Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-09-13
CHAPTER xxvlI.-continued.

oS0Ou SlOSS W luC. I
How did you know?"
She turned her brown head till 1t
rested against mis- shoulder. "Father!"
she whispered. when Noel touches
me feel thrill. l can't tell you
what 1t is like; but would know his
touch among thousand-f he
touched me in crowd would know
it. That night i touched his so-like
this--and 1t was not there"
The witch to her fathers lips was
rather a grim one. A glance back to
the days before she was born showed
him what she meant. But it is not an
agreeable idea to father that another
man should stand as he did, with that
soft pressure of his daughters cheek
against his sleeve.
"Ah! But except for that you saw
no difference?"
I saw his hands-they were not his
own, but discolored and uncared for,
and coarse, like the hands of work
man."
THAT may have been the light, or.
the work he had been engaged on;
you couldn't tell"
They were his own hands when
saw him the next morning. They
could not have changed back like
that"
What did his face look like?"
Like Ills own. Yes: that is the ex-
traordinary part Of it. could not be-
lieve 1t was any one but himself while
/ looked in his face"
They took a turn or two in silence.
Then her father spoke again. What
sort Of looking fellow is he?"
She did not answer, as he expected,
in rapturous praise Of his looks-his
manner; she only said simply, He has
what would call an absolutely honest
face" Then she hesitated. 81 can
show you his photograph, if you would
like to see 1t, daddy"
+ "All right; bring it along" Colonel
Hamilton stuck his hands deeper into
the pockets of his long coat, and
hunched his shoulders little as he
pulled at his pipe. Did any girl on
earth ever conceive 1t possible an old
father could feel pang at being asked
TO admire the face Of the young up
start who had supplanted his?
Ursula went away to her cabin and
brought back case that lay so near
the top of her cabin-trunk that it
could be: referred to at every stray
moment when she crept there to COM
fort herself with its look. She brought
1t tenderly in her hand and opened it,
leaning over the taffrail, as if to hide
it from the gaze of the rest of the
deck. Her father came behind her
and leaned over her shoulder to see.
She spread before him the photograph
of Winstanley In his mess uniform,
speaking likeness of Lafayette's.
Colonel Hamilton looked, then al
most dropped the pipe he covered with
his hand in his amazement.
sJove, Ursa! It's Baverstocl1! Pri-
vate Baverstock Of my regiment. What
on earth is the meaning of this?''
Daddy! It's Captain Winstanley-
Noel-the man whose wife I'm to be
some day. What can you mean? Is
he like anybody? don't believe
there's anybody like him in the
world. AZ
Like him! It isn't like, It's the
man himself mo other. Why, you
know whom mean! The fellow you.
begged off from punishment, the most
troublesome man in the regiment. He
killed a native In the bazaar and de-
serted not six months ago, just after
you left"
He can't be like Noel!" in incredu-
lous indignation.
He's his double Is this Is Noel, as
you call him.
Her father had taken the case into
his cwn hand ard was examining 1t
with close attention NOW look,
there's something different about the
look of the eyes, perhaps. and the set
Ct the mouth but that's all. always
said Baverstock had good blood some
where he looked like gentleman,
though he didn't act up tosit...' M
& Ursula gazed into his face with
Eearnest solemnity. Then 1t was. the
man you call Baverstock i must have
seen that night at Government
House!' she said. awestruck. There
cant be any one else who could per.
senate Noel: It was all trick!'
love, little girl, woman's wit Is
like q needle. always said IT was.
Your dear mother used to get at things
hours before did. though when 1
reached my CONC usion I always know
how got there, and she never did.
Personated! II sounds like Leaf out
Eot one 81 Sherlock Holmes stories;
hut I wonder Il it's POSSIBLE?
sIt must be oh, daddy. 1t must be-!
Don't you see that that would explain
an they sent anot her man to
steal the papers. II II what they would
do pretend that It was Noel: there
would be no other chance. Only the
General and Noel had the keys*to the
sste where the duplicate papers were
kent and no one would Be allowed to
IcoHe In while they we're away. II 1t
should ~ Il should bel nv
EDSqpy, ppor syosl and ~ u made ths
capel q 81 X d