Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1928-03-15

images as we w, lucy rc 81 uscu "
them"
"If she marries st. Croix, she's no
better than any other cOurtesan that
sells herself!"
what are your suspicious, Mar
Sin?'
my 'suspiciOns'?"
"You said you agreed with me that
there seemed more to this affair than
meets the eye"
Exactly But let's not go so fast.
About the girls being abroad now
perhaps it's here, to America, that
she has come to earn her living"
Mrs. Creighton looked startled.
"What makes you think that? Do you
know that she has?"
Marvin regarded his mother uncer.
tainly-a wild possibility flashing upon
his mind His mother was always per.
fectly open with him, but she was con.
scientiously loyal to his father and If
his father had asked her to keep Ger.
tain secret she would certainly try to
do it.
concealing his strong feeling. do you
know that she's here ?"-for perhaps
he was being worked; perhaps the
girl had been brought over here and
placed where she was bound to cross
his path, his father hoping that when
his son met her without knowing who
she was, he might "fall for her.; and
all this talk about st. CrOix marrying
her was perhaps bluff to throw him
(Marvin) off the scent! Could this be
possible?
Was the girl cOnniving with his
father to trap him, that her family
and her home might enjoy the Creigh-
ton millions? And was his mother
playing a silent hand? But girl that
could lend herself to such plot! He
felt revulsion of feeling against her
at the bare thought of it and his heart
sank like lead in his breast.
He would demand the truth from
his mother; she would not deny 1t.
He put down his coffee cup and took
both her hands in his. "You know, of
MoLlltI, why L uShCu " SCC
that Photographic" he hazarded.
"Why, no, Marvin, don't" she an
swered, very puzzled. "Why did you?
And what on earth makes you think
she may be here?"
Mother, what do you know about
this idiotic business? Let me have the
TRUTH
81 don't know thing about it, dear,
that you don't know, or not as much.
evidently. What do you mean?'
"You don't know whether Lady
Sylvia st. Croix is in American"
"Of course don't. Why?"
The possibility still remained that
his father and Lady Sylvia might be
working without his mothers knowl-
edge.
Here was an acid test Of his suspi-
cion. "Are you sure st. Croix means
to go over to England and try for
her."
"Why of course! Why should !
doubt it? He's crazy about it! You
know that, dear. And so is your
father. What is in your mind, dear?"
Marvin dropped her hands, leaned
back in the deep couch and folded
his arms. 81 suppose I'm fool, but
I had a suspicion for a moment that
Father had got the girl over here and
was jabbing her en- to me on the sly"
"Oh! What makes you think such a
thing?"
"a young teacher at William Penn
school who is suspiciously ignorant
of these United States and occasion
ally, when she isn't on her guard, falls
into rather an English accent! She's
supposed to be Sam Schwenckton's
niece or cousin; she lives at his farm
and her name is Schwenckton. But
she's quite unlike the other county
teachers. Rather distingue; thor.
oughbred; the only teacher in the
county that ventures to cheek me r. he
grinned.
"Gracious. Don't let it make a prig
Of you, this job of experimenting lot
of women teachers! It's enough to! i
won't have you spoiled like that! But
your suspicions-they seem rather
fantastic, DEAR"
eyes," Marvin gave it up, "I suppose
they do. May I see the photograph.
please"
Mrs. Creighton pointed to a book
on the table behind the couch.
Holding a "cabinet-sized" photo.
graph near the table lamp, he exam
ined it eagerly. 1t was the face Of
girl of fifteen; short, curly hair, fine
features, a sensitive mouth, serious
rather melancholy expression.
Undoubtedly there was resemblance
the same wide-open innocent eyes
and sensitive mouth. And yet it was
not definite or strong enough to be
unmistakable, by any means. He could
not feel sure Far from it. What
resemblance there was might easily
be a coincidence. This photograph
gave no suggestion Of that vivid
sparkle of his young teachers face
her gay riot of color, her charm. 1t
looked rather insipid. And yet
"Well?" asked his mother. "Of
course it isn't your young teacher"