The Washington herald., 1907-09-29

more about those Of her people whom
/ you hay. seen-th0se at Briar Lodge.
Are they people Of properly, too?-
4 should say so certainly judging by
I the way they live. Everything is done
I on very handsome ScaIe-lovely house.
well appointed, and all that Good pic
/ lures, massive plate weIl-trained man
( servants, magnificent jewelry, and not
J too much Of il"
I James Ince. who was walking up and
/ down the room, his hands in his pock-
/ cts and pipe in his mouth, suddenly
| stopped short In front Of his friend.
/ We'll. then. what's wrong with themg'
/ But the young man thought il better
not 10 blurt out all he kneE=and all he
suspected at once. IDce might possibly
take the view that the girl and her guar
dams were a league Of swindlers. if not
4 something worse. and might even go TO
/ the length Of consulting the police with
( OUT informing any one OF the fact As
! this thought occurred 10 ST QUiutin. he
( decided not TO proceed in that direction
/ any further, but 10 turn tn ec0nversa-
/ tion 20 Marie herself.
| There's nothing wrong with them that
/ / know Of I want 10 tell YOU about
/ Miss Densley herself. The oldest his
/ tory you ever heard. Imagine a girls
being brought up without knowing who
/ her own father and mother were"'
James Ince looked interested. but also
suspicious. He said nothing whatever,
/ but, leaning against the corner Of the
mantelpiece, nodded gravely as q sign 10
I the younger man 20 90 on.
She was brought up by2 an old lady
I who had no idea that she was he!ress
/ 10 an extensive property. and # was only
| in the most extraordinary manner that
/ they. discovered the facts"
At this last word James Ince raised
/ his eyebrows in a manner that nettIed
St. Quintin, who had been ~pTepared 10
/ find this part of his story received with
| incredulity. The young man hurried on
/ feeling rather awkward. as he perceived
| for the first time, how marvellous the
/ story was. Shorn of the charm given il
/ by the personality Of the girl. who had
told him her history with every marx
| of entire belief in il herself. the tale did
/ indeed seem a little bald. little uncOn-
| vincing. However. St Quintin stumbled
| through with it, giving all the details
| except names. These he suppressed for
/ the present, he scarcely knew why.
! When he hadNfinished, he looked at his
/ friend with a careless air, and helped
/ himself 10 a cigarette out OF Ince's box,
as he wound up with:
There's an astonishing history for
girl,"
! Astonishing, indeedr' retorted Ince,
| dryly. Quite the most astonishing I
ever heard. And now let us have the
names, please"
/ What names?'
That Of the baronet great-uncle. to
begin with
st. Quintin shook his head.
You know he said somewhat feebly,
1 that we've found out now that he's not
! her great-uncle at all"
] We'll, let us know his name, AT any
rate. He's the great-uncle, or so it's al
/ legged, Of the man whom she always be-
lieved TO be her father"
ST. Quintin reddened.
/ 'iIf you're going to take it like that"
/ he said. somewhat inconseQuen.iv. the
less I tell you about names the better.
I We have no right to inquire into these
/ things
"Oh, haven't We? Not when we intend
10 marry the girl? 1 should say We have
every right"
The younger man rose. excited and
] worried. He saw already that since the
comparatively innocent part Of what he
| had 70 tell was received In this scofiing
! and derisive manner the part relating
/ TO Briar Lodge and its occupants would
settle the matter, and make James Ince
/ the declared enemy of the Leblancs-
which would not have mattered-and Of
/ their lovely niece, which would have
mattered a great deal
/ We'll. 1 do know his name, and l can
assure you 1t is that Of one of the best
I known men in the AIidiauds II I'm cot
/ isfed. don't see why you shouldn't be,
| Ince."
"Ah, but you're in love and I'm not.
/ That is to say, my heads cool, and
| yours isn't-cant be. Now do. like a
good chap, tell me not only the name of
| the baronet. and of the lady In whose
| care the girl was brought up, but also
/ that OF her French uncle and aunt"
Leblanc Their name is Leblanc. And
| If you think there's anything odd about
their finding their niece, which I don't