The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1908-10-31
CHAPTER VI.-Continued.

I'm awfully sorry, Arch" he said.
that ! was such a beast last night
I'll never forgive myself for trying to
strike you. Only, you see, ! lost my
head, and | didn't know quite what
was doing" "Of course" l said Il
understand" But he would not let
me stem the tide OF his remorse And
then. you know. what you said was
way hard to bear, and you see, after
all. it wasn't true. She told me it
wasn't. Did you hear herr"
Yes" l assented and believe she
told you the truth"
"Of course: but then you're always
right, Archibald, always right. When
! 90 away from here and never see
her any more"-his lips quivered un-
Coutrollably-'I may be able to forget
her"
"Of course you will" l assured
him, cheerily. though there was a lump
in my throat Men have died. but
not for love. Many have been as hard
hit as you and have recovered"
"Oh, yes" agreed my patient, but
without enthusiasm; but at any rate
| had gained my point. and Vincent
had agreed with me that marriage
with the secretary was too rash and
foolish for him to contemplate.
"By-the-by, Arch" he said, careless
ly, as we still sat before the fire try
ing to make believe that the incident
of the secretary was closed, "I have
something to tell you. The secretary
told me outright which one of the
six girls really is the daughter of
Fletcher Boyd
| looked at him in utter astonish-
ment What" | said, excitedly: do
you mean to say she deliberately gave
away the secret? Which one is it. for
Heavens sakeo And why did she
do it?"
It's Agatha Sixth. You were right
all along AS for the reason | don't
know what she did it for. unless-un-
less" he hesitated. She's such an
honorable little thing think she felt
that the marriage would displease my
family, so she wanted to turn me
from what she saw was coming and
used the disclosure of the Honorable
Agatha's identity for bait. Come on
to bed" he acded, with little return
of his old spirit; you'd better get
rested for your last try for the TWEEN
ty ,uillions. If you make up for past
neg'sct you ought to win Agatha
SIKH hands down.
Then you don't mean to try?"
His face clouded again. Il don't
mean to try" he said. and we went up
to our rooms in silence.
And so we came to the last four
days of our stay at Castle Wyckhoff,
and l began subtly and by degrees to
win back my former place in the re-
garl of Agatha Sixth, and with every
inch OF ground I gained in my pursuit
OF the Honorable Agatha l thought of
Vincent with fresh pity.
The evening before the last day of
our stay We all spent together in the
muSic room. We We're very jolly, and
yet underneath it all l think the girls
were little saddened by our ap-
proaching departure, and Wilfred and
I felt certain regret that the end
OF our delightful visit had come,
though of course | had fully deter
mined to propose to Agatha Sixth on
the morrow. l was rather surprised,
therefore, when Vincent suddenly
complained of headache and, excusing
himself, went up to his room. When
l went up to my own room-I raped
on his door. but he made no answer
and l concluded that he must be
asleep. The next morning, mucn to
my astonishment, he did not saunter
In and out Of my room as he was ac-