The Marshall republican., 1908-12-25
'Yssy" soid, TO encourage ner. /,

'Of course. you know Lord Vincent
WY we'll, don't your" As she asked
me this direct question she looked me
fall In the face, and as my eyes met
hers mentally thanked her for her
mercy In not often permitting man to
EaZe into them.
Yes" l said, recovering myself, 81
know him very we'll"
And he tells you things, doesn't
Aer"
Most things" I replied, wondering
at what she was driving.
Then could you tell me, please, II
If he accepted Miss Agatha-the
one with the hazel eyes that you call
Agatha Fifth-when she told him she
loved him?"
! was never more %astounded In my
life. How did she know that Agatha
Fifth had told Vincent she loved him,
and how did It concern her? Perhaps.
however, she was acting under Mrs.
Armistead's orders, hut If so she ought
TO have said so.
That's a question of a very personal
idNu'N L 9ilhy dlu tlFu utT StdTtHF
ingly; but don't think Lord Vincent
would mind, as long as you know so
much about 1t, If | tell you that he
refused the young lady who was indis.
Greet enough to ask him to marry
her"
The secretary gave a sudden start.
and then, by what seemed to be con
uiHarohfo nffnrt ,nuosr,1 n,.,t.h -
herself.
He refused her." | continuation
the gill and her questions and her
genuine feeling interested meal.
though she told him she was the real
Honorable Agatha" / was so proud
of Vincent for that that / was glad
To be able to tell someone about It.
She said that--and he refused herr"
repeated the girl In an awed tone.
"How could he do it, how could her"
Then 1t was true? She is really
the daughter Of Fletcher Royd?" I
cried eagerly. At last I had stumbled
upon the truth, Tor l knew the sccfe.
tary was In the secret.
But shO only smiled at me. You
are a good man." she said, "a good
man"
The was growing chilly and
the fire was getting low, and as she
spoke she slipped down from the high
chair and seated herself on a little
stool at my feet, stretching out her
slim hands toward the blaze. 81 thank
YOU" she said, simply, and gazed into
the fire a moment, while ! gazed at her
slender young figure, her pink and
white skin, straight, little nose, and
wide, red mouth with it's Du Maurier
chin--and all in a moment | felt my
self plying the poor little girl. Vim
cent was such an attractive young
scamp, he might be playing fast and
loose with her affections without In
tending 1t or realizing that he was
doing so. ln%voluntarily l leaned to-
ward her.
MY dear young lady" l said, and
as / spoke ] caught myself thinking
her really good looking. IF she only
did her hair %decently," | thought, I'D
call her a beauty, ! really believe I
should" my dear young lady" I
said, tell me in confidence and per-
haps ! can help you DO you-er-are
Observation-Disclosures In Lord vii.
fred? II, so, allow me, | c~onjure you, nay,
beg of you, to put all thought of him
out OF your head. He doesn't mean 1t,
but he is a graceless young firt. He
doesn't mean a word he says. Let
me warn you-be advised"
stopped short. In the midst Of
my well-meant flow of words, | stopped
short, for, could | believe my eyes,
the secretary was laughing at me.
MY dear old man." she said-she
did. actually-"my ear old man, your
warnings are superhuous, for | am a
married woman" and, still laughing,
she left the room.