The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1908-08-15

soonest. But as they filed out of the
big door / saw Vincent look longest
at the secretary who walked a little
| behind the others, her plain, dark blue
silk gown and little rough straw hat
with the pink roses beiaS a conspicu-
Gus contrast to the f~ills AID furbe-
lows of the six \ = las. | thought
had never seen her lock so well. and
she passed us men without SO much as
glancing in our direction, though Vim
cents gaze, | thought, was a trife
rude.
They had been gone some Is min
utes when it occurred to me that it
might do my head good to go out and
get some fresh air. Besides which l
had begun to regret that | had per-
| mitted Vincent to go to church the
only esquire of such a galaxy of beau
ty. So l put on my hat and strolled
out over the lawn and down the long
drive, and before I knew it 1 had
reached the bottom of the billy road
and had set out over the fields. The
church party had gone by the way of
the path over the fields, for that was
q shorter route than the main road.
As 1 walked quickly along the we'll
beaten path between the thickets I
stopped suddenly and stopped to pick
up small dust-covered object which
proved to be a prayer book. "One OF
those careless girls has dropped it" I
said to myself, for they had all car
ried them. Opening it to find the
owners name, l was much agitated to
read on the fyleaf this inscription:
"To my daughter Agatha, from her
father, Fletcher Boyd" and the date,
1900. 1t was, then, gift which Fetch
or Boyd had made to his daughter only
two years before his death.
was wild with excitement in
minute. 1 would keep the book. and
some time when all the girls were
gathered together l would announce
that l had it in my possession and
see II one of them did not betray her
self by asking me for it. But Fate
decreed that l should make my test
OF the prayer book more speedily, for
spied in the distance the white figure
of girl fastening back. The path
was dusty and the sun was shining
right in her face, so / trusted she
had not seen me, and, putting the little
it, / Jumped behind the bushes. The
owner of the book was looking for her
property. On she came, running slow
ly and glancing eagerly from side to
side of the pathway. AS she came OPP
posite me she stopped and snatched up
the book, and when she had run back
again the conviction that the Honor
able Agatha was no other than Agatha
Fourth was forced in upon me.
So reused was l by this event that
turned my steps homeward at once.
Suspicion had now fallen on every one
of the six AgathaS, but thiS-this was
the most convincing of proofs! That
night could hardly wait for the end
of the evening, so that l could drag
Vincent into my room and disclose to
him my final and greatest discovery.
was so full Of excitement over it, be-
sides feeling a certain pride in my wit
and sagacity which had led to the dis
covery of so many important clews,
that 1 was rather disappointed when
Vincent received my disclosure with
indifference.
cat it again, Arch" he said, rather
gloomily, as he sat crosslegged before
my fire in extreme deshabille, and
smoking his vile pipe. What is the
use? I should think you'd get tired
of pursuing the elusive gold. l admire
your patience, my boy, but don't take
any more stock in this 'clew' than
did in your others. When you think
that you have now fastened suspicion
upon each one of the six fair ladies
who have been christened Agatha I
marvel at the sanguine temperament
which permits you to place so much
importance on this last find Of yours"
He stopped, and / answered him rather
sarcastically, as l didn't like the gen
tie ridicule of his tone or his lack of
enthusiasm.
1T seems to me-" said, that con-
sidering how you've spent your time,
my dear boy, you are very poor per
son to look down upon my efforts to
turn this adventure of ours to some
account. The fact that l have kept
my eyes open and used those faculties
Of penetration and observation of
which 1 am the natural possessor to
discover a piece of information which
might prove OF great value, not only
to myself, but also to youths fact,
say NiuCenI, OuSAS HoAOAS ~ OAAn5
upon me your derision as well as your
lack of sympathy" l don't mind adj
hitting that 1 really felt hurt, and
Vincent saw that 1 did,
He took his pipe out of his mouth
and looked at me with those big, truth
full eyes of his so penitently that l
smiled inwardly; then he gathered up
his long limbs from my hearthrug and
came and ensconced himself at my
feet as I sat In my easy chair.
well there. then" he said. patting
my hand as IL I'd been an old woman
or q small child. Poor old Arch bald,
did 1 make it cross? Well, it was a
shamel" And he smiled at me with
such a mixture OF contrition and fun
that was obliged after a short strug-