The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-27
CHAPTER XXIv.-CoNrrNuEp.

worth living apon the present terms. IL
she must give up her impoator and die,
doubtless she must submit; but might she
lot lay her whole case before some disin-
t6rsstsd person first, and see il there
wasn't perhaps some saving way ost of the
matter? She turned this idea over In her
mind q good deal. In her first visit with
Hawkins after her parents were gons the
task fell upon Tracy, and she was impslled
to set her case before the statesman and
take his counsel. 10 she poured ont her
heart. and he listened with painful solicit
tude. She concluded pleadingly with:
"Don't tell nae he il an an impostor. I
suppose he ID, but dossp't it look to you a.
il he isn't2 You are cool, you know, and
outside, and 10 maybe it can. look to you as
if he isn't one, whom it can't to me. Doesn't
it look to you as il he isn't? Couldn't you
-san't i look to you that way-for-for
my sakeY'
The poor man was troubled, but he felt
obliged 10 keep in the neighborhood of the
truth. He fought around the present de-
tail q little willis, and then gave it MP and
said he couldn't really zee his way to clear
ing Tracy.
No. he said. ''tha truth is. he's an i'm
postor."
THAT il, %you--you feel . little certain, but
not sntirely-oh, mot sntiraly, Mr.. Hawk
ms #
"I'sa pity to have to say til do hats to
say it-but I don't think anything about it,
I know hes an inpostor."
"Oh, now, Mr.. Hawkins, you can't ~
that far. A body can't really know it. you
know. II isn't proved that he's not what he
says he H." ....
Should he como out and make 4 clean
breast Of the whole wretched business?
Yes-at least ths most of tit ought to be
done. So he sot his tseth. and went At the
matter with determination, but purposing
to spare the girl one pain-that. Of knowing
that Tracy was = criminal.
Nov I am going to toll You . plain tale;
not one pleasant for ms to tell or for you
to hear, but ws've got to stand it. know
all about that fellow, and I know he's no
earl'a son ]"
The girls eyes flashed and she said:
II don't care d snap for that-go on.'
This was so wholly unexpected that it At
once DISTRACTED the narrative; Hawkins was
not even sure that he had heard Alright. He
said:
II don't know that / quite understand.
DO Won mean to say that if he was, all right
and proper otherwise you would be inditfsr-
snt about the earl part Of the businsss2"
"Absolutely."
You'd be entirely satisfied with him and
wouldn't care for his not being m earl's
son-that being an aarl's son wouldn't add
any value to him?"
Not tbs least value that l would care
for. Why, Mr.. Hawkins. I've Cotton over
aristooraeies and all such nonsense, and
am become just q plain, ordinary nobody
and content with it: and it is to him I eve
my cure. And as to anything being able to
add a vRluo to him, nothing can do that.
He il the whole world to me, just rs he is;
he c~omprshsnds all the values there are
then how can you add one?"
She's pretty far gone.'' he said to him
self. He continued, still to himself: II
must change my plan again; l can't seem
to strike one that will stand the require
msnts Of this most variegated emergency
five minutes on a stretch. Without max
ing this fellow a criminal. l believe l will
invent a name and character for him oalcu-
lated to disenohant her. If it fails to do it,
then I'll know that the next rightest thing
to do will be to help, her to her fate. poor
thing, not hinder her" Then he said
aloud:
well, Gwendolen-"
81 want to be called Sally"
Pm glad of it. l like it better myself.
Well, then, I'll tell you about this man
Snodgrass."
.'snodgrass! Is that his name?'
"Yes-bnodgrass. This others his NOM
.de-plume."
'.It's hideous!'
II know it is, but We can't help our
Names
And that is truly his real nams-andn not
Howard Tracy?"
Hawkins answered respectfully:
"Yss, it seems q pity"
Tbs girl sampled the name musinRly
once or twice.
"snodgraas, snodgrass. No. l could not
--l..a kL,A ~~-fl ,1A xx,A ~.a1 ~ -
No. l should call him by his first name.
What is his first namo?'
"Hia-sr-his initials are S. M"
His initials? / don't care anything
about his initials. I can't tell him by his
initials. What do they stand for?'
Well, you see, his father was u physician,
and h~s-he-wsll he was an idolator of his
profession, and he-well, he was \ very CO.
centric man, and"
VIVA. DO thsy stand for! What are you
shutfline about2'
'.Thsy-well they stand for Spinal Mon
nights. His father being a ply
II never heard such an infamous name.
Nobody can ever call a person that-a per-
son they love. ! wouldn't call an enemy
by such a name. 1t sounds like An cpl
thet.' After q moment she added, with a
kind of CONSERVATION. "Why, it would be-
my name! Letters would come with it
on"
"Yes-Mrs. Spinal Meningitis snod-
grass
: "Don't repeat it-don't: l can't bear it.
Was the father a lunatic?"
mo, that ia not charged"
II am glad of that, because that ia trans
missabls. What do yon think was the
matter with him. then?"
"Well. / don't really know.
The family used to run a good deal to
idiots. @nd so, maybe"
''Oh. there isn't any maybe about it. This
one was An idiot"
Well. yes-he could have bsen. He was
suspected"
'Suapscted!n' said Sally with irritation.
"Weuld one suspect there was going to be q
dark time If he saw the CONSULTATIONS fall
out of the sky? But that il enough about
the idiot, l don't take any interest in idiots;
toll me about this SON"
Very we'll. then, this one was the Oldest,
but not tho fayorite. His brother Zylobal-
saMum"- -5%
"Wait-give ms a chance to realize that.
II il perfectly SIMPLIFYING. Zylo-what did
You call lit" .gts
"IylobalsRmum.f 5244.s
II nsver heard suoh n name. Ii FUNDS
like = disease. Ii it a dissnse?" ISL
mo, l don't think it'B a disease. It's
either scriptural Or
"Wsll. It's not a%criptural."
Then it's anatomical. / knew it WAS
one or ths other. Yes, l remember now, il
il anatomical. It's Y gnnglion. a nerve
centre 1T ID what 10 called tho HylobAlsa-