The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1907-01-15

In me, i Know, put never having nau
any love affair of my own II is natural
! should feel extra interest in Clare's."
She took off her glasses and again
wiped them with much care. He
looked at her curiously.
Il begin to have a suspicion" he
said.
"Of what?"
THAT you knew me all the time"
The lady laughed softly.
Il wasn't particularly startled by
your appearance"
And you didn't really take me for
book agent?"
mo"
Aunt Lucy" said the young man,
you certainly are a very clever
woman"
Aunt Lucy! Hoity-toity- You are
taking a good deal for granted, Rich
ard Barclay. But there; let's be
frank and straightforward. | promise
you nothing. You will stay and take
dinner with us AND then we three will
talk this all over. We are going to be
perfectly independent on our side,
you understand. We may be poor
or at least very far from rich, but we
are proud. We came by it ns&yally.
That's my fathers picture epshhere,
! Jethro Holt. He was as IrS5ud as
| lord"
The young man looked up quickly.
| What did you call his name?"
"Jethro Holt"
The young mans eyes sparkled.
| "Jethro Holt, of Petunia, Me. Born
! there in 1915; died in 1868"
why, yes. He was my father"
! The young man drew a narrow book
from his pocket and rapidly leafed it
| over.
| "JethTo Holt left three children, a
| boy and two girls, Arthur, Lucy and
Emily"
"Yes. ] am Lucy Mellen Holt
commonly called Aunt Lucy Mellon.
! At least that's what Glare has called
me ever since she could talk Emily
was Clare's mother. She died when
Clare was baby, and Clare's father
died the year after"
/ The young man stared hard at her.
Can you prove this relationship"
why, yes, of course. | have the
old family Bible and many letters and
my fathers picture and the deed OF
the old home"
He drew a quick breath.
This is wonderful" he said. Tell
me about your brother"
He was older than mime years
older. He was wayward boy and
greatly worried my father. When he
was eighteen he ran away from home
and shipped on a whaler The ship
was lost in the Pacific and all the
crew were reported drowned"
Your brother escaped" said the
young man. He was picked up by
Russian sealer and landed at a ST.
berian port. He found his way to
Australia and roughed it as a sheep
herder. There, through some mad
fancy, he changed his name. He was
no longer Arthur Holt, he was Henry
Harlan. He became a trader and
prospered greatly. Finally he made his
residence in New York. He lived
there twenty years. He died there
seven months ago"
The lady, a strange look in her
eyes, stirred suddenly.
And that man was my brother?"
Yes"
She sighed. My poor brother"
The young man leaned forward.
oh" he said, I'VE have searched
for you in so many places! The head
of our firm was your brothers attor-
ney and one of the executors of the
estate. The matter of finding the
heirs was placed in my hands
have travelled many miles on false
clews; | have advertised in many
sections-and now, to stumble on you
like this!"
Then we are heirs to his prep
erty?" said the lady.
He died without will. You and
Glare are his only living kim"
Does that mean we are rich?"
Very, very rich"
They were both silent for a mo-
ment or two. Then the lady sighed.
That comes little late for me-"
sue oOlIIS Sollu, DuI II WLIl DS DSdu-
tiful for Clare"
A troubled look crossed the young
mans face.
Glare" he murmured. This
changes everything"
-- What do you mean?"
, Don't you see? Glare is now a
: great heiress. A new world opens
before her. She can choose where
she will"
True" said the lady
1T puts me in painful, a false
position. Why, even you might be-
/ lieve that l knew her relationship to
/ Henry Harlan before l asked her to
be my wife,"
True" said the lady again.
Such a suspicion is shameful" he
went on. THE one manly thing for
, me to do is to release Clare from