The Marshall republican., 1908-12-04

tHey call u beil'Induo
man over there, ! ~imagine-and II
was his determination that his step
daughter, the Honorable Agatha, In
spite OF her English birth, should be
educated in America. To this her
mother agreed, on condition that she
should be allowed to bring her daugh-
ter out In England and that she should
make that country her home when her
schooling had been completed. Ac.
cordingly, when Lady Wyckhoff died,
the child being about IL years old,
Fletcher Boyd promised his wife to
carry out her wishes in that retpect.
A few years later he began the work
OF building up this old castle Of Wyck-
hoff and putting in every modern con-
Venience, as you see, so that 1t should
be ready for his daughter to live in
temporarily, before he established her
In London with some good lady to
oversee her presentation into society,
according to her mothers ideaG."
! This was a long speech for the
good Mrs. Armistead, and she paused
for breath.
II see," ! commented. "He made a
very excellent job of II. Then, as !
understand 1t, his daughter has
been in England since her early child
hood?",
NO" said Mrs. Armistead. Poor
child, It's practically all new to her.
But mustn't pity her! The way she
and those friends, Of hers take hold
Of things passes my understanding"
"And where did she find so many at
tractive girls, each bearing the Chris.
tian name of Agatha" | inquired. 1T
is an unusual name, and should have
thought that part of the will difficult to
fulfill"
They're all Americans" replied the
accommodating lady-"even my Sec
rotary, She was at 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,
as 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-
or she became acquainted with quite
by accident on the train, and the 9TH
ers came In 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 they?"
she assented: land their frocks are
pretty, too. ] made them get colored
/ things to e this second year of
mourning for my brother-in-law. | do
so hate to see young girls wearing
3 black, and every article they put on
comes from New York city"
= 81 thought as much" | said. II
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
vertently drop a hint as to the identity
OF the real Agatha. 1t was very ex-
citing.
Nearly a year. This is the last six
Wtth6 VI lIt oC'Ollu gNai VI NV nus
and the first of the two years she is
to spend with her girl companions at
the castle. You know my b%rother-in-
law disapproved of girls coming out,
as they call 1t, and placing themselves
on the marriage market. He'd rather
have the young meI come to see them
in their own homes, so he put off my
niece's presentation as long as he
could, hoping she'd be married before
that time, l think"
And have you entertained many
young men as YETI"
my dear man! / should think VIC
had, nearly two dozen at least. And
they were too fuany, unobtrusivelv
trying to discover which was the girl
with the money, although that is really
against the spirit of the whole thing.
as It is contrary to the object Of the
will"
At this point | grew rather thought
full.
Dear, dear!" she went on, how
4 cautiously they did go about their
: courtships! They were all after the
money, | fear. This is a mercenary
! world! All the girls have received
: offers, but non of them has accepted
) what hard.hearted misses they
T must bel" | exclaimed, Are they al
like that In America, l wonder?" And
: l couldn't help thinking of that girl
: met last summer
q" don't know, I'm sure" replied
, Mrs. Armistead.' TITS not like English
girls. They're always ready and viii
ing to marry off whenever their nam
mas have provided eligible parts fol
them. But l can understand 1t In thll
case. Nc one Of the Agathas is NOR,
than 90 years old, and it's great fur
for them, this care.free life at Castl'
Wyckhoff. They have everything the,
can possibly want that money car