The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-10-15

time and I'm beginning to thinl p'raps I'm wasting my own"
 Nothing of the kind,' protested MT. Leckett, urging her back into lher chair Its part of my job tc be cautious"
 Well, Mir Perle took me away from home" went on Rose, partly modified. And he sent me to one ,school after another and abroad with different friends of his-dur ing vacations, The last school was the best fun-we did pretty well what we liked"
 They certainly know how to turn Iout the finished article" said MT Leckett with gallantry.
 At all these schools" pursued Rose, still further modified, it was always taken for granted I should inherit lot of money when I was twenty-one. mean, the principals and the others and the girls par ents all seemed to know about 1t. I thought MT. Perle must have told them. And the people I used to travel about with in the vaca- tions, they always seemed to know about it."
 Did you ever ask them for any details? Who had left it to you and so on?"
 T guess I did but they never knew. And I suppose I thought MT. Perle would be the person to tell Ime Only, I never seemed to get a chance of asking him. He kept me in school until I was over eighteen. Then he sent for me to come and live with him. s4
 "But you're not 21 yet, Miss Con- aldine,"
 "Oh, yes, am. I was 21 nearly a year ago"
 "And--the fortune-?"
 That's what I want you to find cut"
 MT, Leckett tapped hls teeth with his fountain-pen.
 "NoW. we mustn't go too fast" he said. T don't doubt a word you lsay, Miss Conaldine. But Perle and Kevern is an d-established firm and we don't want to look foolish. i. :. What has MT Perle got to say about it all?"
 T didn't ask him much the first two years I was home" confessed Rose. I'd got it into my head, you see, that when I came of age he'd hand over the money and the story. all complete"
 And he didn't?" i She shook her head.
 Just wished me many happy re- turns. The old miser"
 After that, I take it, you asked him what you wanted to know?''
 Of course I did! I've been ask ing him ever since! But he's so slippery. Says he can't remember anything about my mother, not even her maiden name Says my father died in obscurity and I got sent to the home by mistake and as soon as he-Mr Perle-found out he came and looked after me. Says ought to be grateful"
 Well, if there is no fortune and it really does seem just leg end said MT. Leckett slowly. Again Rose flushed.
 I'm not asking you to go and find me bag of gold" she snapped If it was all a mistake, well, it was mistake and it's just too bad. Only it does get on my nerves-all this mystery. That's what I want you to look into for me. I'm not trained to do any kind of work and ! I just sit all day wondering and wondering. After all, you say your self that Conaldine is an unusual name. It ought not to be hard to find out something"
 MT. Leckett looked at her oddly.
 "Conaldine," he repeated. Then he became busy and extremely cheerful "I'll do my best he as- sured her. Will you leave me your address? IA West Seventy Ninth? lShall I report to you there?" "Oh, no. They read my letters, I'm sure. But you could phone me to call here"
 When Rose departed MT. Leck- |ett's young woman again entered his private office.
 I'm leaving" she announced Right away. don't like the way I'm spoken to, and I don't like the work here, either"
 MT. Leckett didn't seem unduly perturbed.
 Its okay with me, sister" he asserted, striding past her into an- other room where crippled youth sat among stacks of newspapers. Hickey said MT. Leckett. Con- aldine."
 The cripple turned in his chair