The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-06-25
CHAPTER XVII.
MISS MAXEY TRIES AGAIN.

~ messenger between Ballavoine place
and Dr. Eustace Lamar's office. Here
they are in the order of their transmits
sion:
My DEAR FRIEED-I have request to make
to you which you may think strange and ex-
interchangeable more so, perhaps, because l
cannot explain to you now the reasons why
make It. do not know that you will feel justi-
fed In giving me tho information that desire
to ask, but can only tell you that whether
you grant or refuse IL II shall be II matter en-
tirely between ourselves. Nobody shall ever
know that you have told Inc, not even my
brother. In excuse for this very bold letter l
can only plead the interest have In the well
fare and happiness Of those very near and dear
to me. l am sure DR.. Lamar will not think
that 1t Is any girlish whim. on my part that
leads me so to presume upon the brotherly in
tcrest he has always shown toward me. If you
could tell me the name OF that lawyer Of whom
you spoke last night, it would aid me greatly
IN an almost hopeless fight have undertaken
That Is al, Neither Julian nor Annette 70 in
my confidence In this matter. lido this on my
own individual responsibility, without the
knowledge of anybody in the wide world. How
Is Mrs. Forsythe this morningP / trust she has
fully recovered from her indisposition of last
evening Your true friend. ELLEN MAXEY.
To DR.. Eustace Lamar.
My DEAR 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 90 Park row. know that you
will respect this confidence. All that wish
TO caution you agaihstis your own enthusiasm.
Pray do nothing rash, my dear Miss Maxcy. /
trust you will always look upon me as your
friend, and that you will not hesitate at any
finn tn asE ma onythinfr fbnt 10 In,
to grant. Rest assured shall do it. Mrs. For
sythe Is quite i'll. She desires me to apologize
for her wild words last night. She says that
she was suffering excruCiating pain all the
evening and said what 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
now, rs always, EUsTACE LAMAR.
In the afternoon of the same day in
which Miss Maxey 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 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, 81 must
throw myself upon your mercy. I 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.
Unjust first introduce myself toyou,
sir. am Miss Ellen Maxcy. My broth
er, Mr.. Julian Maxey, is an artist and
lives at 20 Ballavoine place"
II am very pleased to know Miss
MnXey. Pray, do not stand. Seat your
self; scat yourself, Miss Maxey."
The polite old gentleman busted a
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 tang a scat in
his office chair on tho other side Of the
table.
Now, my dear young lady," he
chirped in a 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 Maxcy began
at once.
Il am not sure, sir, that you will not
be inclined to think me insane before I
havo done. hayo no advice to ask, no
suspicious to communicate. | have sim
ply come hero to tell you some facts
which have come under my own personal
observation, because / believe there is at
least possibility that they may ho of
great interest to you. II not, l shall
havo done my duty and have freed my
conscience.
The lawyer looked at her with bland
smile and inclined his head encourage
ingly.
II have only ono request to make"
Miss MaXoy went on, "and that is that
you will never tell anybody, whatever
the result of this interview may be, that
! camo hero to see you.
Tho polite lawyer assured her again
that her confidence should be respected.
'Thon, said Ellen, II will begin at
once with what ] came to say. Do you
remember the sensation in the papers last
December about the namcless girl who
was found caught on point Of rock be-
meath Somerset sea road?"
Seems to me do recollcct seeing the
headlines. l 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 homo with
us-my brother and myself. Her mind
was gone, but M 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 a
most extraordinary man named Leander
Dye who made no pretense Of being her
father, but who told us he did not know
her parcntage."
'Leander Dye, ch? Allow mo to in
quire, Miss Maxcy, If no is q shabby
genteel individual, who looked as though
he were continually recovering from o
debauch?'
you could not have described him
botter, Mr.. Bernstein "
II know him then. Don't let me in
terrupt you"
'"Perhaps the fact that I am going to
tell you, and which 1 came particularly
to tell you, is kqown to you already
through the papers This poor girl with
out q name had by some accident been
deprived Of one of the toes of her left