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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 4, 1922)
THE BEE: OMAHA. DUflDAI. JUNfi 4. 1322. 1 The Romance of a Million Dollars By Elizabeth D&am is If 1 TOI STOKT JSCS Fit Marie icr Mm. rftirssw it an aar of ett i W eooallln lioaiitt inrWat M kpMhl Bradt aeW rest, evuf niece, BtUa. Ivmn Mario k mot kali aboaa mupiekm af Mm rav er datmmaa. finally tho trim oow all awcmp uka tomb Brack. Wondarmm tbooi tho estate, tha facet muuia as as4a lease" Mil fry mrrnariorn'Mrm, Smith." ami recognises Aa mloyar am m mwribla m in mbUt who kmi Had to manga har. Sha w about m tertem tdtrn Brack putt hit hand over har mouth and it ftllad by Allan Collmn. a third nephne, uka it ditlnuttd by Mr. Dunbarton-KanL Whin Maria mmaham, Mrs, Dunbarton-Kant it attending har in kviaa, A detactiva ravaali Brad hat pk Utd Mr. Smith and tha ha fad. Want, rajaetad by Maria, manm Brack at hit rfeei. Brack pratntt har with a spaniel pan, but will not taB har ehy ha It ta ditlikad at Kant Hoof. Ua warms har ta laama ami font Aam eZL Tha raanJef escapee Into ColfoJi ground ami Maria, sow tag bum hit houta, diieoetri him urn. tracing BaOa. Ua purom Maria. Ska imnand to know Aa truth about Brack. Colfax talla bar Brack am bom ami raarai thiol, tha mom tha Dunbarttm K ant block anew that Aa million haU m Swat by mri. Dunbarton Kant ara ta mm to ITml, Brack and BtUa aftar km daatk, mjovidml mono of Aa Arm ommmht a noruiuaart m, HEARTACHE FOR UAXOL rB. DUMBARTON-KENT beHeved l tho reformation of criminal," eoa tinned Colfax. " He used to to ta see Breck while he u in prison and when Breck wu released ha sent htm to school and then to college. He ' had eo much faith In Breck that be mad him hla heir equally- with Wast and Bella. ' " Mind you, Maria, no one but Mr. Dunbarton-Kent and Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent and Has lett knew Breck'a history. All ha knew was that Mr. Dunbarton-Kent had hunted up hla brother1! son and waa doing by him aa be waa by West and Bella. We none of na aaw Breck untn hla flrat year In college then be same to Kent house for a visit I used to ha at Kent bouse an the time those days, and ' Breck seemed to ma Just a silent sort of hoy, an awfully handsome fellow, though. "Mr. Dunbar ton-Kent and my father died ta the aama year. West and I and Breck' ware off at different colleges. West and X aama in tor our money then." Colfax shrugged ruefully. " West has a lot of sense bt kept straight but I got tangled up, got worried and . drank gambled, too. Lord! Then Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent shut down on no; wouldn't let me come to the house any Bore. Aa long aa Mr. Dunbarton-Kent lived, so far a we know, Breck kept straight, but la hla third year in college he got into trou ble: at a college party a girt had a Tamable diamond pendant stolen. Breck had been with har all evening. Borne way or other, the col lege authorities had gotten bold of Brock's history, and his belongings were searched and they found the pendant Breck said ' that same one must have pnt it among hts ; things. Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent waa notified, and aha and West and Haslett quieted tha thing, hut Breck had to leave college. It waa than Breck'a history leaked to other members of tha family It was tha flrat I knew of It " That was tho first year of tha war, and Breck went to Franca and enlisted with tba French. Tho Germana took him prisoner and kept him tin the and tof tha war ha served out a. pretty hard term with them, I guess. ' If only he'd stayed In Europe then, ' hut ha cams back to Kent House. Ha waa heir ta several millions, for, strictly speak ing, he hadn't forfeited his right It hadnt been proved that he took that pendant Hs asked Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent to give him a ohance that he'd run Kent House farm for bsr. Haslett advised against taking him in, . hut Mra. Dunbarton-Kent sold aha was going ta do what she thought her husband would have dona under tMe same circumetaacaa, aa Breck stayed. Nobody about here know hla history, except the family. "It waa all right enough for eight months m Creek waa understood to be too much avoken up fay tda war experience to see any thing of society, and he- teemed to want to kaep away front people. Then there waa tha devil to pay. I bad a hand in It: I was broke and, too, I wanted to get even with Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent, so first I sold that atrip to aa agent who sold it to Mrs. Smith ' and aba stuck it up on a terrace against Kent House cottage, I didn't know the agent was buying it for Mrs. Smith. Mra. Dunbarton-Knt raged over it so I told her next that I was going to sell the Colfax share of the Sound view to any one who'd buy It. and, if aha didn't want Kent House ruined, she'd have, to buy my share, and my -price waa Just one hundred thousand dollars. Bbe had to corns through, but she said such things to me that, to spite her, I told her I wouldn't trust her check ehe'd have to hand me the