Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-14
Mysterious Sweetheart
BY ELLA WISTER HAINES
ConyrRh
Copyright. 1880
a Il a a a u

plenty of ready cash. That's all 1
know"
Paul's attention returned to the
| document in his hand.
THE will concludes-With a mention
of a codicil which is to be opened six
| weeks after his death at the office Of
Burns & Hyatt in Los Angeles, and
states expressly that Cynthia Rey-
| nolds, Walter Reynolds, Paul Rey-
nolds and John Carr be present at the
! reading. We seem to be getting here
ahead Of time, don't We?"
After all. that's only about nine
days away" Frank remarked, "and
perhaps it's just as well for you and
Carr to be on hand in case Walter
Is stirring up trouble. Paul." he hest
tated a little, have you ever known
the details Of your fathers quarrel
| with Walter?"
NO" Paul replied. II asked Uncle
John Carr about that only few days
ago and he promised to tell me as
soon as an opportunity arose for a
long talk. 1 had expected to dine
! with him the very night 1 left New
York"
Have you any ideas about it?"
"Only that it has vital connection
\,
you're considerably older than ! am
did it all happen before you knew the
family?"
I'm 40, and it happened about IS
years ago, before / was admitted to
the bar or knew your father
How long have you been with
Burns?"
Ten years"
And the quarrel occurred about
Is years ago." Paul went on reminis-
Gently. Il remember dad coming to
my grandmother's house alone, and
telling me that Walter was no longer
his son. 1t did not make much i'm
preston upon me at the time as
did not know Walter very we'll"
He is much older, isn't he?"
Twelve years"
After your fathers second mar
riage Walter continued to live with
him and his wig. did he not?"
Yes, until the break"
You are about %. now"
Yes, which makes Walter 81. At
the time he broke with dad he must
have been Co.
How long had your father been
married at that time?"
About four years, 7 think. He
married girl of IS, exactly the age
OF his own SON.
HE was not much more than 40
himself, however,"
NO, barely that, l guess. He and
my own mother were married very
young"
Your father was living in New
York at the time of his second mar
riage. was he not?"
Yes, we were all living with my
grandmother. When dad married
again he took a house on East Six
tieth street, but very shortN after
she became i'll and they moved to
Santa Barbara"
Your fathers second wife was
Miss Cynthia Burden of New York, F"
Frank went on. Had she been a
friend of your family"
II think not, for ] recall my grand
mothers great surprise and indigna-
ton. 1 remember how young and
pretty and sweet my stepmother was,
and how disappointed I felt that l
was not allowed to go and live with
her. found out later that she had en-
cellent connections in New York, al
though she herself was an orphan,
and had lived much in Europe. The
Burdens We're not society people at
all, you understand, but very substan-
tial Americans with a good deal of
background" He paused, lost in
thought, and the two went on with
their dinner in silence. The meal
was nearly over when Paul spoke
again. .&
Frank. think you know how my
father adored his young wife, wor-
SHIPPED her, in fact. The details Of the
conversation we have just had to-
gether cannot help but bring certain
embarrassing questions to mind. Dads
break with Walter was in some way
connected with Cynthia Burden, there
can be no doubt about it,
THAT is evident. Yet if your father
had not had implicit confidence in her
he would hardly have broken all con-
nection with his eldest son. What
ever the difficulty, we must conclude
that Walter was in the wrong"
II am sure of 1t, but that will not
prevent him from digging up the af-