Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-08-03
everyone was going into raptures about

OF the SharpeSC eyes or earS In the draw
| ing-room.
Mrs. Maynard" he exclaimed, turn
ing to that lady with an air of mock
| appeal, my happiness depends upon
| my seeing that cactus! Will you favor
me to this extent?"
With some laughing rejoinder she
| led the way to the conservatory, which
| opened from the drawing-roOm, and
| moment later they stood alone in the
warm, moist, perfume-laden place,
with great banks of tropical plants,
| wide-spreading palms and stately can
mas casting \ delicate green twilight
! around them and 4 soft, dreamy silence
| pervading the fragrant gloom.
| North duly examined the cactus and
| expressed the proper degree of adInira-
ton; then turning quickly to Mrs. May
nard, while his manner changed from
the superficial suavity that he had
adopted for the drawinS-roorn to pOr-
| teatous gravity. he said, II 4 low tone:
Mrs. Maynard, have something Of
great importance to tell You. You will
! be surprised perhaps disagreeably.
| Shall speak now, or wait Until some
| other tine?"
| She was tearing the petals from a
great cri,nson-hearted rose. and she did
| not look up; but the slight tremor Of
the languid white fingers betrayed to
him the nervous agitation against which
her pride and will We're contending
| with only partial success.
You may speak now, Mr.. North"
Then. YEARLY: why should you wait?
1t is no worse at one time than another"
True, Mrs. Maynard; and certainty,
however unwelcome it may be, is al
i ways more easily borne than suspense.
| In one word. then-Annie Dupont has
been discovered"
The soft color in her checks died out
| quickly in the surprise that she felt at
this announcement, and for an instant
her eyes lifted themselves to his with a
| half incredulous inquiry.
"You did not expect this. Mr.. North?"
she questioned, quietly, 4 curious re-
serve in her manner which made him
vaguely conscious Of having lost ground
with her since their last interview. The
| intimation was too subtle and slight
for him to be able to seize upon it and
definitely assign cause; but, had not
his affairs been shaping themselves so
satisfactorily within the last few days,
it would have occasioned him infinite
uneasincSs.
Expect it," he repeated, with
short expressive laugh. NO more than
Annie Dupont herself! l can scarcely
use stronger comparison. It's the
strangest case, Mrs. Maynard, one of
| those that prove the statement that
truth is stranger than fiction. 1 have
not yet been able TO lay NY hands on
the documents which will prove her
| identity, and establish her legal claims
as Mrs. Dunkirk's niece and heir; but
| that these documents exist have proof
as clear as the MONDAY, and I conf
IDENTITY expect within the next twelve
hours to have those papers securely in
| my possession"
! Absently breaking off bit of pale
blue heliotrope that was reaching out
temptinS!y toward him over the mass
of fragrant blossoms, he put it careless
| " in his buttonhole as he spoke these
last words.
! ''Does this proof come through the
man who called here few days ago?"
| inquired Mrs. Maynard with the same
reserve and in speculative tone. Her
| fingers were still busy with their work
| of destruction; her eyes idly watched
the great crimson petals futtering to
| their death.
"O'Reiily?" North smiled little,
with his eyes fixed in sharp but baftied
scrutiny upon her coldly unresponsive
| face. Yes, through him. l could take
| him into court to-day, with two or three
other persons who are equally within
reach, and by his sworn testimony,
without the aid Of any documentary
evidence whatever, establish Annie Du-
points identity so thoroughly that no
combination nor conspiracy against her
could possibly overthrow it; but for her
sake prefer to wal. for the corrobora-
tive testimony that those documents
contain. There will surely be but
few hours longer delay
He was unconscious Of the warmth in
his words and manner until he was
awakened to the fact by the cold, sur
prised inquiry in Mrs. Maynard's sud-
denly lifted eyes.
| You are singularly enthusiastic, Mr..
North" she said, slowly, holding her
gaze steadily, while North, with mo-
menta-y discontinue, felt himself
flushing 4 little under its cold accusa-
ton. You leave me no possible infer
eace but that your most ardent wish is
to esta blish this identity. May l ask if
your sudden interest in this hitherto
unknown hciress is purely profess
| Sionai?'
He did not, at that moment, fatho-n
the suspicion in her mind, but he
vaguely caught it's superficial signif-
canoe. A curious little smile crossed
his face. then a perfect inscrutability
yelled its whole expression. Mrs. May
nard, observing him with sharp intent
ness, felt all the shock of a sudden and
unexpected repulse. She had knocked
at door that had instantly been
| dorble-barr and locked against her.
''-As for that, Mrs. Maynard" North
rejoined, after moments pause, his
manner light and testing, 80 long as
| the lawyer is also a man, it is not
always possible to dsassociate his per
sonal and professional feelings. If they
don't antagonizc each otl;er, they gen.
orally become merged, you know"
Especially where young and beau
| tiful heiress is concerned" suggested
Mrs. Maynard, with quiet bitterness.
"Why do you think that Annie Du-
pont merits that description, Mrs. May
nard?" demanded North, teasingly.
Were we speaking of Annie Du-
! pont?" returned Mrs Maynard. with =
| frigidly polite stare. "Your question
IL