Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-02-23
CHAPTER xvIf-fCoutipued.,


upon him almost savagely.
BE good enough to remember that
this IL business interview" he said,
hrigidly, land reserve your humor for a
more htting occasion" The small, shah
BY creature shriveled up at once, and
MI. Mallett with a show Of surface
courtesy, turned to Babette. "And now
madame, l think the rest of this inter
view can be carried on between us two
the presence Of q third person IL unnec-
essary, as conclude the proofs spoken
OF By you are In your possession"
must speak this once; and wont
Interrupt again." jerked In DAVIS. ~
am partner In this AFFAIR." would not
have taken It but on that understanding
and, being a partner l submit that
you have no right to shut me out; there
fore stay"
Mr.. Mallett shrugged his shoulders
with an expression Of utter indifference.
Babette produced an envelope and took
from It the small photograph Of a grave,
which she had found in her mistress
desk. She drew out a small magnifying
glass from her pocket and crossed the
room to the dirty window.
"Come and look" she said.
Mr.. Mallett did as requested, and then
booked at her inQuiringly.
do you not see the name on the
tombf" she asked impatiently, for she
was 80 impressed with the truth Of her
own belief that she was annoyed when
others did not jump 80 readily to the
same conclusion as herself.
Mr.. Mallett bent down again In the
doubtful light that found its way through
the dust-grimed panes, and looked care
fully at the photograph. DAVIS and Ba-
bette stood by, anxiously awaiting his
answer,
4 see the name Pauline plainly and
the last letters of the second name
bling What thenT"
DO You not remember that your
niece's name is Pauline, and can you
not sec that those letters which are blot
ted out by that mark must be the first
two letters of your own name? If it
were not for that blot the name would
stand Pauline Mailing Can you not
understand that you hold in your hand a
photograph Of your real niece's grave,
and that this woman at Mallingford is
nothing but an adventures
"Great heavenw
he stood staring. first at one then at
the other, and then, In breathless amaze
ment, he looked at the card In his hand.
Babette felt satisfied as to the success
Of her coup.
''And, If that is not enough mean
the mere name-there is the date, May,
Is This woman who has been
quietly accepted as the late barOnet's
heiFess FIRST come to light in July of the
same year. 1t IL all quite plain"
In a dazed fashion Mr.. Mallett passed
his hand across his forehead. He could
not vet realize the position in which he
stood; he could not grasp what it meant
for him-comfort, position, riches, splen-
dor, after twenty years of comparative
privation, His head was In a whirf.
''Will you not sitI You look over
come, Sir Godfrey"
He started on hearing himself ad-
dressed by his proper name. Yes, that
was just what It meant to him-that he
was, or would soon be, Sir Godfrey Nal
lingford, Of Mallingford Park, instead
Of a Woodworking drawing master, doing
his daily round of instruction at so many
Shillings a quarter, and thinking himself
fortunate If, after settling his bills, he
was able to put away few pounds at
the end of each term. He dropped into
the chair placed for him by Babette,
wondering If he should wake up to find
1t all a dream. He listened, without.
however, gathering much of her mean
Ing, to the French woman's voluble ex-
PLANTATION.
eve advertised for you day after day
In the Times, but could get no answer;
and was in despair, when Providence
sent you down to Mallingford, Mrs.
Perkins saw you and recognized you as
you went out, and told me who you
were. How l prayed that she was not
mistaken! l autographed to Mr.. DAVIS,
and he telegraphed to you this morning.
l made an absolute necessity of coming
to town for some wedding fnery; and 20
here we are!'
And now what is to be done? And
am l to 90 down to the park and turn
this woman out with a policeman, or
how do you propose to proceedT'
"She must not be interfered with until
our proofs are all prepared" replied Mr..
DAVIS my suggestion is that Maj selle
Lestrange should give you the address
of the man who took that photograph
which, with a rare foresight, she with
held from me; that you cross over to
Paris by to-night's boat, and from there
make your way as quickly as you can to
this place in Spain; that when there, you
get afidavits, or whatever their Spanish
equivalent may be, from eye-witnesses of
your niece's death, also the certificate of
her death, and any other evidence that
may crop up, and that on your return
you place said proofs in my hands; and
before a month has passed you will be In
possession of Mallingford, and ma'msello
and win be lingering that ave thou
Band"
II have no money to meet the en-
penBes Of such a journey"
81 thought Of that the minute / ~
eslVOd ma'm'Sslle's telegram, and rails