The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-09
THE NEGATIVE
How Chester Waite cfne Into His Inheritance.

Asart and hrouxAa her hare. craving A.,p
Tor friend. And now Constance, eel
your story. Al tniNO, my dear. and CON.
ssc1nvelyS II your sex will allow
He was such q ans young man. Con-
sS@ &c DeganS unh0odtng, kind, gentle
vitn nigh principles, that No became great
Ir1ends' especially a. We were thrown TO-
eetner In q foreign land. where We each
felt lonely and ~forlorn.
4 was 90 mortified by Mr. Prindls's
troubles that I did not lot him know OF our
departure, nor did I writs him when l left
ner' a. l did at ono But I hoped, oh, l
noped' when I found that his home was
near Us at Plaisdns and after his father
Ueo' l was glad, oh, so glad. to hear that he
was coming at last
You mean," ~interposed the >JudGs ad-
monishingly, that you were glad to hear
that your friend. Chester Waite. was re-
cunning to enter into his inheritance"
course, l was glad to think of seeing
my old friend, to know that his troubles
were over. l waited impatisntly. saying
nothing, longing for the surprise Of our
meeting.
i heard the folks talk Of his arrival, OF
now disconcerted old Mr.. Warner was by
his p~eremptory business methods. his haste
In advertising the estate for sale, in turning
securities into money. Il all seemed so
strange. 80 unlike him.
Then he called al my uncle's house"
Who calledf' asked Cronkite. :
i don't know. He gave Chester's name,
hs looked like Chester, he was recognised,
accepted as Chester. But believe me,
Judge, believe me, sir; he Is q fraud, an
impostor; he Is not my friend, Chester
Waite
"Tut, tut began the Judge. Absence
works change; so does prosperity-'
Don't you think I would know him?
This man is like, wonderfully like; but
thcre are looks, expressions, tones, which
can't DO oounterfeited.
The clothing, the manner, the smooth
shaven face, the close cropped hair. all
the accessories are Chester's-I would swear
to them But still more solemnly 1 swear
that he, who has assumed, usurped them,
N not my friend. Besides
Besides" interrupted Cronkite, she did
not recognize you; he met you as a
Strangers that what you would say1"
THAT Is right; he never saw me before
he met me at my uncle's.'
EtAA ySNp ny 1OoA yOou8 hUAy yOu
accepted the deception1-
Il did, I did. I was never 40 shocked,
but yet 1 tried to keep my self-posscssion,
to do my utmost to save Chester, II he b
still alive.
Il forced myself to be afable and friendly.
1 have continued since to make much Of
him, to seem interested, attracted-"
Here Constance stopped short, a deep
flush revealing her confusion.
Il know, I understand" said Cronkite
quickly. with a shrewd glance. You
have hoped he might betray himself; that
was wise and brave Of you. But has he
done 80, ever in a slight respect? Has
he shown nfamiliarity, ~ignoranoe7'
Not at all. 1 know that the family
lawyer hasn't the ~faintest doubt Of his
identity. He knows the things which
Chester knew; he talks OF the things Of
which Chester talked. l am convinced
that he must have been Chester's close
personal friend"
And yet you say that Waite when you
knew him was lonely and forlom?'
He had no friend up to then, I'm
sure"
Then they must have met after your
departure; and at Heidelberg, since Waite
remained there, or some n at least who
passed as Waite, until the message to come
home was received.
-Ah, we are getting along famously. II
Waite had a double with whom he was
intimate, IL must be known to the pro-
lessons and students. Wen attend to all
that.
But. meanwhile, there is no danger OF
this imposter departing for parts unknown,
is there, Miss McKenna7"
Again Constance flushed deeply.
Il must be candid, however hard it may
be" she faltered. This man undoubtedly
was at first using every effort to get possess
sion OF the fortune and leave. But Of late
he fingers, coming to my uncIe's house
regularly. Think it must be l who"
"0f course il Is you-drawing him, hold
ing him, like q magnet. Keep on, persist
no matter how distasteful it be, until we
restore the simon pure
'Ah, but he may be deadl'
Until we restore the simon pure Chester
Waite to all his good fortunes continued
Cronkite kindly. He IL not dead; else this
usurper, though now restrained by even a
stronger motive, would not AVE been so
anxious TO escape with his booty"