Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 July 1908 — The REAL AGATHA [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The REAL AGATHA

BY EDITH HUNTINGTON MASON

' COPYAtCfiIT. /SOT er A. C. MCLUBQ *« CO.

PICTURES nr WEIL WALTERS rmr CAMPBELL Aixsmtm wrestm

' SYNOPSIB. - CHAPTER I.—Lord Wilfred Vincent and Archibald Terhune are introduced at the opening of the story, in England, the latter relating the tala The pair on an outing mias their train and seeking recreation meet “the Honorable Agatha Wyokhoff," whose hand ie much sought after, because of her wealth. On visiting the Wyckhoff castle they are Introduced to two other girls, both known as Agatha Wyckhoff. CHAPTER ll.—At dinner three other Agatha Wyckhoffs are introduced and the plot revealed.' -The deceased stepfather, in an eccentric moment, made his will so that the real Agatha, heiress to his fortune and the castle at Wye, England, might wed her affinity. Thus Mrs. Armlstead, chaperon, was in duty bound to keep the real Agatha’s Identity unknown and suitors were invited to tryout for the hand of the heiress. An attempt by Terhune to gather a clew from the chaperon falls. - CHAPTER 111. Disappointed and somewhat chagrined at Mrs. Armiste&d’s answer, I rose to my feet and prepared to Join the young ladies In the drawing room. I had been so interested in discussing Fletcher Boyd's will with Mrs. Armlstead that I had completely forgotten Vincent. At first I thought he had already left the room, but in a moment I heard him laugh and discovered him actually sitting on the floor before the fire, playing a species of mlimble-the-P«g with the secretary.' Extremely unbecoming oonduct for both or them, I thought, and Mrs. Armlstead thought so, too, (gr she spoke sharply to the secretary, who left the room with reddened cheeks. Vincent, however, was unabashed, and, after holding the door open for her, he followed me to the drawing room, without heeding my remonstrances. He seldom does heed them, I may say. It was on the third day of our stay when Vincent and I had begun to feel thoroughly at home at Castle Wyekhoff, and when Vincent had begun to tool more than thoroughly at home with Agatha First, that I made an Important discovery. The morning was rainy, and after breakfast there was nothing to do but to read—that is, until Agatha Sixth came downstairs. I had found her to be an unusually well-educated girl and had given her all my attention during the three days I have mentioned. So I wandered Into the library and began to explore the tall bookshelves to find something that interested me. And I found It, though It wasn’t exactly for what I had been looking. On the lowest shelf I discovered three heavy but new-looking albums. From idle curiosity to look at what I supposed were pictures of the dead barons of Wyckhoff I dusted the first of the b>g books and began to turn the leaves. 1 found it full of photographic reproductions of oil paintings depicting tha ladles of the family, and on the last page of the book I came upon a picture which thoroughly startled me. It was a copy of h full-length portrait of the last Baroness Wyckhoff, whose second husband had been Fletcher Boyd. The picture showed a slender little lady, with straight dark hair, an aquiline nose, and a dark complexion, the living image of Agatha Sixth! Stunned by the importance of my find I closed the book, put back the albums where I had found them and stole from the room. I had a guilty feeling, almost as if I had done aome-_ thing wrong, yet it had been an acci-~ dent for which no one could really blame me. Full of excitement, I went to find Vincent to acquaint him with my good news, and discovered him in the morning room playing chess with Agatha First, or rather, he was showing her how to play, for he was hanging over the back of her chair and moving her hand with his hand whenever It was her move. I coughed as I entered, end frowned. 1 am always frowning at Vincent these days, It seems to me, but I really have to. He needs a little restraint. “Good-morning, Miss Agatha,” I said, pleasantly; “how does the game progress? Is Lord Wilfred an efficient teacher?" “Very,” replied the young lady, shortly, and both of them lookefi at me with such insolent hostility that t was obliged to leave the room, murmuring apologies for intruding. I was rather vexed with Vincent about this; he doesn’t show me quite the respect due an older man from a boy of his age. Not that lam old, or anywhere near mideye age, but still I am Vincent’s senior, and this incident determined me not to communicate my discovery to him. Why should 1 tell him and put a formidable rival Into the field? Not that I’m afraid of Vincent exactly, for I have always found that when the girls tire of his fan they are very' glad to . fall back upon an experienced man Hke myself, who has seen the world and Is acquainted with Shakespeare and the musical glasses. Nevertheless, it seemed a pity to invite Vincent to enter the lists agatnßt me, for I had fully made up my mind to win Agatha Sixth. Not that lam mercenary—not at all. But It bad been some time since I seriously considered marrying, and, after all, I thought, why not consider it now, and, as long as I was selecting a wife, why not pick out one of these six beautiful and accomplished. “And wsy not,” I asked myself, “while I