cash when I handed her the deed." Colfax had warmed to a certain rueful en joyment of his revenge, but he looked grave enough when ha continued. , "Now rm telling you what's tha trouble in Kent House. Nobody bnt the family knew that Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent got the money from her bank in the afternoon. That night she put it under her pillow I was to give her the deed in the morning. It was stolen from under her head while she was asleep. And worse, a box of Jewels, thou-, sands of dollars worth, waa taken that sama night from tha safe at the bead of Mrs. Brant-Olwin'a bed, and she asleep within aa arm's length of the safe. At the Brant Otwin house there were signs of some dar ing porch climbing, but not at Kent House. Every window and door in Kent House if burglar alarmed. The family were all hi that night and, when Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent went to bod, the alarm was set and it was In working order the next morning. Not a wlnw or door had been disturbed. There w" not a footprint or a- finger print, not clew cf any kind. ; " But it would have been easy enough for soma one in the house to do what was done. Mrs, Dunbarton-Kent never locks her bed room do' any one in the house, if he . were skillful, could have stolen that package of b"a from under her pillow and have gone to the Emnt-Olwin house and have done that stunt, too, for every one In Kent Bouse tor"" how to. turn the burglar alarm on ac ff. tVhoeve robbed Mrs. Duubarton ' could htve turned off the alarm and hav gv to ths.BrantOlwin house and have come back and let himself into Kent Ho""e, then nave turned on the alarm again. Or any one in Kant 2&us could have let a v . i ' Tarn hist in who did the job. It might have been. a one man job, but ft could have been , done more easily by two i-ople, the money ' and the jewels passed on to a confederate who would take care of tha money and die- 1 pose of the jewels. " The Brant-Olwln theft made a great stir, but, except for the questioning to which Mra. Dunbarton-Kent and Haslett subjected every one in Kent House, the Kent House theft has been kept dead quiet. The family couldn't afford to advertise the thing, and ' the servants were frightened stiff for fear . they might get mixed up in it , "If a been an abominable situation, the family knowing who had committed the thefts, and at the same time detectives hired to protect Breck, to protect the family name, and the servants with no idea of who did it but in deadly terror that they might be, ' accused,. " "Mrs. Brant-Olwln has detectives search ins; for her jewels, and Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent Is doing her best to keep suspicion from . being directed to Breck. She's afraid to send ' him away from Kent House for fear be may bring suspicion upon himself, and at the . same time she loathes the sight of him she's not the kind who enjoys shielding a criminal. Only a clever thief would plan for just such a situation, to rob bis family and at the same time be protected by them. Only a patient maa could wait quietly until the thing blows oveand he can leave Kent House with nothing proved against him and . ' a sum of money laid by to tide him over until he can lay. claim to several millions. Brock's both clever and patient Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent accused Breck of having stolen . her hundred thousand, and he denied it as eooly as could be. She and Haslett talked . to him again when the Brant-Olwln theft was known, and he took it calmly, denied It in the same way. Nobody else in Kent , House' has said a word to him about it; even - West left the- matter to Mra. Dunbarton-' Kent and Haslett " - ' - "But the whole family feel as if they were on the edge of a precipice: expecting : any minute that Breck will do something which will bring suspicion on himself; that ' he win be arrested for Mr Brant-Olwln theft; that the theft of the hundred thousand wffl leak; that their shielding a. criminal trill come out Tour coming to tnt House ww them a scare. Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent va afraid not to keep yon, for they rwre certain that Mrs. Brant-Otrln or some ftstecttve of hers had sent you. "Haslett had two theories: first, that yon - might be an innocent looking detective in ' Mrs. Brant-Olwin'a employ or that you might : ' be connected in eome way with Breck. cer- ' talnly that you were mixed up in the thing . in some way.' Haslett bad you looked up," -and meantime there wasn't a minute when you weren't watched by tha detectives she . has about the place. They gave Breck op- ) portunltles to talk to you, and he wouldn't . take them. Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent stuck to , : it that you were just what you said you ' were, and so did West West insisted that some one who looks Uka Mrs. Biant-Olwin, ' some friend of Mrs. Dunbarton-Kant'a. waa , . tickled at the Idea of your proposing to drive a huge thing like Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent . , about, and sent yon ta her aa a joke. But ,- Haslett looked you up thoroughly, and, since the Smith incident, he grants that ha was overly auaplciona. West believed In iron maVxtrr1nm:r mmz-oa. r- --l-"T1MJ1- '" 1 si tsjt -"ranffl, Praia-armt r" 4 j 8h ahoB homo a homa with sw," saxaf Mra. Dmbarton-KmmL from the first He's fallen in love with you aa well, and Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent whether she likes West's wanting to marry you or not, likes you, so it's come out -well for you. "But you've been a detective unawares. They are certain you've found Breck'a con federate for them. They're finding out all they can about Mra Smith. They think Breck knew her from back, in the days when stealing was his profession. The whole thing, her building that bouse Just before Breck came back to Kent House, her sudden comings and goings, and the fact that no body knows Just who she is or where she gets the money to gamble with she's been gambling like a fury for the last two months Is suspicious. H ; " They think that Breck was watchins you that night you were looking Into Mrs, Smith's windows, and they know for certain that Breck went to ber bouse the minute be got WOletts out of the way'. They think Breck warned Mrs. Smith to clear out for that's what aha did, instantly. Clever thieves will go to any amount of trouble to secure such . a haul as the Brant-Olwln jewels; building a house, as she did, would be a small item, and, as It happened, there waa the lucky chance of Mrs. Dunbarton Kent's hundred thousand, too. "There's one. auspicious thing and pretty convincing: that woman calls herself Mrs. Kendall Smith, and that waa the name by which Breck waa known to the police, ' Ken ' Smith. Breck was around New Tork for a time, both before be went to France and after he came back, and most likely he's married to the woman. Haslett is trying to find out all hs can about tbe woman and Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent is praying that the Brant-Olwln detectives wont get on her trail. What Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent wants is by some means to get back tha Brant-Olwin jewels and return them aecretly, then force Breck to leave America, - " That's the whole history, and that's the way things stand at Kent House, Marie An gouleme. ; Tou would have the' story, and if a better to tell you everything than to give yon a fragment It isn't Just you prom ise that makes me think you'll keep quiet I cant abide Mrs, Dunbarton-Kent but I've kept quiet about an this because there are one or two people at Kent House I'd hate , to hurt West Is one of them. I know it's the same with you you have your favorites. Besides, it's dangerous to talk, and you have the sense to realise it" Colfax looked at her curiously. "I'd like to. know, though, whether you're so set on staying at Kent House now? It's been a shock to you. all right" ' Marie bad listened to him without word or movement eyes wide and blank and face white. She had listened so absorbed! y that when he had finished she locked aa If still listening, as if what he had sM was being repeated by a voice in her brain. She waa gazing at Colfax still, yet she did not appear to see him; she did not seem to be conscious that he had stopped talking. He studied her blank silence. " I dldnt know you cared so much for Breck." he re marked finally. . Marie turned away, as if trying vaguely ' to escape him, and stumbled over the span- ' leL - The sun had gone and it was cold; the little dog had nestled herself against Marie's feet 'Mechanically Marie bent and lifted her. then started down the road, . .n.i. l i i u.. ilUaWUlllllf. I-1 -JP1 ""'I"1 O ,SSSsv . , . m Colfax followed her. " 111 go ss far as the, farmhouse with you," he offered. " Tou look ill." "It 'Is not necessary, monsieur," she re turned dully. "Thank you that you have explained so fully to me," she added with an effort " What are you going to doT Not stay at Kent House?" he asked urgently. "TouU go, won't you? " ' "What I shall do I do not know at aH" Marie answered lifelessly. "I say good-by now, monsieur," and she moved off. ' Colfax watched her go slowly along and saw ber turn Into the Kent House road. She went on past the farmhouse, walking slowly and with bead bent holding the dog in her arms. Presently the trees of Kant House blotted out ber small figure. Her' return to Kent House after her talk with Colfax was to Marie a complete blank; she had been unconscious of objects about her, of the way by which she had returned, ' unconscious even of the little spaniel In her arms. She was back again In her room, it was growing dark, she was lying on her bed, and on tbe floor the spaniel was whin ing: those were the first outward things of which Marie was conscious. ' Her first thought unconnected with the history 'Colfax had given her was the realization that the little dog must bo fed; it is usually some im mediate necessity .which steadies an excited brain. Marie lifted the spaniel. "Poor little dog she said, and began to wonder what she would do with her. Then it occurred to