but purely those of natural affection which was the stepfathers step fathers object in making t the will the will closed with the appoint ment of executors and trustees ant and then came the witnesses the datts ara and the place of reside residence then we can call stay in thus bully old place for six weeks said vincent hooray iles hes such a kid the secretary smiled at his enthus v easm and vincent must have thought tier her very attractive because ha drew aside and began to talk to tier her in low tones while I 1 discussed the will with mrs airs armistead who aho seemed perfectly willing to impart whatever information mation we desired it was just like vincent to begin a flirtation with tha geore secretary tary just as if there were not six liand handsome some girls of his own station a the castle but ariy anything thing fa feminine mInIne will do for him as long as she has ff sweet smile or soulful eyes or some other equally trivial attraction hey hec flirt ellirt with mrs armistead herself im sure if that estimable dame begging het her imi pardon don would give him a chabra to be continued |