San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-12
Begin Here Today.


Sallie Peck, employee of the Fair
Deal Five & Ten, quarrels with her
policeman sweetheart, Michael Cur
tbs. That night Sallie goes into the
yard to take down a washing for Ma
Brennan, with whom she lives. A
thing strikes Sallie blow on the
head.
When she regains consciousness,
the girl finds herself in strange sur
roundings. A French maid calls
her Alva Copeland and Madame
Copeland, tall, richly gowned wo-
man, claims her as her step-daugh-
ter. Sallie meets Cousin Wheeler,
who makes love to her. She resolves
to solve the mystery of why she is
being substituted for the real Alva
Copeland.
Michael Curtis and his friend,
Captain Trevor, follow the trail of
the missing Sallie. Trevor tells
Michael of his love for the real
Alva Copeland and how he longs to
see her. Now 60 on with the story.
" "Wanted me to know that she
cared for me, too, bless her!" His
voice broke slightly but after n pause
he went on: "She was travelling with
| a hard-faced steDm0ther and a shrew
| of a maid who were bringing her
back to force her into marriage with
| n cousin matter of millions in
| volved. ] understand-and she hated
his very photograph, although she
hadn't seen the fellow since she was a
| very little girl. On the last day out
| that stepmother of hers cOrnered me
and told me that my attentions to her
| daughter were most unwelcome and
she must ask me not to attempt any
| further communication with her, in
| timating that she'd take pretty
harsh measures if l did. Alva and
I stole n few minutes on deck that
night, however. and planned to elope
as soon as 7 had made certain ar
rangements. Sounds romantic. eh!"
"Trevor. you should have grabbed
| the girl at quarantine the next day
But you say you saw her this morn
ing?'
forced its way from Trevor's lips
and he flung the ear recklessly
around a turn in the darkness.
am coming to that. We knew
our letters would be Intercepted but
it was agreed that / was to ride past
her house every morning Mt a GER
tain hour when she would contrive
to be at her window and we fixed up
a code of signals. For the first two
mornings there was no sign of her,
but the third morning. and for nearly
week after, she appeared and our
signals worked like breeze. Then
suddenly the house was closed and ]
found out her stepmother had carted
her off to French Lick Springs"
though luck." Mike murmured
sympathetically. "You didn't even
know she was in the wreck. then:
When was the first you had news OF
it,"
"From the papers on Wednesday
morning. Shed been rescued but
had suffered slight injury to the
head. Mike, I galloped past that
house like a crazy man all that morn
ing, it was open and l caught
| glimpses of one or two servants
about, but thew were new ones I'd
never seen there before. l don't
know how l lived till the next day
| yesterday-but when I rode by there
was q doctors sedanette at the door.
! raced to the nearest park exit. got
a kid to hold my horse and fairly
ran back TO her house but the car
| was gone
"What had you meant to do?"
asked Mike.
"Find out from the chauffeur the
name of the doctor or trace him by
the license number and force him to
tell me the truth about Alva's condi-
ton if ] had to take him by the
throat. was desperate! :" Trevor ex-
claimed. This morning at the APP
pointed hour she was there. peering
out between the curtains. I'll never
forget that moment. Mike, when /
saw her face and the sunlight on her
hair. But when she saw me. she
drew back almost out Of sight and
and wouldn't reply to any of my
signals. l was stunned-I couldn't
believe the evidence of my own eyes
cantered up and down half dozen
| times hut | didn't see her again and