The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-01-23
MISS D'ARC'S AUNT'S NEPHEW.
BY EVAN MACPHERSON.

me in writing. but when 1 heard about
thoSe new Oh WeiIS, / guessed
'lou guessed r.gnt. IL WIS d Gear
St6ai, Lat s Just what it was. Aunt
has Deen waning Week aIteI week to
hear nom ner lawyer what they
OoAe doout IL, ana d ploAe came Just
before Iu-.cn mat ned ne out TO- a TAX
edTIy IN the afternoon. So Tat 5 way
you nave to pat up with my poor COM
pdny All the way out, AR. Doyu.'
Il tnInk L can stand II ad Interim"
he SaIu, LOOKING round at her with a
smile. How far is it,"
To Curuey House? Oh. about four
miles more. That's the army BARRACKS
over there on the rIgnt. Our links are
one the other side. DO you play?"
Pay IN, gUIt?' He seemed to BE-
getting aDsent-minded, she thought.
We'll. l haven't been an enthusiast SO
far, Dut-yOu pay"
After a fashion"
"A very charming fashion, of
course
ON, come now, Mr.. Boyd! You
might as we'll drop-all that sort of
thing. You and L nave to get up our
parts as nephew and ni5ce of a COM
mon aunt. and the sooner we set 10
work. the better
by JOVe, that's SOL He turned and
DedIilSU On nST III FRANK uClSAI bul
Why not cousins, while were about it?
Save time."
That's just the way 1 feel"
Bravo. Then were not going TO
quarrel after all-if 1 did reflect on
Jour civic dutifulness."
NO. but seriously, Aunt Beth has al
ways seemed more Ii my ow~ flesh
and blood han an aunt by marriage.
And CCssie feels just the same"
"COssie?"
She laughed. Yes, Coss.e. Don't
tell me you've never heard of Co.'S
sic"
We'll, very little, you know" He
was looking away across the river at
the purple brown mass that ind Gated
Cincinnati.
Poor Coss:c!" she laughed again.
However, | dare say you'd have been
just rs Uniformed about me if /
hadn't been there with my little old
dog cart to come and meet you in the
emergency"
No at all. I've heard a good deal
about you. You know you're the ia
v~orite."
Who told you that? Not Aunt
Beth. I'm sure. Please get that idea
out of your head" Mr.. Boyd.
Mr.. Boyd? l thought We were to
he long lost cousins. Why don't o
call me Ellsworth"
Call you Elsworth?" She glanced
around quickly at him, then look d
steadily at Kitty's ears for some mo-
ments. Then you prefer to be called
Elsworth?'
by you. if you don't mind"
But / do mind"
"Why?-if we're to be long lost cous-
ins?"
because Aunt never does, and I
think she has good reason for dislik-
ing the name
He shook himself together and sat
up IN the seat beside her. II suppose
Dear Nephew.-What does she call
me to you?"
The girl did not answer promptly.
She puckered her brow, like one think
ing hard and fast, and ~signallHd to Kit
ty TO increase her speed. Just what
she used to call you out west. at the
Post. when you were a little boy.
We're nearly home now. Kitty is be-
ginning to remember her stables and
get a gait on her"
ooh. yes" he broke out impulsively.
Now ] remember, she always used to
call me Curtley out there"
He looked round quickly at the same
time, and saw that Miss Dare turned
pale. also that she bit her lip. She
checked Kitty's pace and looked some
distance along the road to where d
man in undress United States unifo"n1
could be seen coming along at a brisk
walk. Then she said very deliberate
~, in a low voice, THAT was curiously
prophetic. 1 must say. When we came
to live at Curtley House two years
ago, I don't think my aunt seemed to
have ever heard of the name before"
She turned with this and looked steadi-
ly into his eyes.
He met her steady look with an easy.
comfortable smile of admiration. You
want to speak to that soldier. don't
! you? Well. don't. That fool detectve
is miles away from here by this time"
Miss D'Arc said nothing for a sec
ond or two. Kitty tugged at the bit,
but the hand on the reins was firm.
Then with another cool. steady look at
the man sitting beside her. You want
me to trust you. 8r. - Spencer" the
girl asked.
"If you VIII. I'll trust you. And l
really have n message from your
aunt's nephew-on my word, I have"
She measured with her eye the les
SEEMING distance between Kitty's head
and the man In blue. What was it
| you did,"
Did? You mean hat warrant? a
little affair at Nashville, Tennessee
mysterious opening Of a bank vault at