her that she must not tell any one that she waa a present from Breck. She began to think of the future; she could not stay at Kent House. How could she endure the misery of it? But where could she go? She would be homeless. Marie felt that Colfax had told her tbe truth. When he told ber of the Kent House theft she had said to herself, " No, no, some one else must have done It It Is possible for a thief to reform." But when he told her about Mrs. Smith her belief died in agony. That evil woman! She was secret and dangerous and wicked; Marie was con vinced of it And beautiful, the kind of woman to tempt a man Into evil. She lived in that house so that she might see Brack often. Such a woman would urge a man to steal that she might deck herself in shining garments and valuable sables. Marie felt a scorching hate of the woman. There was a steady pain tearing at ber; she had never owned it to herself until now, but Breck had been tbe man of her dreams. And he had been a thief from the time he waa a little child. What one learns in childhood persists. It was only natural that when a great temptation offered that child grown into a man should steal again, and tor. the woman he loved, who was almost certainly either hla mistress or secretly his wife. It waa the telephone ringing sharply In the garage that disturbed her It must be Gibbe telling her to come to dinner. She went down and the spaniel came whining after her. Tha little creature rolled down several steps of the stairway and Marie took her into ber arms again. It was Mra. Dunbarton-Kent 'Angow Isms, I want to see you," shs said, "rvetold Glbbs to aring yon up to my room." ' Maria managed ta as Mrs, Dunbarton-Kent rang off. and Marin waa gripped by fright; Colfai had said that there were dsuciiveo watching bar, perbapa they bad seen bar talking with ttrerk and afterwards with Colfax, and Mrs. Dunbarton Kent meant to question her? But she would tall ber nothingnot a word, She had prom ised, besides It would kit ber to have to talk about Brack. It would be best not to explain at all, simply say that she wished to leave Kent House. . Then Marie remembered the spaniel, ear-, ried ber up to ber room, and shut her In. After seeing Mrs. Dunbarton Kent she would bring tbe dog something to eat She thought desolstely that she would like to take the ' little animal wttb ber when she left Kent Mouse. She want down into tbe garaga, and the spaniel began to yelp and whine with all the misery of a lonely puppy. Then Wllletta startled ber; he came out from behind one of the cart and, instantly, Marie was certain that be was one of the detectives, not merely a night watchman. Quite likely he knew that aha bad talked with Breck that afternoon. "It is my Utile dog," she eaM confusedly. "She is hungry, yet Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent baa aent for ma and I must go." " I waa looking at that ear," Wllletta ex plained la bis turn. He smiled at Maria. " So aama one wished the dog on you, did be? I thought yon were going to Ua down this afternoon r , Be did know, then. Marie waa frightened, yet determined not to teU what either Breck ar Colfax bad said to ber. " I lay down untfl X waa tired, monsieur, then I walked. . The dog Is hungry, so she cries." Bbe looked Uke an IU and distressed child. . wide eyed and white, her black curia loose . and tumbled about ber face. "Dont you be scared about Colfax," Wll letta said soothingly. " I was looking about for you, afraid you might have gotten Into some trouble. I saw Colfax talking to you on tbe high road, and I saw you bring tha . dog sway with you. Colfax is mischievous a he'd like to have you get into trouble with ' Mra Dunbarton-Kent over the dog. I guess be wished some of his troubles on you as well, didn't he? Told you be was broke and m treated by Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent?" ' It was evident to Marie that Wllletta did not know about her meeting with Breck, and that was a relief. And ahe could answer his question without breaking her promise to Colfax. "Tea," she confessed. " I thought so. There's not a Dunbarton Kent will speak to Colfax. They have na use for him. He doesn't know anything about their affairs, but he's crious. I sup pose be worried you sick trying to'quis you about tbe fa,uily?" Marie was not too frightened to use her wits; evidently Wllletts knew nothing about Colfax's affair with Bella; evidently bo did not guess that Colfax knew all about the state of affairs at Kent House. It w-tn Bella, of course, who had told Colfax about the theft of the hundred thousand dollrrs and Just what Mra Dunbarton-Ker v doing and what she wanted to do. " I would not answer such questions, mon sieur," Marie declared. "Besides, I myself Uke Mra Dunbarton-Kent too well to be . affected by anything Monsieur Colfax might -s say against ber. He seems to me a reckless man. I did not wish to talk with him, but it happened so that I could not help It" "I don't doubt that" Wllletts said kind ly. " He's always nosing around Kent House and he's a good person to avoid. He had no