The Irish standard., 1908-07-11
girl with the fair hair who played 1.a
piano. Agatha Fourth, she's a stun.
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girl with the fair hair who playeo TIA
piano. Agatha Fourth, she's a stun.
ner."
Upon my word. Vincent" I expostu.
lated. where do you find time for so
many of them at once? Doesn't
Agatha First feel neglected."
I suppose So" replied the young IN.
solent, but can't help that. I'm
going to give them all a whirl-but
Archbald"-he was getting sleepy and
mis- pipe had gone QUIT really do
like red hair best"
I don't know what you are talking
about" l said, mpatiently-"but, Vim
cent, want to tell you something. I've
made a discovery"
What is it," he said, without tbe
slightest interest, and changed nv
mind again.
Nothing" I said. 1--WE forgotten
what 1t was"
Vincent rose. and, stretching him.
self nightly. went toward his own
room. At the door he turned and
smiled one of the smiles he does not
OFTEN give to men, and felt that this
one was not meant for me.
I've made a discovery, too, Arch"
he said.
stared at him in amazement, won.
dering what was coming.
Whats that?" l asked.
i've discovered that Miss Marsh's
eyes are gray, as gray as stars" he
said, only half aloud, and disappeared
into his room.
"Poppycock!" I shouted as the door
closed behind him. Vincent's vagaries
are hard to follow at times-stars Ger.
tainly are not gray. That knew to be
absurd.
MY new knowledge, while it robbed
the affair of its piquant mystery-for
! had decided that Agatha Sixth was
In truth the real Honorable Agatha
made my game even more exciting,
now that the stakes were assured. I
read with Agatha Sixth, walked with
her, talked with her, and played chess
with her all the first week: and az
nearly as I could make out vincent's
program ran something like this: Be-
fore breakfast he took horseback
ride with Agatha Fifth; after break
fast he played golf with Agatha First:
tennis with Agatha Third; and took
Agatha Second out sketching. In the
afternoon Agatha Fourth played
Chopin to him by the hour. Agatha
Sixth he had not approached, fearing
me. as was natural. In the evening
he played games with them all or re.
tired into the library with Agatha
Fifth. who seemed to have lost her
head over him completely.
! This program he repeated day after
day with reckless lack of generalship
and yet every now and then, to my
surprise and disgust, caught him
deep In his unfortunate Irritation with
Mrs. Armistead's secretary. It wasn't
fair to the poor girl, and I told Vim
cent so plainly. We were sitting on
the low stone balustrade Of the castle
Vincent in riding clothes and look
Ing as hne lad as any in old England.
He was waiting for Agatha Fifth to go
riding with him, although 1t was later
than usual, all Of us having break.
tasted For myself, I wore my tennis
things, which become me greatly, II
! do say it. for intended to play
set with those tennis fanatics, Agatha
Second and Agatha Third, as the aris.
tocratic Agatha Sixth was a late riser
and had not yet come downstairs.
mo, Vincent" said, "it won't do.
Flirt with all the Agathas, If you must,
but when it comes to the secretary, let
her alone. To say nothing of what is
due her, think of the time you're
wasting. We have only six weeks
think of it-six weeks to make try
for twenty millions of dollars!"
"You forgot to say that wife goes
along with the filthy lucre." he said,
and somehow I felt uncomfortable.
Vincent has faculty for making one
feel uncomfortable. It makes me quite
angry-he's no better than the rest of
US, but he's so confoundedly innocent
about some things.
I was going to explain to him that
he needn't speak as If he thought that
! were the sort of . man to marry a
girl merely for her money-when his
face lighted and he spoke more ration.
ally.
Cad" he said, "what a rare lark 1t
would be to toss up q coin and take a
chance at it. Six to one only-you'd
have q good show to win out!"
How foolish you are, Vincent" I
responded. Suppose you took a
chance at 1t, as you say, and Just pro-
posed to any one of them, when you
had mate no attempt to win. her
wouldn't she know you were fortune
hunting? And ii it should happen to
be the real Agatha she'd refuse you
on that account because it would de-
teat the object Of her fathers will; and
II 1t were not the real Agatha she'd
refuse you, too, because she'd know
she had no fortune to give you"
"Of course" said Vincent, signing,
you're right about that But tell
you, Archibald, I'm not flirting with