The San Francisco call., 1906-08-19

For you to tell Miss Danetree, no
doubt" said Hagar coolly.
At once his enthusiasm died away.
and he sat down with a frown on his
face. What do you know about Miss
Danetree?" he asked sharply.
All that your father told me. Mr..
Parsons, You love her, but she does
not love you, and for that your father
hates her.
II know he does" said the young
man, signing. and very unjustly.
will be frank with you. Miss Stanley"
Il think it best for you to be 50. as
hold your fate In my hands"
You hold--fate! What do you
mean?'
Hagar shrugged her shoulders in
pity at his obtuseness. Why" she
said quietly, this picture Is worth
100000 and Miss Danetree Is worth
nothing except that ruined hall. II I
tell you where to find that picture you
will be able to restore her fortunes and
make her a comparatively rich woman.
Now, you cannot read the cipher; can
and so--you see!'
Young Parsons laughed outright at
her comprehensive view of the situa-
tion. although he blushed a little at
the same time and gave an indignant
denial to the limited motive which
prompted Hagar's speech. u am not
fortune hunter" he said bluntly; if I
learn the whereabouts OF Castogno's
Nativity I shall certainly tell Mari
mean Miss Danetree. But as for trad
ing on that knowledge to make her
marry me against her Will, I'd rather
die than act so basely!'
"Ah, my dear young man. am afraid
you have no business instincts" said
Hagar dryiy. Il thought you loved the
lady
"You are determined ia get at the
10
And she loves your"
Parsons hesitated and blushed again
at this downright questioning. Yes,
think she does--a little" he said at
length.
HIM! That means she loves you a
great deal"
Well" said the young man slyiy,
to read a womans character. Don't
perhaps. But you forget that I
have not seen this particular woman
or rather angel. as / suppose you call
her.
you are q queer grill"
And yeu-a love sick young man"
rejoined Hagar, mimicking his tone.
But time passes; tell me about your
wooing."
There is little to tell" rejoined
Frank. doiefully. my father Is. as you
know. the steward of the Danetree
family; but as they were ruined by the
regency squire, his duties are now light
enough. Miss Danetree Is the last of
the race, and all that remains to her
Is. the hall. the few acres which sur
round it. and small income from the
rents of two outlying farms. ! was
brought up from childhood with Ma
riou<I must call her SO. as It il the
name which comes easiest to my lips
and 7 love her always. She loves me
also"
"Then why will she not marry your"
Because she Is poor and am poor.
oh. my position as son of her steward
would not stand In the way could I
support her as my wife. But my father
always refused to let me learn pro-
fession or = trade or even to earn my
succeed him as steward of the Dane
tree property. In the old days the post
was a good one. but now It Is worth
nothing"
And your father dislikes Miss Dane
tree?"
Yes, because he thinks she scorns
not let me tell him the truth until there
Is a chance of our marriage"
WELL" said Hagar, producing the
paper on which was written the line
of figures. II am about to give you that
chance. This cipher Is quite easy; fig
ures have been substituted for letters
that is ALL A is set down as one, B
as two and SO on"
II don't quite understand"
II will show you. These figures must
be divided into numbers and a letter
set over each. Now, the first number
is twenty, and the twentieth letter of
the alphabet is IT, The twenty first
letter is u Then come the eigh-
teenth and the fourteenth letters. What
are they?"
said after a pause. "Ah. 1 see. The
first word Is u r N--that Is turn"
Exactly; represented by numbers
90, Il, IS, IA. Now you understand, so
I need not explain further. Here is
ci,,