Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1908-06-24

And for proof Of her astontshint
words she snatched on her glove ant
displayed to my marveIing gaze thu
big emerald cross OF the Wyckhof
ring, winking In the sunshine.
AT this moment the train began tc
move, and was filed with a sudden
and justifiable 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 q
rool OF me! But one look at his face
proved to me that had done him an
injustice. He was as stricken with
amazement as l was, and knew that
tnen, 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 ! caught up with the win.
dow again. "Good-by!" shouted
and God bless you!" And Vincent
reaching out his big hand, had lust
, time to catch mine in his strong
grasp before dropped back out
stripped. and he had withdrawn his
radiant face from my view.
Atterward ! learned many things.
"a .--
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, az 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
well over and Mrs. Armistead back
at Castle Wyckhofr. Second, that it
had been the Honorable Agathas own
idea to play the part Of secretary to
her aunt, thus improving upon her IA
Tiers plan, and making 1t still more
difhcult 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 really |
think that on that night when he had
agreed with me that 1t was best to |
give her up he meant to do so, but |
mis- 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 also learned afterward that
the six Agathas, shortly after the I
eiopement Of Vincent and the secre-
tary-that-was, had all gone to their
homes in America. Later some Of them
married certain suitors who had once
been guests at Castle Wyckhoff Among
these were Agatha First and young
Brancepeth, who, am happy to say.
mas led a reformed life since his mar
rage. And, 1t also came to pass that
Vincent and his bride took possession
OF Castle Wyckhoff as their country |
seat when they came back from their
honeymoon, And there often visited
them.
But on that eventful day when the
train had pulled out of the station
nonee Of these things was known TO
me, and stood on the platform dizzy
with the unexpected turn events had
aiken.
And so it was that Vincent got II
ahead OF me, just as he has always
lone. And so it was, also, that re-
urned to London, still an eligible
bachelor, still the prey of match-ma. /
ing mammas and smiling debutantes. i
There was but one comforting
hought in the mixture Of disappcint-
aent and chagrin that made the aum !,
my feelings as drove slowly back ]
the castle. This much had bean 1 /
iyen me: AT least had not made the \
atal mistake OF proposing 10 the
rong Agatha, and hugged myself a J
thought how near i had come to put. Z !.
ng the question to Agatha Sixth that Z Z
sry morning. That, at least, had z D
anaged to avoid. From that folIy Y
p innate caution and unerrinR N.
met Of Archibald Terhune had pre-
rved him. Thank Heaven! la
THE END. nc
T. I lt.A