The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-12-21

II didn't say so, Mister Captain
West. I told you my inoniker, that's
all. Jim here brought me up, but ne
amt no father to me, and his wife
amt my mother. 1t took me a while
to find that out, but i got the thing
straight at last. saw then just what
those two were driving at; first
didn't take no particular interest in
the scheme; then / got to thinking un.
til finally i hated that soft, downy
thing; d--n her, she'd robbed NE, and
had right to my share even II ]
had to steal It,"
What soft, downy thingr
Natalie Coolidgel Bah, I went out
to see her once. Jim took me and we
hid In the garden; and when came
back 1 was raving mad. Lord, why
should that little idiot have everything
while half the time was hungry2"
you mean you envied herr"
"Envied, HI! Didn't have q right
Wasn't she my twin sister2 Didn't
she have 1t all, and 1 nothiDg2"
He gasped for breath at this sudden
revelation. Then he laughed, con.
vinced 1T could not be possible.
"Who told you thatT'
why, don't you believe It? Ha,
she never said word about it te
your
Certainly not. I am sure she pos
sesses no knowledge Of ever havins
had sister. Moreover I do not be
heve 1t Is true. If you had proof oj
such relationship, why didn't you r
to her. and openly claim your shareY
Go to her me2 DO you hear thn:
Jim2 Isn't he the cute little fixcri
why. of course, she knew 1t; ther,
was nothing doing ON the divide. II,
all Straight enough, only we couldn't
prove 1t by law; anyhow that is what
they told me-so we got at II from
another direction"
She seemed so convinced. so earnest
In her statement that West In per-
plexity turned to glance at Hobart.
DO you make this claim also7" he
asked
what claim?"
"That this girl Is a twin sister to
Natalie Coolidge7 Why, it is prepos-
terous."
as it2 D-d II think so. Now
look here, West; don't know lust
what the Coolidge girl has been told;
maybe she never even heard she had
a twin sister. If rhey ever told her
that she had, then they must have told
her also that the sister died in in
fancy. Anyhow, that's how 1t stands
on the records. There were Just two
people who knew different-do YOU get
me' One Of them is dead, but one Of
them is still alive"
(which one is dead?"
"Percival Coolidge; he knew too
much and got gay; he planned to COP
the whole Doodle. The fact is he start.
ed the whole scheme, soon as he
learned who Del was, and planned IL
all out"
but If this girl was really entitled
to part Of 1t, why not claim 1t by
law?"
1--WE talked about that, but the
chance didn't look good Everything
showed the second child died: hospital
records, doctors certificate: there
wasn't link in the chain we could
break"
But who was the other witness
the living one?"
The nurse; she made the exchange
OF the dead baby for the living one. II
was easily done, as the child was
really sick"
But for what object-revenge3"
"She was poor, and yielded 70
temptation. Percivai Coolidge maid
her to make the EXCHANGE. have
never been able to learn what his
original purpose was, but she th;Tks
he believed the stolen child was a boy,
and that later, through him. the Cool.
idge money might be controlled. How.
ever, the woman lost her nerve, and
disappeared with the infant. She
brought 1t up as her own in the West.
where she married again. I am her
second husband, and that is how !
learned the TRUTH"
THE woman on the yacht?"
Yes, you saw her. The child was
brought up in our life; figured on
this coup for years. and finally when
all was ready, We came back East
again. had plan, but wasn't quite
sure 1t would work until could see
the two girls together. After that Il
was like taking candy from kid
H, you are the only one who has
even piped off the game"
West looked closely at the man, who
was thus coolly boasting of his ex.
ploits, and then at the silent girl,
whose eyes sullenly gave back theii
challenge. What did 1t all meant
Why were they calmly telling him
tlSse things2 Was 1t merely the
egotism of crime, pride Of achieve
ment? or did Hobart hope In some
way to thus win his assistance. or n,
least his silence?
"Why do you tell all this to me
Hobart?' he asked shortly. "You dc
not expect me to play with you in tn.
game, do you?"
"You" the fellow laughed coarsely
1--WE don't care what you do, yor
young fool. Del started this talking
and let her go on. Then, when she
stopped, l thought you might as well