Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-07-17
CHAPTER LII.

the young ladies in the drawing room.
! had been so interested in discussing
Fletcher Boyd's will with Mrs. Arm
1stead that | had completely forgotten
vincent. At first thought he had al
ready left the room, but In a moment
heard him laugh and discovered him
actually sitting on the floor before the
nre, playing a species of mumble-the-
peg with the secretary. Extremely I'M
becoming conduct for both of them, |
thought, and Mrs. Arnistead thought
SO, too, for she spoke sharply to the
secretary, who left the room with red
dened cheeks. Vincent, however, was
unabashed, and, after holding the door
open for her, he followed me 90 the
drawing room, without needing my re.
monstrances. He seldom does heed
them, l may say.
It was on the third day OF our stay
when Vincent and | had begun to feel
thoroughly at home at Castle WICK
hOf, and when Vincent had begun to
feel more than thoroughly at home
with Agatha First, chat I made an
important discovery. The morning
was rainy, and after breakfast there
was nothing to do but to read-that
Is, until Agatha Sixth came down
stairs. ] had found her to be an I'M
usually well-educated girl and had
given her all my attention during the
three days | have mentioned. So |
wandered into the library and began
TO explore the tall bookshelves to find
something that interested me. And l
found it, though it wasn't exactly for
what | had been looking. On the
lowest shelf l discovered three heavy
but new-looking albums. From idle
curiosity to look at what / supposed
were pictures Of the dead barons OF
Wyckhoff | busted the first of the big
books and began to turn the leaves.
found it full of Photographic repro
auctions Of oil paintings depicting the
ladies of the family, and ON the last
page Of the book / came upon a pic
ture which thoroughly startled me. It
was copy of tull-length portrait of
the last Baroness Wyckhoff, whose
second husband had been Fletcher
Boyd. The picture showed a slender
little lady, with straight dark hair,
an aquiline nose, and a dark complex
ion, the living image of Agatha Sixth!
Stunned by the importance Of my
find l closed the book, put back the
albums where / lS1d found them and
stole from the room. / had a guilty
feeling, almost as If / had done some
thing wrong, yet 1t had been an acct
dent for which no one could really
blame me- Full Of excitement, I went
to find Vincent to acquaint him with
my good news, and discovered him in
the morning room playing chess with
Agatha First, or rather, he was show
ing her how to play, for he was hang
ing over the back of her chair and
moving her hand with his hand when
ever 1t was her move.
| coughed as l entered, and frowned.
l am always frowning at Vincent these
days, 1t seems to me, but l really have
to. He needs little restraint
"Good-morning, Miss Agatha" l said,
pleasantly; how does the game
progress? Is Lord Wilfred an efficient
teacher?"
Very" replied the young lady, short
ly, and both of them looked at me
with such insolent hostility that was
obliged to leave the room, murmuring
apologies for intruding.
| was rather vexed with Vincent
about this; he doesn't show me quite
the respect due an older man from a
boy of his age. Not that 1 am old. or
anywhere near middle age, but still
| am Vincents senior, and this Incl
dent determined me not to communi-
cate my discovery to him. Why should
| tell him and put formidable rival
into the field? Not that I'm afraid of
Vincent exactly, for / have always
found that when the girls tire of his
fun they are very glad to fall back
upon an experienced man like myself,
who has seen the world and is ac-
quainted with Shakespeare and the
musical glasses. Nevertheless, it
seemed pity to invite Vincent to en-
ter the lists against me, for l had fully
made up my mind to win Agatha
Sixth. Not that l am mercenary-not
at all. But 1t had been some time
since | seriously considered marrying,
and, after all, 1 thought, why not con-
slider it now, and, as long as 1 was Sc
lecting a wife, why not pick out one
of these six girls? They were all
beautiful and accomplished, "And
why not" l asked myself, while l
am about it, make it that one of the
Agathas, whose title was the honor
able, with twenty millions?" Twenty
millions, when you think of 1t, ought
to keep a careful man comfortable
for life, and Vincent was smart
enough-let him look out for himself.
And thus l decided not to tell him
of my discovery.
We spent the evening of that day
each according to his fancy-Vincent
playing tag and blind-man's buff with
four of the girls, while the fifth played
on the piano, and l in the next room
reading Edmund Burke's speeches
aloud, while my adored Agatha Sixth
did fancy-work. She really did every
thing very well. Finally Vincent and
l took our leave, and when We were in
our own rooms and Vincent had
wrapped himself in my favorite bath
robe and appropriated my armchair
l was almost tempted to tell him all
about 1t. Just as 1 was about to begin
he spoke.
Arch, my boy" he saba disre.