Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1908-08-07


secret.
my dear" she said, "as these gen
lemen are going to remain with us for
six weeks. think 1t would be as well |
II we put on the Percivals brothers
iii the six weeks after that VIII you
wire them this ~vening to that eRsctfs |
Certainly replied Miss Marsh. III
will see to 1t Immediately. Mrs. Arm
istead"
AZ this thought struck me and II
| turned TO Vincent. And you had bet-l
| ter wire the good people at Damer's
| farm ] said, TO inform them Of our
change OF plan"
Indeed you must" said Mrs, ARM
istead and, by the way, Mr.. Terhune, |
| " you and Lord Vincent wish. can !
provide you with a copy OF the will
1t Is difficult. think. to remember all
| It's conditions"
Perhaps that's good idea." I an
swered "it n certainly an extraordf-
nary document and what an extraor-
disary man tksa Fletcher Boyd must
| have been. Mr. srniistead. to conceive
such a plan a ar
Mrs. Armistaad laughed Il think
| he was" she 81 u = saw my brother
in-law only ones IN my life. but that
was enough 70 impress me With the
| strength Of tha mans character and
hts ecccntriessy He was intensely
American wlla' they call 'seIf-made
man over there. imagine--and IL
was his detorm nation that his step
| daughter. the nuorable Agatha. In
| spite OF her Fasiish birth, should be-
| educated In America. To this her
mother agreed on condition that she
| should be allowed 10 bring her daugh-
ter ont In England and that she should
! make that country her home when her
schooling had been completed Ac-
| cordingly. when Lady wyckhofY died.
the child being about IL years old,
| Fletcher Boyd promised his wife to
carry out her wishes In that respect.
| A few years later he began the work
! o. building up this old castle OF wyck.
| hoff and putting In every modern con-
| venicnce, as you see. so that II should
be ready for his daughter to live In
| temporarily, before he established her
| ~ sfohAoH Win Notii0 B00Q taQy W
oversee her presentation into society.
according TO her mothers IDEAS
This was long speech for the
| good Mrs. Armistead. and she paused
| for breath.
4 see commented He made d
| very excellent job OF II. Then. as
understand Il. his daughter has never
been Ia England since her early child
| hoodf"
| No." said Mrs Armistead. Poor
| child. it's practically all new to her.
But I mustn't pity herl The way she
and those friends OF hers take hold
OF things passes my understanding"
And where did she md 80 many At
| tractive girls, each bearing the Chris
tian name Of Agatha1" I inquired IL
is an unusual name, and should have
thought that part Of the will difficult to
fulfill.
They're all Americans" replied ths
accommodating lady---"even my Sec
rotary. She was ut my niece's board
| ing school. and by my arrangement
chaperoned the party OF girls on their
| trip over When met her she seemed
| such a bright. capable little thing en-
| gagged her at once for my secretary.
| az my eyes are bad. As for the Agath-
as. one OF them roomed with my niece
| at school. another she met while visit
ing her friends in holiday time. anoth-
err she became acquainted with quite
| by accident on the train, and the 9TH
ers came Ia answer to an advertise
ment."
Wonderful that SO many girls could
| be found who were all so attractive"
| said again
They are attractive, aren't they7"
she assented; "and their frocks arc
pretty. too. | made them get colored
| things to wear this second year OF
mourning for my brother-in-law. do
80 hate TO see young girls wearing
black, and every article they put on
comes from New York city"
II thought as much" said Il
| thought they seemed more like Amer
lean than English girls. And how
| long has your niece been here?"
I asked the last question because
was afraid the conversation was going
| to stop and felt that In another mo-
ment Mrs. Armistead might mad I
vcrtentiy drop hint az to the identity I
OF the real Agatha 1t was very ex.I
citing
Nearly year. This is the last six
weeks Of the second year Of mourning. |
and the first OF the two years she Is (
to spend with her girl companions at
the castle. You know my brother-in-
law disapproved Of girls coming out.
as they call 1t. and placing themselvesI
on the marriage market. He'd rather
have the young men come to see them +
in their own homes, 70 he put on myi
nieces presentation as long as he
could. hoping she'd be married before
that time. | think
And have you entertained many
young men as YETI"