business frightening you with his talk. Tou took pretty sick does your bead hurt you?" Wllletts bad come completely to Mrs. Dun-barton-Kent's view of Marie, plus a natural -j appreciation of velvety eyes and a soft voice Did ber head hurt? . Both Marie's head . and her heart ached. And she wanted des perately to escape. " I am troubled about the little dog; I wish she did not cry. And also my bead hurts so I feel almost that I must cry, too. But I must go immediately to Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent for she waits for me." Like most women, Marie could be wily when It waa necessary; it was quite evident that Wllletts admired her. " TO look after the dog; you go on to the house. Tell Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent your head hurts and get ber to do something for it" be advised concernedly. " I haven't told her about Colfax's having waylaid you, so you needn't bo afraid shell scold you. Don't worry about It, and. If anything else comes . up to bother you, tell me about it and IU help you the best I .can." " Thank you, monsieur I will remember," Marie promised. She felt additionally wretch- ed at having misled Wllletts, but It could not be helped. The Important thing was to keep her secret and get away from Kent House as soon as she could. Gibbs with his downcast eyes and bow was waiting for her at the entrance to the back halL Marie' remembered how hopefully she bad followed Breck through the hall that . first day. She had never been farther than the servants' dining room since, but she re- . membered well the wide front hall into which Glbbs now preceded her. They passed the library, and Marie felt poignantly ashamed . when she saw West sitting before the firs and reading. She had not though) of him ; once since Colfax had talked to her. She had thought of Breck, only Breck. v She wanted to hurry away from Kent House be cause she could not bear to see Breck again, and she had not thought once of the man who In an open and manly way had told her that he loved her and that he meant to make her love him. ' " I have been thinking and acting wildly," Marie said to herself. She was ashamed. She walked past the library door. West had been so honest with her and perversely she had wanted to win the man who had never shown her a particle of kindness; even the Uttle dog he had given her he had called "The Little Detective," coolly making fun of her ignorance. Marie's white cheeks grew hot Then, when they reached the upper hall, Marie felt a clutch at her heart, for. In the, room which they passed, sitting at the writ ing desk and with her back to the open door, ' was Bella, gowned In something clinging and shimmering, her splendid shoulders, slim waist and long lines so exact a reminder of Mrs. Smith as she had sat at her piano that Marie experienced much the same shock which had caused ber to stand and stare through Colfax's window that afternoon. And, with much the same feeling of gazing at an unreality, Marie noticed Bella's halo of flaxen yellow hair. Bella turned ber head and looked at her, but Instantly Marie forgot her, for a door at the end of the ban had opened and Breck, dressed for dinner, came out and towards . her. Gibbs had paused to knock on Mrs. Dunbarton Kent's door, so Marie had to stand still with Breck's eyes fixed steadily on her. She shrank, she could not help it but though her bands and her forehead grew moist, she sou Id not look away from hla Intent She felt that ha aaw In bar eyes tha feeling of elckneae she could not control, lie paaaed her without peaking and she was Incapable of spMca. Then, la a dased way, she heard Glbbs asy. " Bhe la here, madam.' He waa boldtng Mra Dunbarton Kant's door open and was waiting fur Maria to to in. Mrs, Dunbarton-Kent had ben walking about; now aba stood In the center of the room, an energetto bulk. "I'll be down Is twenty minutes," she said to Glbbs. and to Maria, "Come In. Tou weren't at the ga rage when I- called up first?" Marie eourtreled. " I was walking, ma dam." she answered huskily. Then Mrs. Dunbarton Kent noticed her white face. " What's tha matter?" she de manded. "I am tired, madam and anxious be cause I must tell you" "Tou spent the afternoon walking and worrying, of course," Mrs. Dunbarton Kent - interrupted. " Have a headache and all tha rest of It and all because of a man. A man who's In love and thinks he's Oot going to have things all bis own way Is harder to handle than a porcupine. He's enough to msks even a hippopotamus nervous." and Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent seated herself as heav ily as might the animal she mentioned, "Tou'va been picking out the porcupine quills all afternoon, of course, end, aa you're not a hippo, you've made yourself sick over It Put the pillows behind yon on tha couch there I want to talk to you." Marie obeyed her. Evidently Mrs. Dunbar ton-Kent was going to talk about West She was annoyed with him, but she did not seem to be angry with her. Better to hear what Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent had to