Imperial Valley press., 1912-03-19
AN OPEN
SECRET
BY MARGARET c. QUINBY
Copyright by American Pr ess Asso-
citation, 1911.

II am sorry. Helen. to have been
obliged to ask you TO como to the Of
fee to execute these papers, but you
and l are not the only ones concerned.
However. l have got matters in such
shape that all can be attended to
right here"
Thank you. guardy."
Now if you will sign here and here
and here There: the transfer has
been effected. and you are the posses
sor of your property. 10 do with it as
you like"
weren't you rather young for moth
er to put all my Inheritance In your
handS?"
II was only twenty-seven. but had
had my profession four years. and
well. your mother was inclined to-
"She was very fond of you"
You don't know anything about
that. You were too young to notice her
partiality for me"
"Girls Of twelve to thirteen are
usually set down as not knowing any
thing. Don't you believe it. When l
was thirteen l knew q lot. Mother
used to talk to me about you. and l
knew very we'll what she thought Of
you. That's the reason she left all my
property in your hands. She told me
all about that too. She said to me:
Helen. Jim is not only honest. but he's
smart. I'd rather trust him to handle
your property after I'm gone than
many older men,
'She was mighty good woman.
your mother. After what you have
said l can't compliment her intelli-
gence without directly complimenting
myself"
that is. when she made the will she
had an object in making you my guard
ian."
What object:"
THAT would be telling"
Ibid she forbid you to tell me?"
"No."
''Then why don't you tell?'
Because I'm not going to do it."
''rhere's no getting around that rea.
son. There are no promises. no deduc-
tions. no conclusions. l call that fat
reasoning"
"And l call it my own individual
reasoning"
Rather it is woman's reasoning. /
must discover some method Of getting
it out of you
How are you going to do it?"
''That would be telling"
"Oh. I'm to be hoodwinked into tell.
ing you my secret"
so it is a secret! Well. how many
know it"
"Only l."
"Who would be most interested to
know it,"
Don't you wish you knew ,making
wry face)
WAS this object of your mother
solely for your benefit. comfort, pleas
ure:"
She was looking for trap and con.
sidered her reply before giving it.
"Wel. that depends"
son WHAT"
whether it would give comfort or
pleasure to some one else"
Now we are getting on"
rs this a twenty question game"
ut is my method of getting your Sc
cret''
"Oh. well. 90 on"'
as this other person masculine or
feminine:"
That's NOT fair. It's direct queS.
ton. l decline to answer it."
You might as we'll have admitted
that the reply, if made. would be mas
culine''
How do you make that out"
I'm not submitting to process; it
is you. Having learned that this other
person who would be interested in
your secret is masculine. perhaps l
gan find out more about him by learn
ing his age. Is he old, middle aged
or young?'
Young"
He started. There was look Of
disappointment on his face
II would divide mans life into
three sections-young from his birth
to thirty. middle aged from thirty to
fifty. old from then till death"
Il wouldn't divide it that way. A
man is young till forty-live."
He drew a breath of relief and went
on catechising. but took another tack
"WOul0 this Darty"-
He isn't Il party; he's a man"
Would this man who would be in
terested in this secret be interested in
it pecuniarily?"
NO"
Again the man started and looked
disappointed.
Then he could not be interested in
you. because you have a fortune
"Oh. didn't mean that. He would
not love me for my
She stopped short and blushed.
The QuestiOner was happy. He had
gained an important point. In fact.
he had learned the whole secret, of
which he had been reasonably sure at
tha FIRST hut had from two of her re-