Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-07-19
your expectations only to disappoint you

your expectations only to disappoint you
when the time comes. 3 Do you expect
to make it out of this detective expert
ence of yours? Do you expect to prove
me the missing heir of the man who was
hung? don't think would like that
at all. If my father ever murdered any
body I'd rather not know it, and he
died in his bed, poor man! so it couldn't
have been he.''
Nevertheless, if you should come
into possession of fortune some day,
through my agency, win yod give me
the half for bringing it about?" persist
ed Mr.. Quest.
"Oh, I'm willing enough to promise
that" said Lex, fiippantly, provided
it don't include any legacy Uncle Power
may be leaving me in his will. sup
pose he is leaving me one9' with sus-.
picious glance at him. . Is that what
sent you so suddenly to play the devot-
ed 10 me?'
.He never mentioned your name in
the Instructions he has given me-" de-
clared Mr.. Quest.
well, then. give it up as an I'M
readable riddle.'' said Lex, turning
away, and Mr. Quest looked after her
through the gathering twilight with
satisfied gaze.
cts well to be guarded on all
points, he reflected. THAT will isn't
drawn yet, and it may never be. I'm
to have it written out and bring it down
to sign by the end of the week, Mr..
Oliphant says, but there's a little trip
to Cuba, my dear sir, to come between.
As if couldn't see it was manufactured
business to draw me away from that
purpose! 1t bothers me to know how
much he is a victim, how much particeps
criminis.
A little earlier, when the bright
hues of sunset were painted on sea and
sky, our two lovers were driving upon
a long strip of beach road, as level as
a floor. They We're reunited after
separation of four days, and Launt was
ready to declare they had seemed four
months. e. 81 ~
"Your father need never think to
send me away without you," he was
saying. My interests in the South
may suffer let them. 1t matters very
little since am to close everything out
there when we 90 on our wedding-to,ir.
darling. and this is only June
'.sOnly June!" echoed Dana, with
laugh. .'And it was only May when
we were both very miserable. You
pretend to be happy, and time drags
with you like thatn'
81 am so happy that am afraid it
win not last. am taking it for grant
ed that have you safe, and yet am
denied the promise indefinitely. l Won
der, Dana, if your hard-hearted parents
should demand you to give me up after
all, if yon would break my heart and
your own to obey"
Il owe them so much" said Dana,
wistfully. "And you, too, Launt! I
never have realized, never can realize,
that am only an unknown waif''
Back upon Launt's mind, like an I'm
pleasant wave. came that insinuation of
Harmon Quests. Whose child was she?
'Dana,'' he said, more gravely than
he had spoken yet, 81 accepted what
Mr.. Oliphant had to tell me, and asked
no questions; he entered into no details.
Will you relate what you know of your
adoption, how it came, who your own
parents were?"
THE last 1 am afraid / shall never
know" said Dana, with sigh. And
the story is strange one. 1t was
in New York, and about TO
when respectable looking German girl
them with me in her arms, |
and asked, brokenly, of mamma, if she
were the lady who was to take the ba-
by. On being answered no, the girl, |
who seemed in trouble, broke down and |
began to cry. 1t appeared that a
woman, representing herself to be the
nurse hired by lady about to fo |
abroad. had repented the engagement I
at the last moment, and hired the Ger
man girl to carry the child on board the |
ship. This woman was in q great hur- |
ry to leave the city, and had gone an
hour before the ship sailed The SIM
pie German suspected no treachery. and |
it was only when one lady passenger
after another disclaimed me that she /
grew alarmed. Mamma was the last I
one to come on board, and to. mamma
she poured out the whole story. Papa
questioned her closely, but the Girl only
seemed confident of one point: that
neither the pretended nurse. nor the
mythical lady, was the baby's mother
his she maintained with an evidently
honest belief. Who the lady was she
could not tell. Either in her confusion
she had forgotten the name. or only I'M
understanding the language
mad mistaken it from the first. Wen,
The was for leaving me on the ship I
whether or no, and when it appeared
hat l would only be taken away to be
sent to an asylum, my more than par
,nts made up their minds to keep me.
That is all Of the story, Launt, as I
eased it out of papa years ago; and |
believe mammals one regret is that I
vas not brought up il. entire ignorance
If the fact, and taught to believe myself
'guly their own
And did they take no steps to trace
,ut your true parentage?" asked Launt,
leeplv interested.
They were going abroad, as I told
you, and never returned until we all
,ame together. Papa did leave word
or some one to make inquiry, but it
anne TO nothing. No one ever APP
)eared TO search for mo at the ShiD'S