am about tt, make u tnat one of tne Agathas, whose title was the honorable, with twenty millions?” Twenty millions, when you think of it, ought to keep a careful njan comfortable for life, and Vincent was smart enough—let him look out for himself. And thus I decided not to tell him of my discovery. We spent the evening of that day each~ficcording to his fancy—Vincent playing tag and blind-man’s buff with four of the girls, while the fifth played on the piano, and I in the next room reading Edmund Burke’s speeches aloud, while my adored Agatha Sixth did fancy-work. She really did everything very well. Finally Vincent and I took our leave, and when we were in our own rooms and Vincent had wrapped himself In my favorite bathrobe and appropriated my armchair, I was almost tempted to tell him all about it. Just as I was about to begin he spoke. “Arch, my boy,” he said—a disrespectful method of address, by-the-way, but I let him proceed—“Areh, my boy, do you know I like that girl, Agatha First? She’s a true sport, and that phimp little one with the blue eyes Is a nace;setter”

cent > I waft to tell you something. I’ve made a discovery.” "What Is It?" he said, without the slightest Interest, - and I changed* my mind again. "Nothing,” I said. "I’ve forgotten what it was.” Vincent rose, and, stretching himself mightily, wen* toward his own room. At the door he turned and smiled one of the smiles he does not often give tp men, and I felt that this one was not meAnt for me. •"I’ve made a 7 discovery, too, Arch,” he said. » I stared at him in amazement, wondering what was .coming. “What’s that?” I. asked. “I’ve discovered that Miss Marsh’s eyes are gray, as gray as stars," he said, only half aloud, and disappeared Into his room. V “Poppycock!” I shouted as the door closed behind him. Vincent’s vagaries are hard to follow at times—stars certainly are not gray. That I knew to be absurd. My new knowledge, while It robbed the affair of its piquant mystery—for I had decided that Agatha Sixth was In truth the real Honorable Agatha—made my game even more exciting, now that the stakes were assured. I read with Agatha Sixth, walked with her, talked with her, and played chess with her all the first week; and as nearly as I could make out Vincent’s program ran something like this: Before breakfast he took a horseback ride with Agatha Fifth; after breakfast he played golf with Agatha First; tennis with Agatha Third; and took Agatha Second out sketching. In the afternoon Agatha Fourth played Chopin to him by the hour. Agatha Sixth he had not approached, fearing me, as was natural. In the evening he played games with them all or retired into the library with Agatha Fifth, who seemed to have lost her head over him completely.

"Agatha Third, yon mean?" I asked. ‘1 was not aware that you had got any farther than our introduction with her.” "Oh, yea," said Vincent, as though It were the easiest thing in the world; "I told fortunes with her all afternoon and played tag with her most of the evening yesterday.” “Really, Vincent,” I said sarcastically, “that fortune-telling game of yours is a little old. Can’t you find something new?” “what’s the use, so long as it works?” he replied, watching the smoke from that nasty pipe of fits curl upward to the celling. “But I tell you what,” he pursued, reflectively, “that girl with thd'fejr hair who played the piano, Agatha Fourth, she’s a stunner.” “Upon my word, Vincent," I expostulated, “'Where do you And time for so of them at once? Doesn’t Agatßg First feel neglected?” *T suppose so," replied the young-in-solent, “but I can’t help that I’m going to give them an a whirl—but Arch’bald”—he was getting sleepy and his plpjs had gone out—“l really do likp red hair best” '1 don’t blow what you are talking about" I said, impatiently—"bat via-

