The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1908-08-29

To Wilfred and Wilfred with his arm
thrown around her.
Who goes there?" he said, sternIy,
as he discovered my figure in the
gloom, and "Ah!-it's you, Terhune,"
as l came into the circle of light, in
tone / hope may never hear from him
again.
AS the secretary saw who it was she
sprang away and was gone from the
room in second.
Well he said, with a sneer, as the
curtains closed behind her, caves
dropper, meddling as usual. What
can I do for you?"
: sat down on the stool "Sit down."
I said. with quiet authority, "and Wen
talk it over" He sat down. In mo-
'ments like this he forgets his indie
pendence and remembers that at one
time he used to obey me habitually
wanted to comfort him, but l knew
my duty better. Vincent" said, ap-
pealingly, don't you see it won't do?
She's no match for you-a girl with no
family and no money, and of her sta
ton in life. Give it up, / implore
you. Think of your father. There
has never been a mesaIliance in the
family; 1t would break his heart"
Vincent raised his head Mrs
Armistead says her family is perfectly
respectable" he said. 81 asked her."
Perfectly respectable!" 1 repeated,
contemptuously. Think of a Vincent
marrying girl who has nothing in her
favor but the fact that her family was
perfectly respectable!'
Vincent sighed pathetically and
delivered one more blow Think"
said; your brother Edmund is over
40, unmarried. and a sufferer from
rheumatism of the heart, as you know
suppose he should die-wouldnt you
make more creditable heir to the
title II you hadn't tied yourself up to
a wife of obscure origin-a penniless
American girl? And if you don't come
into the title you're only a younger
son, and you know yourself your pro-
pens1ty for getting into debt, and the
foreign ONCE for a boy of your age
IL not paying business. No, Vincent,
you're not cut out for making money,
and it's certain you can't depend on
your father forever. Can't you see
how rash and foolish you are to con-
slider such a thing?"
leaned over and put my hand on
Vincent's shoulder. He turned his
head. and when I felt his smooth
cheek against my hand I knew that
the battle was won.
I'm awfully sorry, Arch he said,
that I was such a beast last night.
I'll never forgive myself for trying to
strike you. Only, you see, I lost my
head, and I didn't know quite what
4 ct
understand-" But he would not let
nae stem the tide Of his remorse. "And
then, you know, what you said was
very hard to bear, and you see, after
ali, 1t wasn't true. She told me it
wasn't. Did you hear herr"
EYES," I assented, "and believe she
told you the truth"
'Of course; but then you're always
right, Archibald, always right When
1 go away from here and never see
her any more"-his lips quiyered I'M
controllably-'T may be able to forget
her."
'Of course you will" 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"
ooh, yes" agreed my patient. but
without enthusiasm; but at any rate
I had gained my point. and Vincent
had agreed with me that marriage
with the secretary was too rash and
foolish for him to contemplate.
tBy-the-by, Arch" he said, careless
~, as we still sat before the fire try
ing to make believe that the incident
of the secretary was closed. 81 have |
something to tell you. The secretary |
told me outright which one Of the
six girls really is the daughter of |
Fletcher Boyd"
1 looked at him in utter astonish- |
ment. What" I said e~cito1ly; do |
you mean to say she deliberately gave |
away the secret? Which one is it, for |
Heavens sake? And why did she |
do it,"
It's Agatha Sixth. You were right
all along As for the reason. l don't |
know what she did it for. unless-un- |
less" he hesitated. She's such au
honorable little thing I 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 added, with a little return |
of his old spirit; you'd better get
rested for your last try for the TWEEN
ty millions. If you make up for past |
neglect you ought to win Agatha
Sixth hands down.
Then you don't mean to try?"
His face clouded again. 81 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 ar Castle Wyckhoff,
and began subtly and by degrees to |
win back my former place in the re-
gard OF Agatha Sixth, and with every
inch OF ground l gained in my pursuit
Of the Honorable Agatha 1 thought OF
Vincent with a fresh nifty.