The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-30

Bates, will you and Terence leave us alone for 10 minutes. That will be long enough, and then I'll go to see Mir stone-if necessary"
 Now, look here" Trask said, as the door closed after the others, T know who you are.''
 "I don't believe it." and Miss Mys- tory looked at him straight from be- heath the "Truesden brows."
 Well, anyway, know you are q Truesdell connection"
 Yes, I am. Go on."
 T don't know just what branch" he went on, a 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 I am.''
 You think so? Then listen"
 As Miss Mystery told him her story. the mans face fell; he sat, almost petrifled with astonishment, and when she had finished the short but amazing recital he said:
 My heavens! What are you going to do?"
 T don't know what to do."
 If you tell-I-'
 "Of course you do."
 And if you don't. tell-then John Warnings name is left unstained-"
 There is no shadow of stain on John Warnings name! What do you mean?"
 Now, look here, s1iss 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 cousinshlp 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 I may agree to your plans. T haven't quite decided what to do-and beside. Mr.
 Never mind who killed him. Call 1t suicide-it must have been any way"
 "No-Fm not sure it was-oh, I 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 It'll be your best bet in tbS long run"
 perhaps It 1t w2S 'sSSSe ElsaR of disap- sudden .Yecision and said. as she
 "ThaYs just what I'll do. Come ratbe witn he. Mrs. Bates-or would you asaGnF not?"
 "do&t ask me, Anita, dear" 1 SF7No, you stay here. I'll come back /soon. And so Miss Mystery again wall 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 | frin int st " a r a he and Lockwood still sat.
 "Yes," said Fibsy. T just thought where would a poor, hunted kid go? And I 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!"
 Fibsy was melodramatic by ma ture, and his gesture indicated, an important revelation.
 II am," said Anita quietly.
 She went straight to Lockwood's side. and he took her hand calmly. and led her to seat on the wide davenport. then sat beside her.
 Her hand still in his, she told her story.
 gan, "as MT. Trask surmised. But, also, am of waring blood. Dr. John Waring was my father. 1 No one spoke. The surprise was too great. In his widest theories Fleming Stone had never thought Of this.
 Fibsy's great astonishment was permeated with the quick conviction then she didn't kill hlm"
 Gordon Lockwood was conscious of a rapturous reinsurance that nc hao no rival as 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 1 Waring was twenty years old he met a young woman-an actress-who so infatuated him that he married her: l They were absolutely uncongenial and untitted for one another, ana after few weeks they agreed to separate. There was no question of divorce, they merely preferred to i've apart. He sent her money at stated intervals. but he pursued his qulet, studious life. and she her life Of gayety and sport. She was gooo woman-she Is a good woman-she is my mother. .
 Another silence followed this dis closure. Is, she had said-not was. And John Waring her father!
 Miss Mystery No Longer | Gordon LOCKWOOD nelu AHll la h@AN4 closely. He was content to listen Whatever she could say could not les sen his love and adoration. I 'I tell you this, for her sake ana for John Waring, my fathers also. l There is no stigma to be attached 70 eitheri they were mercy disnositio1 so osieiS opposite in character and disposition that they could not live together
 "As I said, after few weeks they separated. and-my father did not know of my birth. My mother lWonld not let him know. lest he come pacR oarefree girl. and while she loved me she did not love my father. Later on when I was about four, l think, sne cAsed a notice of her death to De 1 sent to my father. This -%as because she wanted to sever all connection, ana take no chance of ever meeting l him again. She was at that time l successful actress. and earned all the money she wanted. She adored me- shA had no love affairs, she lVeo only for me and her art. Ihougn good actress, she was not widely re- nowned. and in California, where she bed chosen to make her home. she was liked and respected. The climate | inst suited her love for ease, treedoin and indolence-as New EnSianu lle of busy activity would nave Deen in. nossIbie to her want you to under l stand my mother. She was-she ls- 2 mere butterfly, caring only for trifles and simple gaiety. Her home IS charming, her personality that Of delightful child. But her temper raInen' | Is one that cannot stand responslpll- ities and chafes at demands. However, all that matters little. The facts are that John Waring. learning ot ms wife,s death, devoted himself utterly to his books and his study.
 When my mother saw in the papers ba was about to marry, she was ap- nalled. She didn't know what to do