The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-10-18
THE IMPOSTOR


Herr Hartmann was an old friend Of
my father, and we were oil very fond Of
him. When l came home from vacation.
spent a good deal of time in his
house, but my visits had nothing to do
with Julia, his daughter. oil gossip to the
contrary notwithstanding. To be sure,
her presence added life to our little gath
erings, for, indeed, she was a vivacious,
we'll educated girl, buemy heart belonged
to another representative Of her sex.
was really interested In the old man. He
talked most entertainingly on almost any
topic under the sun, and he had an easy
going sort of humor which was irresisti-
bic.
That he had son I learned from Julia.
who was as communicative and gushing
as she was gay.
"You know l have a brother some
where" she once said to me. First
promise on your word Of honor that you
won't tell father told you. But no, l
won't tell you anything. You shouldn't
have let me blab that much either"
"Look hera Fraulein Hartmann" !
said, seriously, 'if the matter Is really a
secret you had better think twice before
you 30 on"
THAT'S all right. am 30 full Of 1t
must speak about it to somebody. All l
want you to do is to pledge your word Of
a gentleman that it will go no farther"
I only shrugged my shoulders, but this
must have been interpreted by Julia as a
sacred oath of discretion, for she immedi-
atcly proceeded 10 tell me the story.
81 never saw him." she began. "He
was born six or seven years before l
came into the world. Wien our parents
lived In Cologne. When he was two
years old. the landlady of the house in
which they lived took liking to him. "A
liking is no word for it. She was all
wrapped mp In the boy. You see. she
was childless and a cranky, nervous crea-
ture Everybody called her a crazy
leon,' and some people said she was ac-
tually out of her mind half the time. Her
husband soon died and she sold all her
property and went to America. where she
had a sister and two brothers. At that
time my father did not know she was go
ing AWAY lie found it out when IL was
too lato. You see. she was so fond Of my
brother that my parents had tn let her
take him TO her house sometimes. They
hated to do it, and my mother had fore
boding that It would lead to trouble, but
the widow would beg them so hard they
could not refuse her. Well, the long and
short of it is the crazy woman stole the
boy, and before my parents knew where
she was she had landed In America with
him. She wrote us all about it as soon
as she arrived at her sisters and begged
us to let her keep the child. promising To
bring him nm well and to make him her
sole heir. My father wrote TO some
friends In America. but nothing came OF
It. When she found out that ne was bent
on getting back the child, she stopped
writing altogether and fathers FRIENDS
could not find her. Later on my parents
hoard from her in Australia. Agasn she
assured them that Victor was well taK@i
caro- of, hut there was no address IN her
letter and that was the last they heard OF
hiin-thr last until yesterday. BY the
way, Victor. was his real name. but she
changed II to hide his identity"
Didn't your father try to get the
ehildr' l asked.
"Of course he did" she answered test
fly. But all this happened q few years
before came into tho world, so how am
to know what he did and what he did
Nv
he did not leave stone unturned, but
that's not what wish to tell you. You're
inquisitive as a woman. and l am sorry
have told you so much"
must confess my curiosity got the bet
ter of my sense Of dignity. ! begged hel
to 60 on.
"Wen," she said, with q patronizine
smile, 81 am not going to torture you
My father received letter from him yes
terday. He would not tell me what Vic
tor said nor where he was. except that he
expected to be here In month OF two
When begged father to let me see the
letter, he said ! talked too much and thai
ne would wait until Victor actually ar
rived and he made sure 1t was not @
dream"
1t was no dream: at least at the TIME
[ was introduced to the man who said he
was Victor we had not the slightest sus
picion that he was somebody else ant
that the real Victor-but then am afrait
I have fallen into Jultu's habit of 'biab
bing."
lie wes a well built fellow of twenty
nine. with reddish hair and regular fca
| lures. He certainly bore some resem
| blance TO Herr Hartmann, and my oil
friend was in the seventh heaven. liz
was both an Australian and an American
having spent his childhood In both coun
tries by turns. but he spoke good German
and his presrrrs residence was In IN Eng
lish town III TIE West Indies. where h
was established in business, rs he stnd.
One afternoon. In the course Of wan
took with Herr Hartmann, my frient
said to me:
| You must be curious 10 know the stor.
of my SON" And after going over TIN
events with which ! had been made "a