Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-03-31
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81 Tom g; Gallo, Of Graft
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and certainly dark"
"As to that" she replied, with a
laugh, 81 believe | was fair enough as
a baby: but my hair darkened as |
grew up; and then, you see, have
lived a wandering life, with my faith
er, under many suns
Precisely, precisely" murmured
Mr.. Stock. BY the way, ! have no par
ticulars at all concerning you, but |
believe you have full and ample proof
as to your identity. A mere formality,
of course, but you know how suspi-
cious lawyers have TO be"
Smiling, she laid upon the table the
wallet containing the papers. Il think
you'll find that will be proof enough,
sir" she said, quietly. 81 always
knew where my mother came from,
and what the story was concerning
her marriage; these papers were CIV
en- me only a little time ago. Know
ing the story of my grandfather's dis
like of my mothers marriage | natur-
ally regarded them-the papers. |
mean-as quite worthless. Now, OF
course, all that is changed"
Mr.. Stock had been examining the
contents of the wallet while she spoke,
nodding occasionally as each bit of
evidence was put before him. 1t GER
tainly looked clear enough; no one
but Grace Yarwood could have such
evidence as this. He even recognized
in several cases, the handwriting of
\ 49, 81 -. III Ito Hfno
ut certainly seems clear enough,
Miss Yarwood," he said at last. by
the way, you have mentioned your
father. 1t does not concern the mat
ter, | admit, but where is he?"
That was an awkward question. The
yet the father of the dead girl was
of no earthly use to this new Grace
Yarwood, and might, indeed, be an
encumbrance. She rapidly decided, in
that moments pause that he was new
er likely to trouble her, and that she
had better be rid of him, once and for
all time.
"Oh, he's dead" she said, with a
becoming s~oftening of the voice and
a droop of her eyelashes. He gave
me the papers just before he died"
"I'm sorry,' said the lawyer. 1T
would have been better, perhaps, to
have had him as a witness. You will
clearly understand, Miss Yarwood,
that | do not doubt your word for a
moment" he added hastily; but as
O were born abroad, 1t Is quite I'M
possible to identify you except by the
documentary evidence you possess,
Now. on the other hand, we could pro-
duce plenty of people in England who
knew your father in the old days and
would recognize him now. Where did
he die?
"In America" she replied, shortly.
America is a large place, Miss Var.
wood. Any particular spot?"
Ell forget. l was, of course, in
great trouble at the time, and we had
been moving about a great deal from
place to place. 1 was taken Cd some
where else by friends"
every nice, very proper" replied
Stock, closing his eyes for a moment.
"And where might the Somewhere
else have been?"
"San Francisco" she said, at a ven.
ture. Really, Mr. Stock, l don't see
that you need to ask me all those
questions" she exclaimed, her voice
suddenly getting hard and Querulous.
IF you doubt what l say"
II doubt nothing" he replied, sooth-
ingly; II have a duty to perform, and
that duty-alike to the living and to
the dead-demands of me that l shall
be careful. Can you tell me-" he add.
ed. carelessly, what the initials j.
b. stand for?"
She gripped her hands together in
her lap and set her teeth hard. j. b.
stood for Joyce Bland; how much did
this mar know? The next moment,
however, she looked at him quietly
and with quite an air of girlish limo
| cence shook her head and smiled.
"I'm afraid I don't quite under
stand" she said, quietly.
"You wrote us a note last night,
Miss Yarwood, and you signed it in
proper form-'Grace Yarwood;' you
added a postscript. and that bore the
initials j. b. A little puzzling, eh?"
She was eual even to that. She saw
in an instant the blunder she had
made; saw that in that hurried post
script she had dashed down the ini-
tials of the name she had been accus-
toned to for SO long. But she posi-
lively laughed in the Joy of doing bat
tie with such a man as this, and gave
him her explanation in a moment.
"Oh. when I was a little child my
father used to laugh at me and call me
. young Britisher-that was when we
were wandering in America. MY pet
name was Johnny Bull and I used to
sign my notes like that when l wrote
to people. Poor old dad!"
The lawyer rose slowly from his
chair, stretched across the table ind
held out his hand to her. AMy dear
Miss Yarwood, my last doubt is re-
moved he said. II owe you an apol.
ogy for having doubted At all; but I'm
sure you will understand that one has.
In q matter like this. to be very. yery
careful. Misc Yarwood, my most sin
cere congratulations"
She was not Of q demonstrative ma
ture. but at that moment she could