nds program he repeated day after day with reckless lack of generalship and yet every now and then, to my surprise and disgust I caught him deep in his unfortunate flirtation with lira. Armistead’s secretary. It wasn't fair to the poor girl, and I told Vincent so plainly. We were sitting on the low stone balustrade of the castle —Vincent in riding clothes and looking as fine a lad as any in old England. He was waiting for Agatha Fifth to go riding with him, although it was later than usual, all of us having breakfasted. For myself, I wore my tennis things, which become me greatly, if I do say it, tor I Intended to play a set with those tennis fanatics, Agatha Second and XgathaThlrd, as the aristocratic Agatha Sixth was a late riser and had not yet come downstairs. “No, Vincent,” I said, 'lt won’t do. Flirt with all the Agathas, if you must, but when it comes to the secretary, let her alone. To 'ntLf nothing of what Is due her, think of the time you’re wasting. We have only six weeks—think of it—six weeks to make a try for twenty millions of dollars!” "You forgot to say that a wife goei Along with the filthy lucre,” he said, and somehow I felt uncomfortable. Vincent has a faculty tor xnaklnc ene

fedl uncomiortaoie. It makes me quite •figry—he’s no better than the rest of us, but he’s so confoundedly innocent about some things. I was going to explain to him that he needn’t speak as if he thought that I were the sort of a man to marry a girl merely for her money—when his face lighted and he spoke more rationally. “Gad,” he said, "what a rare lark It would be to toss up a coin and take a chance at it. Six to one only—you’d have a good show to win out!” x "How foolish you are, Vincent!” I responded. “Suppose you took a chance at It, as you say, and Just proposed to any one of them, when you had made no attempt to win her—wouldn’t she know you were fortunehunting? And If it should happen to be the real Agatha she’d refuse you on that account because It would defeat the object of her father’i will; and If it were not the real Agatha she’d refuse you, too, because she’d know she had no fortune to give you.” “Of course," said Vincent, sighing, “you're right about that. But I tell you, Archibald, I’m not flirting with Miss Marsh. She’s an awfully seasible little girl, and I go to her for advice about the course I’m pursuing with the Agathas. I need encouragement, you know; it’s all such a beastly mess. One doesn’t know with which one of the attractive young ladies to fall in love. It’s so difficult to decide with that twenty millions hovering in the background. Just think, Aroh, what the governor would say if his penniless younger son should bring that amount Into the family. And the daughter of a baroness, too, it would be such a match! I can just see how tickled he’d be to have his youngest so well provided for.' The dear old governor!” And Vincent’sreyes moistened. “So you see,” he went on hurriedly, ‘‘Miss Marsh’s attitude toward me is entirely friendly. She is merely thensonfldante of my difficulties of the heart, and her taste, I find. Is excellent.” “It is also changeable,” I said dryly, “if the course you have been pursuing is through advice of hers.” Vlncedl smiled. “And then you know,” he went _ on, Ignoring my thrust, “she’s writing a very interesting book, the history of the barons of Wyekhoff, and I’m helping her. I’m awfly interested in genealogy, y’ know.” This was true. Incongruous as It may seem, Vincent’s one Berious hobby—l don’t consider his palnt-dabbllng serious—which had to do with research and scholarship, was his love for things ancient in general, and family trees in particular. It had been Baroness Wyckhoff’s wish that some review of the liVes of the barons of thtft name should be made, since the last one had died, and Mrs. Armlstead had given her secretary this work to do. I eyed Vincent searchingly as he spoke, but his face was so thoroughly unconscious that my suspicions were disarmed completely. “Yes,” he said, “there are a lot of very interesting old books In that library.” “Yes,” I said, “that’s why you and Miss Marsh spend so much tipae there, I suppose. I’m glad to beak It I really couldn’t see what you thought waa so attractive —” A sharp blow in the chest interrupted my speech.

"Shut up," Vincent hissed In my «ar7'“don’t yon see Miss Marsh?” As he spoke that young person tripped lightly up the wide stone steps of the veranda and was about to pass on when Vincent stopped her. “Good morning,” he said, his hat In his hand. “Are you beginning work so early ?” and he looked at the papers carried under her arm. # “Yes,” she said, "I have a new Idea about that last chapter we wrote.” ‘Tm sorry I can’t be with you this morning,” he answered, and she passed into the house. She wore a white frock and a natty little blue apron, and I must admit looked very fresh and dainty, but Wilfred’s tone was so cool and conventional that w I mentality freed him again .from my accusation that he was in ttfe midst of a warm flirtation, though you will agree with me that appearances had been very much against him. Bat that evening when he and I were having ow nightly bedroom colloquy I was obliged to admit that Vincent, considering his method!, had accomplished a great deal. With some embarrassment he related to me the tale of his horseback ride in the morning, and I'Tnust say It completely unsettled my belief In the discovery I had made as to the Identity of the real Hoaorable Agatha Wyckhoff. Neither Vincent nor I knew what to make of It "Do you know, Arch,” he said, striding up and down my room, "I’ve been through a horrible experience to-day? It waa an awful shock to me, and a lesson.”

