Evening star., 1923-06-24

Mrs. Bates?"
Yes" said Anita. looking very sad,
but determined.
"Then you tell II. to me. I'm heir to
the Waring estate. and SO have right
to know all you know about-the fam
His knowing look proved to Anita
that he assumed also her right to be
classed with 'the family" and she lock-
ed at him in astonishment.
"You know" she cried.
"Yes-I know" he spoke very sternly.
And insist upon private interview
with you before you tell your story to
any one else"
You shall have it,, then" she said.
and her eyes grew grave Mrs: Bates.
ten minutes. That will be long enough,
and then I'll go to see Mr.. Stone-if
, necessary"
Now, look here" Trask said. as the
door closed after the others, Il know
who you are.
"I don't believe it," and Miss Mystery
looked at him straight from beneath the
'Truesdell brows."
well. anyway. know you are a
Truesdell connection"
Yes, l am. Go on.
II don't know just what branch" he
went on. little lamely.
But it's a branch strong enough to
hold me-and also to interfere with this
heirship of yours"
Cant be. There's no Truesdell so
close to John Waring as am."
You think so? Then listen"
AS Miss Mystery told him her story,
fled with astonishment. and when she
had finished the short but amazing re-
cital he said:
"My heavens! What are you going
/ to do?"
"If you tell-I-"
."Of course. you do"
And IL you don't tell. then John
Warnings name is left unstained--
There is no shadow of stain on
John warnings name. What do you
Nov. look here. Miss Austin. you
keep quiet about all this. will you?
I'll call off those sleuths and I'll ar
range to close up and cover up the
! whole matter. Then you marry me
there's only distant cousinship be-
| tween us-and I'll put up the biggest
memorial to Waring you ever heard
| Of.
"omit the clause about my marry
ing you" she returned. and l may
agree to your plans. L haven't quite
decided what to do--and besides, Mr.:
| Trask. who killed my-Dr. Waring?'
Never mind who killed him. Call
| it suicide-it must have been. any
! way
| NO. I'm not sure it was-oh. 1
don't know what to do.
Times up" called Fibsy through
the closed door. "And I say, Miss
| Austin. you take my tip and come
along and tell your story TO F. Stone:
ItH be your best bet in the long run"
! Perhaps it was the boys speech
pointed greed that. Anita saw in
| Trask's eyes. but she rose, with a
| sudden decision and said, as. she
| opened the door: w
That's just what I'll do. Come
with me. Mrs. Bates-or would you
"Oh. can't" said Emily Bates.
! Don't ask me. Anita. dear
NO, you stay here. III come back
| soon"
| And so Miss Mystery again walked
| across the snow-covered field to the
waring house. this time to remove
all occasion for using her nickname.
| You found her?" said Stone. as
! the trio came into the study. where
he and Lockwood still sat.
| Yes" said Fibsy. II just thought
where would a poor: hunted Kid go?
And l said to myself, she'd go to the
nearest and incest lady's house she
! knew OF. And. of course. that was
Mrs. Bates; and sure enough there
she was. And-she's going to tell
all!"
+; and his gesture indicated an impor
tant revelation.
II am" said Anita quietly.
! She went straight to Lockwood s
side. and he took her hand calmly
and led her to a seat on the wide
; ;davenport-then sat beside her.
| Her hand still in his. she told her
| story.
II am of TruesdelI blood she be-
/ gan. .'as Mr.. Trask surmised; but.
, also, ! am of Waring blood. DIR. John
e! waring was my father"
! No one spoke. The surprise was
/ too great. In his widest theories
Fleming Stone had never thought OF
4 this.
| Fibsy's great astonishment was
permeated with the quick conviction,
| 'Then she didn't kill him.
Gordon Lockwood was conscious of
! a rapturous reinsurance that he had
! no rival as a lover.
/ Trask. already knowing the truth.
sat gloomily realizing he was not the
| heir.
| Anita. her beautiful face sad, yet
proud to acknowledge her ancestry.
| went on:
/ This is his story. When John
/ waring was twenty years old he met
| a young woman-an actress-who so
| infatuated him that he married her
! They were absolutely uncongenial
and untitled for one another. and
! after a few weeks they agreed to
!