say, then tell her that ahe could not love West and that shs must leave Kent House. Leaving Mra. Dunbarton-Kent would be Uka parting from a dear friend, and leaving Kent House Uka leaving one's home never to return. Marie's throat ached from the tears ahe was trying - to restrain. What Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent said waa nt ' tarty unexpected. " Marie Angouleme, what aort of a Ufa da ' you think I have here at Kent Houaa with three people who don't love me or each other?" , Marie waa eo surprised that she did not answer. Mra Dunbarton-Kent answered her own question, and forcibly. "A lonely, anxious existence I There's something in the nature of these three Dunbarton-Kenta that mixta with my nature about aa successfully ss ofl does with water. I had a wonderful hus band, child I loved every Inch of htm and every word he uttered, but I haven't him any more. I've bail an empty heart ever since he left me," her small, usually snapping eyoa filled, " and evidently I didn't deserve a child I prayed every day of my married life for a child but I haven't any." She paused and steadied her voice to its usual abruptnesa " Tou're a lonely child I like you. I'm not often mistaken In such things I know yon Uke me. I'm a lonely old woman I want you to come into Kent House and be my ' ismpanlon. Not a servant, mind you! Just a bit of sunshine to offset the gloom." For one moment Marie stared into a deso late, homeless space, a vista unobstructed by kindness or interest; then her face began to quiver. "O madam P Then ahe burst Into tears. " Come over here to me, child," Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent said in an astonishingly soft voice, and Marls went gropingly to her and Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent drew her down until Marie knelt beside her. She put ber huge arm. about Marie's neck and Marie burled her face in Mra. Dunbarton-Kent's ample lap. She stroked Marie's hair. "Tou be my Uttle friend," she said in the same soft way. "Tou shall have a home with me." '"It Is such kindness," Marie sobbed, "and I was about to tell yoa that I men leave Kent House." "Why, child?" " Because because I was so unhappy. My heart felt broken." "Tou didn't want to leave Kent Koi?v, but you thought it was going to be pretty hard for you here, eh?" "Tes, madame." ' '' " Every girl should have her chance to at least guess at the nature of the man who , wants her give him his chance, too, I say. More often than not marriage Is two guesses gone wrong -but let them' have their chanee. . There may be a good deal of the worse about It this is not a joyous household but you'll , dwell in Kent House for better or for worst will you, Marie Angouleme?" Marie turned her face and kissed Mra Dunbarton-Kent's hand. "To have a home and you for a dear friend I could not bavs thought of anything more wonderful. I shall try hard to be deserving, madame." " I believe you," Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent said k decidedly. Then with grim amusement: " ItTl be a surprise to some people, but why not get a Uttle fun out of life? Do you know why I wanted that dress of yours, Marie?" It seemed to Marie that a year bad passed since the forgotten incident " No, madame." " I took it to a woman who makes pretty ' things in two days' time. Tou're going to have an evening gown." "Madame!". Though the tears hung on Marie's lashes, her lips trembled Into a smile. Then she said with quick Independence: " But for that I must pay I will care for the cars and drive you." " Care for the cars!" Mra Dunbarton-Kent returned positively. Didn't I tell you you were to turn into a girl? Tou can drive me and make lace the rest of the time If you want to, but you're going to have tbe room next to mine and go down with me to brtJIt fast lunch and dinner. I'U aee that you ' have pin money and plenty over, and youTJ earn It youH have jrour troublja." Marie had. not grasped at all what Mra. Dunbarton-Kent's offer of a home really meant; sitting at the same table with Breck. with Bella, and with West to become one of the family. Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent meant that she and West were to judge of each ether. It would be terribly dlult: seeing Breck every day, knowing the family secret end hiding the knowledge; West would be a difficulty. Then Marie gathered resolution. "Only by win can I do it" she said to her self. . Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent had watched Maria's expression. "Well?" she asked. " I was thinking that I had not understood fuDy all your kindness. I was afraid that I might not prove worthy to be taken into your family. But madame, I can try." " Let us hope tbe family win prove worthy of your Mrs. Dunbarton-Kent said In volun tarily. " We shall see." She heaved herself up. " Tou go over to the garage and go te bed GlbbslI bring you your dinner. Get your things together tomorrow and well move them over In the afternoon.. And, qd you. not a word of this to anyosa, Marie," (Continued Next Sunday.) (Copyright. 1I2. . - 1 r 3