The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1943-04-08
W.N.u.REteAsF

the years naQ gone Dy ne nad come
to feel that Amy was Amelia's
daughter too, but he hoped that you
girls could come to an understand
ing out of court
"Then it is true!" Cherry whis-
pered. "But Emma said that there
was no proof"
There was no proof that Emma
knew of. And I'm not sure we have
proof now,'' Judson Marshbanks
said.
He opened a lower desk draw
er, and took from it first a small
shining revolver.
Don't be frightened" he re-
assured the girl, who was staring
at it with widened eyes, I'D for
gotten that it was here; it belongs
upstairs. Now this" he added, TAX
ing a long envelope from the draw
er, and laying it on the desk be-
tween them, ''is Fred s-your fa-
theirs will. In this he has also
enclosed, I believe, a statement
from your mother-or rather from
Lottie Rawlings-and his own affi-
davit that the children, you and
Amy, were exchanged in the first
hours of their lives. 1t is marked
to be opened on November thir-
teenth of this year, which will be
Amy's twenty-frst birthday.
II brought this home few days
ago from safe deposit, and on Sum
day next think we must break the
news. suppose you knew" the
man went on in changed tone,
"that a scamp who has been twice
married before, both times to rich
women, has got Amy into his tolls
now? She is in a delirium of love
and confidence; she wants to tell us
all about it as long as We'll listen!"
"Amy?"
"Oh, yes. They've known each
other only a few weeks, but it is
Count Mario Constantine or nobody
for Amy now"
mot the man that Sandra Baker
divorced!"
'That's the man. He plays polo
like a devil, speaks five or six lam
guages, uses his own special per-
fume, dances divinely, and Amy is
only anxious for fear he won't want
her."
"Oh, Amy can't be such a fool!
Didn't the second wife commit sui
cide?"
1.-THE first. The second is paying
him five hundred a month to keep
away from her.
'sBut you've talked to Amy!"
''We all have. My mothers fran
tic about it. But don't worry. When
she tells him, as she'll have to tell
him, that her fortune belongs to an
other woman-Mother!"
The last word was a shocked whis-
per. For old Mrs. Marshbanks, with
a face of chalk and a rustic of silks,
had risen from great chair which
faced a window, and had come to
the desk. She spoke in the Mortified
silence.
"You don't think for one instant
that you can do this to Amy!" she
hissed. "You don't think for one
instant that this fantastic story of
babies being changed will convince
anyone of anything? You and Emma
and this girl here cooking up all
this. .nonsense!"
You were listening" the judge
said, dazedly. ''I'm sorry, Mother" !"
he went on after a moment of si-
lence. "But it isn't my doing or
Emma's. It's Fred's-Fred's from
the beginning. And we can't-we
can't stop it now"
''Could we stop it now?" Cherry
demanded, frightened. Couldn't we
tell Amy something-something that
wouldn't make it SO hard for her?
Couldn't we :"
Il can stop it now!" The long
envelope was in the old woman s
hands, before either of the others
could move she had torn it both
ways, was at the fireplace, had scat
tered the instantly flaming pieces Of
paper upon the Goals. "It's
stopped" she said, coming back
breathless and sinking into a chair.
"Your attempt toto rob Amy and
TOTO SANDER your brother have
failed, Jud! Well hear no more Of
this nonsense!"
Cherry looked fearfully at the
Judge and he looked at his mother,
who sent alternate defiant glances
from one of their faces to the other.
There was no sound in the room
until Amy's voice came, high and
exultant, from the doorway.
Cherry, come on upstairs, we
have to talk! I've just been riding in
the park. It's the divinest after
noon you ever saw, and the sunset
was simply too much!"
go ahead, Cherry" said the
Judge. Cherry left mother and son
together.
Martin appeared at half past eight
with the announcement that there
was a gentleman to see Miss Rawl-
ings.
Cherry went to the smaller library
and found Kelly standing, turning
over the leaves of a magazine on
the table.
Kelly sensed at once that Cherry
was not happy, and interrupted his
first greeting with disturbed
whats the trouble, Marchioness?"
$50 you're Amy Marshbanks?
Great Allah!"
mo proof, Kelly"
what good would proof do? 5.
Oh, I see,'' he said, If there were
proof, you'd come in for considera-
BILE property; forgot that. Well,
there may be some proof some
where
mo, but there's not. There was.
At least, we think there was" Then