The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-25
MOOg N111xL a Fascinating
Hs7.sT' 3. - - = % Romance
81 BY
VG4I - Alan Adair,.
CHAPTER VI.

4 sitting together In the one large chair
that the room possessed. The woman.
slight still young. and astonishingly
beautiful: the child, one Of those
brown. curly-haired children, with blue
eyes, who have sprung from parents
sof different nations. The woman's
face we have seen before. Now the
only alteration in 1t. and one It was
that did not affect her beauty, was a
great sadness. except when she spoke
TO the child. and then her whole face
changed.
1T Is such a great city," she was
saying such a great city. I did not
know it would be SO difficult to find
any one. thought that when once
I got to England it would all be well.
and now have been in England more
than year, and have not seen him.
Ana yet / am 80 longing to see him
once again, and to show him our boy.
oh. how happy he will be-! How happy
we both shall be! These weary years
will be as naught, and shall forget
everything once feel his arms round
me again!"
There was a step on the stairs. Ver-
sonica listened. She had grown more
womanly in these last four years, and
she looked more thoughtful. Sorrow,
the great master, had taught her
many things. Now she did not look
unhappy, but eager and anxious. She
evidently recognized the footsteps on
the stairs, and 1t did not bring her
any pleasure. She was shrinking to-
gether in the chair with the child
when the door opened to her call
Come in!" and Hutchinson entered.
Good afternoon" she said, but
showed no pleasure at the sight of
him. How did you find me out?"
: How? It is always easy to find
!any one when you have mind. to,
and when you have any sense in
your head" He scanned Veronica's
face as he spoke, and noticed that
eshe flushed slightly. II saw you go
Into music shop, and followed you
home the other day, and I made a
note OF the road and the number, and
here am.
what do, you want Of me?" asked
Veronica, rather hopelessly.
MY dear girl'- Hutchinson spoke
my dear girl, why could you
mot have confided in your father? It
would have. saved you a great deal
lit you, had
You are not my father said Yer
onica quietly, you told me SO your
SELF"
why quarrel about an expression?
I I am the man who brought you up.
Veronica, why did you not tell me
that you had married Alan Mackenzie
/, and that this, is his child?"
Veronica gave great start. She
knew why she had not mentioned
Alan's name to him. She knew of
the hatred that Hutchinson had for
him, and even now she did not know
what to say. How do you know %
ishe asked at last. "Who told you?'
"He told me himself said the
man, watching the agitation that
Veronica betrayed. II should not
have known unless"
when did he tell you?" she asked,
her lips almost refusing to utter o
sound.
About two months ago.
= Veronica sprang up. "He is here,
in London. Two months ago! oh,
take me to him! Let me see him at
once! Why did you not tell me be-
fore?"
Glow could II" the man said dry
". Il tell you you should have had
more confidence. I did not know you
were his WIFE,"
"How was he looking?" cried Yer
onica. ooh, my darling, my darling!
Did he speak Of me two months ago?
think we shall die Of happiness
when we come together again!"
mo doubt" said Hutchinson. docs
he know Of the boy?"
..No. The boy was born five months
after the shipwreck. I have told you
I was so Ill after the wreck that / lost
my reason for time. 2
pity" said Hutchinson, reflective
", "that when you told me so much
you old not tell me all. y
Veronica did not answer. Something
In the mans tone awakened her sus-
picions. Are you sure" she asked.
after q little silence, that you do
not want to hurt him?' ss
Why should r." asked Hutchin-
son. No. what I want to do Is to
make money out OF him. He will NOT
be able to deny me anything when
restore him his wife and child"
That sounded possible. Veronica
smiled, and let herself be happy n
the thought that what she had go
longed for and worked for for years
was about to come to pass. sssss
Ny darling, my darling!" she muir
INJURED. Hutchinson looked at her
curiously. q
you seem fond 81 him., he said.
She gave glance OF contempt at the
way he expressed himself. she caught
the child up in her arms.
D My darling. = she said, my little
Alan. you are going to your father
at lastM Sc
Hutchinson was thinking. He had
dificult task before him. He had
allowed Alan to get married. and had
given him some weeks Of happiness
before he began his work Of destruc-
ton; now he had to make sure Of
Veronica. He would have Infinitely
have preferred q woman who would
Fave clustered, and have sworn that