The Washington times., 1909-04-04

to rally from the shock OF
Steve C1ayton's unexpected
and startling question.
He stopped and gently lifted his vile
from the floor. carefully placing her IN /
A chair
Brace up, old girl he said. tender
". his solicitude Cor his wife causing |
him to ignore the presence of the law
Yer. Don't let this new trouble get the
hest of YOU. After all, what does it /
matter? We expected this to happen /
sooner or later, didn't we. old LADY, /
And besides. it may be nothing more
than guess on this lawyers part.
He turned eagerly 10 Steve
rs it a guess, youEg man?'' he de- /
manded Did YOU have any good
cause for asking that question or was it
Just A guess2"
1T was only a suspicion before Mr.
Hamilton replied Clayton, but now
know that I have guessed right. You
don't have TO answer my question Your
agitation is sufficient answer for me-
l know your secret now.
But, do not be alarmed, my good
friends" he added quickly. The Sc
cret is quite safe in my keeping. 1
shall not reveal it unless it becomes alb
soluteiy necessary 10 do So
I am mighty glad 20 know that the
young lady is not really your daughter.
That discovery helps a whole lot Il
throws great white light upon mat
1ers that we're before exceedingly mys-
1erious. l don't think that ] shall have
any trouble now in solving the mystery
which until now has bafhed me COM
pletely-the mystery Of the photograph
In the library book
What do YOU mean?" inquired Ham
ilton, regarding him with unfeigned
wonder. What photograph are you
talking about? What great mystery? 1
do not understand you
Il will explain" said Clayton. Let
ne begin by asking you another ques-
tiOn. I beg you to give me a candid
answer, for it will help mo a whole lot
Does Arthur harrington know that
Laura is not your own daughter? I
mean. have you told him SOP
7 have not I have told that TO no
man, and" Hamilton added cautiously,
- have not admitted 10 yosi. either,
that such is the case"
you don't have to admit ii to me.
my dear SIR replied Clayton with
smile "I know il Is a fact Let me
show YOU. however. that il is 10 your
advantage 10 be quite frank with me
Sn this matter. ] will tell you all about
the photograph which my friend Will
bur Leslie found in the library book.
and YOU VIII see that in making this
investigation I am your friend. not
your enemy"
He proceeded to narrate to the sur
prised couple how Wilbur Leslie had
found the picture OF the girl in the
volume Of Sherlock Holmes, and the
startling events which had followed
And I am convinced" he said in
conclusion, that the desire of Arthur
harrington. to marry the girl. the effort
OF the unfortunate Frank Darlington
10 get her 10 wed him, the ATTEMPT OF
the bearded man and his companions
20 carry her off in the REQ automobile,
the sending of that box OF poisoned
candy through the mail all hinges ur1on
me fact that Laura is not your daugh-
ter.
Tell me who she really is, and I will
lay bare this entire mystery of plot and
Counterplot"
Hamilton and his wife had Iistered
20 his narrative like persons in a dream.
Now the former spoke:
i would like 10 be able to tell you
that, he said, but 7 can't. for the
reason that I don't know myself I
can see now. sir. after what you have
told us, that you are our friend irstedd
OF our enemy. I agree with you that
ell these villains must know the secret
OF our little girls real identity. and for
that reason have entered into these
scoundrey plots against her. and J
am willing 20 give YOU all the help I
can. but I can't tell YOU who Laura
really is"
Tell me al that you know about
her. That AT least will help some. "
urged Clayton eagerly.
Yes, ] will be quite frank with you
Laura has been With us since she was
= little bit Of a baby. We have brought
her up and cared for her as il she was
our own daughter. She herself does
not know that we are not her parents. '
Are you sure OF that7"
Yes, quite sure. She thinks she IS
our daughter and we thought il best
Sny old woman and T. 10 let her 20 or
thinking so, feeling that Il -'nuId give
her pain to find out the JruJn. Wher
that fellow, Arthur harrington. pro
posed 20 her, we felt that in justice "a
him we ought 20 reveal our secret: but
We just couldn't bring ourselves TO DO
g. for we knew how much II would
Prieve her 10 know that we were moi
really her parents
'Of course. though, Arthur Barring
ton knew it all the time" Clayton IN
tcriected.
Yes, suppose he did-in view oi
what you have told US. I might hav,
known that fellows motives weren
honorable mistrusted him the frs
time I laid eyes on him; but ne SCENE,
so STRAIGHTFORWARD and manly when h,
asked FOR our I.aurs's hand that m
EUspicions vanished and / felt ASHAMED
Of myself for having doubted him.
Laura loves him, too.' sighed Mrs