The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-09
(con,lnued from last Weekly
tCopyTisht by Bfown.Lit Company,
All Rights Resorvedl
CHAPTER XIV. CONTINUED.
<T AN glad that you appreciate

OF thing is ratE"r nara 10 put
into words, hut believe that you fel.
lows understand exactly what !
mean. Wo have had 10 amuso her.
and IN doing so wo have developed
simpler and better tastes for our
selves We've had 20 give up n lot
of things and lot Of friends we've
been much better without"
IT'S true, every word Of IL, Ar
mold" Madame admitted knocking
out the nahos from his pipe.
We've chuckcd the music halls
for tho theatres and our lazy slack
ing Sundays, with a night at tho
club afterward. for long wholesome
days In tho country-yery jolly
days, too. We're better men in our
small way Tor tho chlld's coming.
Arnold. You can take that for
granted Now, 20 on with what
you havo to say. I suppose this Is
all a prelude to something or other"
Even then | hcsltated. for my
task was net an easy one. and all
tho while Arthur, who maintained
an uneasy silence. was watching
me furtiyely. II was as though he
knew from the first what Il was
that was leading up TO. and 7
Beemed 10 be conscious already OF
his passionate though unspoken
resistance.
"lt was n child" said at last.
"whom we took into our lives.
To-day she is woman!"
Then Arthur could keep silence
no longer. There was n pink flush
in his checks. which we're still, as
smooth as n girls, but tho passion
in his tone was the passion of a
man.
"You are not thinking. Arnold
you would not be 80 mad as TO
think OF giving her up to any OF
these people?" he exclaimed. "They
are her enemies, all OF them. | am
sure of III"
Il am coming TO that presently"
I went on. "You know what hap
pened this afternoon? You saw
the likeness, the amazing likeness,
between Isobel and that other girl,
the daughter OF the Archduchess.
Tho Archduchess was herself very
much impressed with It. Without
n doubt she knows fsobel's history.
She went so far as to tell mo that
she believed lsobel to be morgan
atically connected with her own
family. the House OF Waldenburg!
She offered 10 take her under her
own protection
"You did not consentl" Arthur
exclaimed
81 neither consented nor abso-
lutely refused" j answered. 'It
was not a matter to be decided on
the spur OF the moment. But the
more | think OF II. the more l am
puzzled Madame Richard wants
Isobel She was not satisfied with
our refusal to give her up. Sho
sent that messenger OF hers back
with fresh offers, and when again
we refused the woman takos up
her quarters here, always Nspying
upon US, always accostlng Isobol on
any excuse. Madame Richard may
be a very good woman, but have
seen and spoken with her, and
do not for one moment believe that
her extraordinary persistence is for
Isobels sake alone. Then Lady
Delahaye has never ceased from
worrying US. She has tried threats.
persuasions and entreaties. She
has tried by every means In her
power to induce US TO give up tho
child to her. And now we have
the Archduchess to deal with, and
II seems TO me that we are getting
very near to tho heart of the mat
ter. The Archduchess Is II daugh.
ter OF one OF the royal houses OF
Europe, and Major Delahaye was
once attacho at her fathers court.
Then there Is Grooten, tho man
who shot Delahaye. His interest in
her Is so strong that he risks his
life and commits a crime TO save
her from q man whom he believes
to be a source of danger to her. Ito
sends her money every quarter,
which, as you know. we have never
touched--it stands in her name II
ever she should require 1t. Grooten
is man into whose charge we
could not possibly give her, and
yet OF all these people he Ia tho
only one whom | would trust--the
only one whom feel instinctiyely
means well by her. Madame Rich
ard wants her Lady Delahaye
wants her. and behind them both
there is the ArchduChess, who also
wants her. have thought this
matter over, and so far as | am
concerned, have decided'---
Not to give her mp to any OF
them!" Arthur exclaimed sharply.
ITO give her up to no one who
Is not prepared to so into court and
establish legal claim" | contin-
ued at is very simple, and l think
very reasonable. When she leaves
us, It shall be TO take up an ac-
credited and definite station in life,
The time may come nj any moment.
We must always he prepared for
It. But until It does, we will
not even parley any longer with
these people who come TO us and
hint at mysterious things"
Arthur wrung my hand He was
apparently much relieved and he
did not know what was coming.
Arnold, you arc a brick" he
exclaimed. That's sound common.
sense---every word you've uttered.
Let them prove their claim to her"