The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-02-09

well, sir?" said she, and from the
hall behind her came a half sup
pressed giggling, very dreadful to the
nerves.
This must be girls school The gig
Cling was hardly mature enough to ap
pertain TO n young ladies' seminary.
"Will you give my card" said he, ito
the young lady who just came inf'
Miss Berkeley?'
"Yes."
The female butler eyed him with cold
suspicion. She led Forester to n small
reception room, where a woman wear
ing spectacles sat at a desk, seemingly
obivious of his existence. But there
were other persons near at hand who
were deeply interested in him. Girls
passed through the hall and stole rapid
gances at him where he sat in hard
chair near the door. Some Of them
were lurking on the other side of the
partition, and he could hear them whis
per.
THAT amt him-I mean he" said
one. This one is too tall"
"Mr. Langdon's tall" said another.
II saw him once with her at the gate
Of her aunts house That's where he
calls on her"
IL think It's mean she isn't going to
be married here" And that was the
last word that Forester heard.
The female butler returned, bearing
a card not engraved with a name, but
having this message written upon 1t by
the same hand that had addressed the
envelope to Langdon:
Miss Berkeley regrets that she can be
Of no service to Mr.. Forester. Though
she was present on the occasion in ques-
ton. she saw nothing OF the accident and
could not testify as to any detail Of it.
Forester read those enigmatical
words, and his legal mind detected
mischief. He wrote upon the card:
VIII Miss Berkeley graciously pardon
Mr.. Forester for his insistence and per-
NIT him to express his regret that no per
son representing her has called upon him
in response to his request?
1t required some diplomacy to induce
the female butler to return with the
card, but Forester was equal to the
emergency, being now wholly desper-
ate and fighting for heart and con
science. AS he expected, the young
lady responded in person TO his mes
sage.
I'VE are at cross purposes. Mr.. For
rester." said she. I'VE seem not to
understand each other"
"The confusion results from the form
Of my request. written upon my card
the day that l had the pleasure of see
ing you for the first time" said he. 81
asked you to send TO me whoever
you trusted most fully and you chose
Mr.. Langdon. / did not foresee that"
"Well?" said she.
"Mr. Langdon has not done me the
honor to CALI" he returned.
/ But surely there is some mistake"
said she. Not being acquainted with
you, Mr.. Langdon may have called
upon some other Mr.. Forester. Who
/ ever it was that he went to see is a
/ lawyer having an Office in the Ander-
son building. He told Mr.. Langdon
that he recognized me as one who had
been present at an accidental man in
jured by street car-and that he de-
sired my evidence, but was afraid l
might take offense at a request made
upon the street in that way, and might
be timid about testifying in court, so he
had asked me to send a man to him"
II have no such case" said For
roster.
"Then Mr. Langdon must have call
ed upon some one else of the same
name"
There is no other Forester in the
Anderson building" said he, nor any
other lawyer Of that name in the coun-
ty. Moreover, Mr.. Langdon knows
me well and has been my client"
This seems to raise a question of
veracity," said she, (which is not per
missable under the circumstances"
NO" he replied; 'if you will par
don me, it is question Of error, Of
very grave and momentous error.
which may have the most serious
consequences. May ask whether you
have an auntr'
"I have"
"a widow"
'Yes"
And you reside partly at her house
and partly here, where you teachr'
"Yes. but why do you ask these ques-
tionsT'
Because" said he, "your aunt lie
the only person who can set this err
ror right. l trust that she can see me
at once"
81 do not understand you in the
least" she said, but somehow I can't
help believing in you. There is some
purpose Of good behind your mysteries
l will 60 with you to my auntS
house"
1t was the child's whisper in the hall
that had put Forester upon the track
Of Grace Berkeley's aunt as her natu-
raj guardian and protector. The lady
proved to be an amiable and In most
respects an intelligent woman, but she
was a great admirer Of Billy Langdon
and had put the bulk Of her money
into one of the hollowest OF his cor
porations. When Forester learned OF