Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-10-12
v Continued


Mr.. Dinwiddie to his surprise
had found no difficulty in persuad.
ing her to investigate the mys-
teries OF the Ogden mansion, for
SHE mad leapt at once to the con.
clusiog tGat the friend OF her youth
vas IN some way menaced by this
presum2tuous stranger Of the fan
tastic resemblance There had
been 4 time when, while indignant.
~ repudiating the stories 80 preya.
lent for many years after Mary
Ogden's marriage to Count Eat
tiany, she had secretly believed
ard condoned them; not only be,
cause she had loved her deVotedly
and known something OF her
heavy disillusionment, but because
the wild secret life the exalted
Countess Zattinay was believed to
be leading fed her own suppressed
longinss for romance and adyen
tulc. With the passage Of years
which had taken their toll 81
Mary's beauty and fascination. and
brought complete disilIusionment
to herself, she had almost forgot
ten that old phase; moreover, 1t
was many years since she had Wis
tied Europe and correspondence
between the two friends, once so
intimate, had almost ceased he
fore the war. During that LONG in
terval she had heard nothing Of
her except that she was running
hospital in Buda Pesth, hut short
II after the close OF the war she
had been distressed to learn froH
a member Of one OF the various
commissions to Vienna that Conn
tess Za,tiany was III in sani-
tarium, She had written at once,
but received no reply Now she
feared that some adventures had
taken advantage of superficial
resemblance--she dismissed Mr.
Dinwiddie's protestations OF the
exactness of that resemblance as
the maunderings OF weakened
memory playing about among the
ghosts Of its youth--to scheme
for the Ogden fortune, When told
that Judge Trent was evidently
shielding the woman her suspi
cions we're redoubled. She had
consistently hated Judge Trent for
fifty years
II, on the other hand, the crea.
ture we're really Msry's daughter
and could prove it--well, she
would make up her mind what
course to take when she met herr
"rll wait in the library" she an
nounced, and moved majestically
down the hall Then at a sound
she paused and glanced toward the
stair which rose on the left, op.
posite the library. A woman was
descending. a woman only an inch
or two shorter than herself and
no less stately, with ashen blnhds
hair coiled low Oh her graceful
neck and wearing loose gown OF
pale green crepe with a silver cir
die.
MY God!" exclaimed Mrs.
Ogletborpe in loud imperious
voice, as if commanding the Al,
mighty to leap from his throne and
Fy to her assistance. Then she
leaned heavily on her cane.
The lady came quickly down the
stairs and made a peremptory sig.
nal to the butler. As he disap-
peared she walked forward more
slowly and paused within a few
feet of her agitated guest. Her
eyebrows were slightly raised, her
fec impassiye. Not even those
sharp old eyes staring at her
guessed that she had been com
pletely taken by surprise and was
inwardly auaking.
Mrs. Oglethorpe could not speak
for a moment, The years had
dropped from her She was once
more a young woman come to
spend the day with her favorite
friend ar to attend a re-
ccption in the stately formal house
on Murray Hill high rooms
filled with women wearing tight
basques, bustles. fun sweeping