Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-09-09
Secret"
By
DAVID WHITELAW
By
DAVID w

calling on you-one never knows,
does one? II / have taken fup your
valuable time needlessly, I can but
apologize"
The solicitor smiled.
There would be no call for an
apology in any case, my dear sir
also, I think you have hit the right
nail on the head. Even ii it were not
So, It'll would have been worth while
to listen to your story. There is SO
little romance nowadays in this old
world OF ours that we welcome any
thing that savors Of 1t. May I ask
you a. few questions? You can an
swer them on as you like"
Certainly. anything that I can an
swer you mdy be sure 1 will y
, Robert Ba1enter leaned down and
pulled out a drawer in the right-hand
pedestal OF his desk. He took from
it a few papers, which he placed up
on the b~lotting-pad before him.
He was not looking at the man in
the chair as he did ibis or he would
have noticed a sudden paEor. .blanch
the tanned cheeks. The gray eyes
fixed themselves with a. fascination
upon the parchment endorsed in the
angular writing of Adam Baxenter. In
his minds v Vivian again saw a
darkened room. the winter sunshine
cutting through the drawn blinds. He
again seemed to hear the tick-tack
of the clock and to. breathe the foul
air Of the shut-up house in Mortimer
Terrace There was clock upon
the office wall, and to vivian's ears
It took up the monotonous refrain
Of h a other Observation-Disclosures
.-der-tick- And then the cool
voice of the solicitor came through
the maze of his "reminiscences, and,
with an effort, he bracedl himself to
listen.
And So" Robert Ba1enter was
saying, perhaps you nay have heard
Of the name Of this ancestor Of yours,
whom. o think. came5t to London?"
Dartigny.'
And can you produce any papers
any documents of family afIairs?r
His visitor had been evidently ex-
pecting that this question would be
asked him sooner or later, for he an
swered readily 3i
"Ah! there I'm afraid I have only
my bare word to give you. Before
I was fifteen my father joined an
had heavy losses, and the tales OF
gold to be found in the North tempt
cd him. He returned, and /
was taken care OF by a good woman
OF the village / had a little money,
and when my ~protectre1 died I
rounded the word. r visited Austria
Ia n India. and finally drifted back
to Canada. where have built up a
good little business. It is this busi-
don-not this other pig in a poke,
he added. with aflaugh.
Robert Baxenter had referred to
the parchment wher the old aristo-
Gratis naYne had been mentioned:
now he put the papers back and sat
for a moment drumming the tips OF
his fingers together. He reasoned
rapidly. Perhaps It was unwiss to
part with his trust to man with.
visitor In mentioning the mottoHhad
done all that was required. The
transaction was q little loose legally,
but the solicitor was mor than half
anxious to the end OF the white
elephant In his strong-room-and he
tod himself that this wa be-
yond all doubt hcles1ttma4e de-
scendant OF the sristocrat who had
visited old Adam than cen-
His mind made up, Robert rose
md held out his hand.
I'm thar satisfied, 8 Mr..
EDaftins True.sIsWoNld have prefer
red sonte documentary evfdencAsaaSto
idendty---tust ~ q matter 81 form.
offer you my asincerest coixrafu-
lAttons. Piessexcome With me.
hS drsW II hid pockef q Ksy-eSSin
and sslecHnx ha9 ksyf ronnE tns rins
pfocseded, fp1losted by Mr. Baptiste
DArtin, through the cierkaRsomce md
down q flight yof 6t0ne steps
AZ the foot GREAT doubse doors