Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-08-21

came up with their carriage Vincent
opened the window wide and thrust
his head out. ooh, Vincent" was all
l said; lam 1 too late?"
Not at all" he said, genialIy;
you're just in time to congratulate
me. But what I wanted of you, Arch"
and he leaned toward me and low
cred his vOice-"was to ask you to
break it to my father"
Then it's true?" I said, not quite
able to believe it, even yet
Yes, it's true" he said aloud, and
with a radiant smile he drew back a
little so that l could see the erstwhile
Miss Marsh Its true that I've mar
ried the secretary"
But it's not" said that lady, much
to my surprise, and thrusting out her
pretty head. IT'S not true a bit He
hasn't married the secretary at all I
was only playing secretary. He's
married no one but the Honorable
Agatha, the first, last, and only honor
able!"
And for proof of her astonishing
words she snatched off her glove and
I. displayed to my marveling gaze the
big emerald cross of the Wyckhoff
ring, winking in the sunshine.
| At this moment the train began to
move, and | was filled with a sudden
and justifable rage that Vincent
| should have so deceived me. To think
| that he had been in the secret all
the time and had helped to make a
| fool of me! But one look at his face
proved to me that l had done him an
| injustice. He was as stricken with
amazement as | was, and l knew that
then, and not until then, had he be-
come acquainted with the truth Gath
ering my wits quickly, for the train
was moving faster, | ran after their
carriage till l caught up with the win
dow again. "GOOd-by!" l shouted
and God bless you!" And Vincent
reaching out his big hand, had just
time to catch mine in his strong
grasp before l dropped back, out
stripped, and he had withdrawn his
| radiant face from my view.
Afterward l learned many things
First, that they had been married very
early that morning, before the rest Of
us were up, in the little chapel at Wye,
with Mrs. Armistead, who was in the
| secret, as witness. That explained her
delay in giving me the note. Dreading
my interference, they had not wished
me to know until the whole thing was
we'll over and Mrs. Armistead back
| at Castle Wyckhoff. Second, that it
| had been the Honorable Agatha's own
idea to play the part of secretary to
her aunt, thus improving upon her ia
theirs plan, and making it still more
difficult for the competing suitors to
discover her identity. Third, that her
reason for telling Vincent that Agatha
Sixth was the real Honorable Agatha
was only to prove him once more and
| to the uttermost. And Vincent had
stood the trial without faltering and
| had even proved himself equal to dis
regarding my wishes. Yet l really
! think that on that night when he had
agreed with me that it was best to
give her UP he meant to do so, but
his love for the girl proved stronger
than his love for gold or his feeling
for his friend. And it was thus that
the boy won-because he had loved
! truly and faithfully.
And l also learned afterward that
the six Agathas, shortly after the
elopement of Vincent and the secre-
tary-that-was, had all gone to their
! homes in America. Later some of them