“Fm was a lesson,” said l There are so'few lessons in Vincent's life. “Yes,” he said, ‘1 felt like a beastly cad. And I don’t see what I’ve done to deserve it Of course, I’ve held her hand a couple of times —" “That bad habit of yours again,” I murmured. "And I’ve looked at her a lot—she’s got the most soul-moving eyes y* know.” I didn’t know, but I nodded. The boy was very much in earnest. “But I never thought" he went on —“I never thought she —she—" He stopped and the words seemed to stick in bis* throat. "Oreat heaven, man,” I cried in my impatience, “get it out What didn’t you think she’d dor "I never thought she’d really care for me,” he muttered, shamefacedly, and turned his back on me. "What do you mean?” 1 demanded, impatiently. He is most exasperating. ‘Why, thin" He ceased his restless walk and stood on 'the hearth rug, facing me, 'We’d been out about an

hoar tnis morning. Agsuut irirtn ana I, and we’d been getting up Into the hilly country, when suddenly we came out of the wodds and Baw below na the grandest stretch of country you can imagine.” 1 « Here he broke off and went Into a rhapsody over the sky-line and the grazing sheep, and said something aboUJ; Utopia and Eden and other things like that, until he got through at last and came to the interesting part. They can’t help going on like that, these artist fellows, and Vincent never losses an opportunity to get In a bit of description. “Well,” he continued, “I was Just enjoying that view and saying nothing, when she stopped switching the tops off the harebells with her crop and, turning those warm hazel eyes of hers on me, she said In a low voice, as If what sh£ said didn’t matter at all, ‘I love you!’ ” “What!” I shouted. “She didn’t?” “She did,” asserted Vincent ruefully, but with firmness—“ She did. Just like that, out of a clear sky. Simply folded her hands and looked at me and told me she loved me.” “Angels and ministers of grace, defend us!” I ejaculated. Nothing else seemed adequate. “What under the sun did you do?” “Why, I told her simply that I didn’t love her, and couldn’t marry her, and I was very sorry, but I thought we’d better get on our horses and go home.” i “Quite right, If you don’t really care,” I said, “hut ah, Vincent!” as a thought struck me, “Just think, she might have been theHonorabteAgatha —the real and only honorabloK “She was!” said Vincent. ~ I was speechless. This was the end of It, then. I saw the millions taking unto themselves wings, and my pan of milk spilled. The real Honorable Agatha had been discovered, the secret was out, lyjt she had avowed herself as loving Vincent and he had spurned her. After such a performance there was no chance for either of ns. “How do you know she was?” I asked, weakly. “She told me so herself,” he answered. , “But after you refused her, I suppose?” I *Of course,” said Vincent, reslgu- : edly. "But, Wilfred, my boy,” I cried, i springing up, and knocking off my glasses in my excitement, "couldn’t you change your mind, couldn’t you fix it up? If she really cared I should think you could!” Though this event wi>uld have proved the deathbtow to my own hopes, stiff my Interest In Vincent’s welfare is so genuine that I couldn’t help this anxious expostulation. But again he misunderstood. “You don’t mean that, I know, Arch,” he said. "Of course I wouldn’t marry the girl when I really don’t care for her. But wasn't It the deuce of a position to be in?” "Oh, Wilfred, Wilfred!" I mourned, "twenty millions right in your grasp, and you threw them away. I wish Td had your chance. Your poor father, how disappointed he’d be if he knew.” “He’d be more disappointed is me If I had changed my mind and said I would marry her just for the sake of the money,” said the young man, crossly, and turplng on his heel he left the room.. Vincent’s getting more quick tempered every day lately, and he used to be so good natured. I’m sure it was only natural and very disinterested In me to bewail for him the result of the unfortunate affair that morning. (To be continued.)

AGATHA THIRD.