Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-04-21
CHAPTER xII.-Continued.

so you were the man in the draw,
ing room the other night?" she ex.
claimed when he had finished telling
her, and she opened her beautiful gray
eyes very widely at young Murray.
by Jove, yes!" added, land it
wasn't old Terhune, after ALL" ,
And 1t wasn't old Terhune, either,
who was with Agatha First the day
you saw the red automobile in the
woods" she said.
by Jove, MOI" said excitedly. II
knew I'd seen that machine of Brance-
peth's before And as l glanced at it
again the whole significance of the
mystery we had made in regard to
hgatha First and Arch came to me
with the force of revelation turned
to explain 1t all to Dearest, but, as
usual, she was ahead of me.
1T was you all the time!" she said
to Murray, but with smile of such in
cradle relief that wondered, until she
turned to Arch and saw what bearing
that fact had on the situation in re-
gard to Agatha Sixth and Terhunes
aunt's property.
"II'm SO sorry!" she said, holding out
her hands to the old boy. 1--WE did you
an injustice, Mr.. Terhune!" And she
told him briefly of the scene she and
l and Agatha Sixth had been witness
to the other night in the drawing room
and our suspicious of him in connec-
ton with it.
1t took him moment or two to
grasp what she meant, and what her
discovery that our suspicious were un-
just might mean, and / spoke before he
did.
And now It will be all right, Dear
est, said, about Agatha Sixth. She
will see that she was unjust to Arch
and you will tell her, won't your" And
I looked at her eagerly. But to my
surprise, just rs thought everything
explained, everything arranged and
engagement between my friend and my
wife's friend, toward the accomplishing
of which object we had invited both
parties to come to Castle Wyckhoff,
Dearest seemed inclined to spoil the
whole thing by refusing to act.as medi.
}ator between the two Ana mediator
was necessary, that is If they were
to be brought together in time to make
the engagement fact before the fatal
hour had arrived, for Miss Lawrence
was still locked In tho fastness Of her
room.
Il say!" implored, Selling Dearest's
hand. don't hesitate now! At such a
crisis. Go and tell Agatha Sixth the
news and get her to come down before
it's too late! BY Jove, it is hard on
!. poor Old Terhune to lose a fortune be-
cause you choose to have whims !"
was so earnest I was almost angry.
,"One would think a fortune was a mat
ter Of no importance to him at ALL"
That's Just i'll" replied my wife
sadly; tits Of too much Importance!
The only reason that hesitate to do
Jas you ask is because I've seen all
along that the fortune has been the
,only important thing to you men! What
ia pity!" And the eyes love best in the
world filled with tears. And it was
then that the whole thing came to me
land saw at once what was the other
lobstacle had to face in my attempt
Ito obtain a fortune for my friend.
Now that Agatha Sixth's mistake in re-
gard Ito his fondness for Agatha First
had been dissipated by Brancepeths
revelations, the only impe 'iment to the
satisfactory conclusion of Archs affair
was Dearest's refusal to cooperate
with me at this crucial moment be-
cause of her belief that 'Terhune's wish
TO marry Agatha Sixth was purely a
mercenary one. And as l at length
comprehended what might have seen
a long time ago If I had only stopped
to think, understood in second her
scornful and almost resentful attitude
toward myself on several occasions,
for apparently supporting my friend in
his meretricious designs. With this
new grasp Of the situation suddenly
given to me, couldn't begin fast
enough to try to make my wife under
stand what had SO lately learned
myself, that Terhune sincerely loved
Miss Lawrence. AS quickly as could
speak began to tell her, as proof. Of
Arch's Reputation of my suggestion In
regard to asking Agatha First instead.
= moment ago In the hall. ! judged.