Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-10-13
l don't know what have been sayingr'
and tainted in unmistakable earnest
CHAPTER XVII.
MISS MAXEY TRIES AGAIN.

| CHATTER XVII
MISS MAXEY TRIES AGAIN.
The next morning two letters passed
by messenger between Ballavoine place
and DR.. Eustace Lamar's Office. Here
they are in the order Of their transmits.
sion:
NV DEAR FRIEND have n request 10 make
to you which you may think strange and ex.
interchangeable more so. perhaps. because 1
cannot explain to you now the reasons why I
make it. do not know that you will feel iusti-
fled in giving me the Information that desire
to ask, but can only tell you that whether
YOU grant or refuse il II shall be n matter en-
tirely between ourselves. Nobody shall ever
know that you have told me. not even my
brother. In excuse for this very bold letter I
lcan only plead the interest have in the well
fare and happiness Of those very near and dear
to me. ! am sure DIR. Lamar will not think
that IL is am cirlish within on my part that
leads me SO to presume upon the brotherly in
terest he has always shown toward NE. If you
could tell me the name of that lawyer of whom
You spoke last night, il would aid ne greatly
'" an almost hopeless fight have undertaken
That is all. Neither Julian nor Annette IL In
my confidence in this matter. I do this on my
own individual responsibility. without the
| knowledge OF any body in the wide world. How
Is Mrs. Forsythe this morning? trust she has
fully recovered from her indisposition Of last
evening. Your true friend. ELLEN MAxEY.
To DIR. Eustace Lamar.
MY Dean Miss MAxEy-I reply to your re-
quest without an instant's hesitation. the
| name of the lawyer is Frederick bernstein and
| his Office is at 30 Park row. / know that you
will respect this confidence. All that wish
| to caution you against is your own enthusiasm.
Pray do nothing rash. my dear Miss Maxey.
| trust you will always look upon me as your
| friend, and that YOU will not hesitate at any
| time to ask me anything that Is in my power
| 10 grant. Rest assured l shall do it. Mrs For.
| sythe Is quite i'll. She desires me to apologize
| Tor her wild words last night She says that
| the was suffering excyuciating pain all the
| evening and said wha. she did in a delirium
| brought on by too great and continuous self
restraint. She will convey her apology in per-
son when she is sufficiently recovered. Yours
| how, as always, EUsTAcE LAMAR.
In the afternoon of the same day in
which Miss Maxcy received this answer
she donned her street garments and went
out.
She walked directly to Park row, and
in response to her inquiries was shown
into the presence Of a little gray haired
old man with bright eyes, who receiv-
ed her with most scrupulous politeness
in an inner room opening off the main
Office
Mr.. Bernstein" said Ellen, coming
to business without delay, Il must
throw myself upon Your mercy. mean
to say that my visit to you is strictly
private 1t is not known even to my
nearest relatives
Give yourself no uneasiness, miss"
said the old gentleman, shutting the
door very carefully. Listening to con-
fidences is part Of my trade These
walls have no ears"
Il must first introduce myself to you,
sir. / am Miss Ellen Maxey. Ny broth
er, Mr.. Julian Maxey, is an artist and
lives at 20 Ballavoine place"
Il am very pleased to know Miss
Maxey. Pray, do not stand. Seat your
self; seat yourself, Miss Maxey."
The polite old gentleman busted q
chair with great diligence and drew it
invitingly into the middle Of the floor
beside the green covered table.
Ellen sat down, and the lawyer fol-
lowed her example by taking q seat in
his Office chair ON the other side Of the
table
Now, my dear young lady," he
chirped in cheerful little voice, don't
be at all afraid to free your mind to
me- Say whatever is in your heart to
say, and say it as though you were talk.
ing to your most confidential friend"
Thus encouraged. Miss Maxey began
at once.
Il am not sure, sir, that you will not
be inclined to think me insane before I
have done. / have no advice to ask, no
suspicious to communicate / have sim
ply come here to tell you some facts
which have come under my own personal
observation, because believe there is at
least possibility that they may be of
great interest to you If not, shall
have done my duty and have freed my
conscience"
The lawyer looked at her with a bland
smile and inclined his head encourage
ingly.
Il have only one request to make, |"
Miss Maxey went on, land that is that
you will never tell anybody, whatever
the result of this interview may be, that
l came here to see you"
The polite lawyer assured her again
that her confidence should be respected
Then" said Ellen, II will begin at
once with what came to say. Do you
remember the sensation in the papers Last
December about the nameless girl who
was found caught on point of rock BE-
meath Somerset sea road?''
Seems to me do recollect seeing the
headlines. am very sure / did not
read the articles"
Briefly, sir, it was this: We found
the poor child caught on point of rock
below the road, in front of the hotel at
Somerset, and brought her home with
us-my brother and myself Her mind
was gone, but an operation restored her,
and she is now my brothers wife. But
that does not matter. All that thought
might possibly interest You is this:
There was, there must have been, some
conspiracy to kill her for some unknown
motive. She had been brought up by q
most extraordinary man named Leander
Dye, who made no pretense of being hes
father, but who told Us he did not know
her parentage."
Leander Dive eh? Allow me n an