Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-01-25
ntermingling-sighs. Out Of 1t finally
.ame the fathers accents.


.ame the fathers accents.
There, there, my dear. my dearest
iearr' protested the old gentleman.
Positively don't deserve tithe Of
his. r. The young old voice qua
rered and broke in happy laugh.
You must understand. he continued
more soberly, "that no consideration Of
my sort is due me. When we married
was too old for your mother, child.
We both knew 1t. both believed 1t
would never matter. But 1t did. BY
her wish l went back to America. We
were to see what separation would do
to heal the wounds dissension had
caused. 1t was very foolish expert
ment. Your mother died before |
could return"
There fell a silence, again broken
by the father. after that | was In
no haste to return. But some years
ago came to London to live ! COM
municated with the old colonel. ask
Ing permission to see you. 1t was re-
fused in a manner which precluded
the subject being reopened by me. |
was Informed that II l persisted In at
tempting to see you you would be dis
Inherited. He was very angry with
me-justly, admit. One must grow
old before one can see how unforgiva-
bly, one was wrong in youth. So |
settled down to quiet old age. de-
termined not to disturb you In your
happiness. Ah-Kirkwood"
The old gentleman was standing. his
arm around his daughters shoulders.
when Kirkwood turned.
"Come here, Philip. I'm explaining
to Dorothy, but you should hear The
evening I called on you. dear boy. at
the Pless. returning home received a
message from my solicitors. whom |
had instructed to keep an eye on Doro-
thy's welfare. They informed me that
she had disappeared. Naturally can
celed my plans to go to Munich and
stayed, employing detectives. One OF
the first things they discovered was
that Dorothy had run of with an eld-
erly person calling himself George
Burgoyne Calendar, the name had
discarded when | found that to ac-
knowledge me would imperil my
daughters fortune. The Investigations
went deeper. Charles, let us continue
to call him, had been to see me only
this afternoon to inform ME Of the
plot they had discovered. This Hal
lam woman and her son-it seems that
they were legitimately in the line Of
inheritance. Dorothy out Of the way.
But the woman was-ah-u bad lot.
Somehow she got into communication
with this fat rogue. and together they
plotted 1t out. Charles doesn't believe
that the Hallam woman expected to
enjoy the Burgoyne estates for very
many days. Her plan was to step in
when Dorothy stepped out, gather up
what she could, realize on il and de-
camp. That is why there was so much
excitement about the jewels-naturally
the most valuable item on her list. the
most easy to convert into cash. The
man AIulready we do not place He
seems to have been n shady character
the fat rogue picked up somewhere.
The latter's ordinary line Of business
was diamond smuggling. though he
would condescend to almost anything
in order to turn dishonest penny.
"That seems to exhaust the subject.
But one word more. Dorothy. | am
old enough and have suffered enough
to know the wisdom Of seizing ones
happiness when one may. My dear.
a little while ago you did very brave
deed. Under fire you said most cour
ageous, womanly. creditable thing.
And Philips rejoinder was only second
In nobility to yours. do hope to
goodness that you two blessed young
sters won't let any addle pated scru-
pies stand between yourselves and
the prize Of romance. your inalienable
inheritancew
Abruptly Brentwick, who was no
longer Brentwick, but the actual Cal
endar, released the girl from his en-
brace and hoped nimbly toward the
door. REALLY, l must see about that
petrolw he cried. "While it's per.
fectly true that Charles lied about its
running out, we must be getting on.
I'll call you when we're ready to
start"
And the door crashed to behind him.
Between them was the table. Be
yond 1t the girl stood with head erect,
dim tears glimmerlng on the lashes OF
those eyes with which she met Philips
steady gaze so fearlessly.
Singing about them, the silence deep
ened. Fascinated, though his heart
was faint with longing, Kirkwood fal-
tered on the threshold of his king
dom.
Dorothy! You did mean 1t, dear?"
She laughed little, low, sobbing
laugh that had its source deep In the
hidden sanctuary Of her heart Of
child.
II meant It, my dearest. II you'll
have a girl so bold and forward, who
can't wait till she's asked, but throws
herself into the arms Of the man she
loves-Phillp, meant 1t, every wordv
And as he went to her swiftly, round
the table, she turned to meet him.
arms uplifted, her scarlet lips a-trem-
BILE, the brown and bewitching lashes
dropping over her wondrously lighted
eyes.