Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West
But
I wish I had some stronger evidence to offer in rebuttal."
"Go ahead and do your best," said the boy, nonchalantly. "I will abide
by the result, whatever it may be."
"May I ask a few questions?" Maud timidly inquired.
He turned to her with an air of relief.
"Most certainly you may, Miss Stanton."
"And you will answer them?"
"I pledge myself to do so, if I am able."
"Thank you," she said. "I am not going to interfere with Mr. Colby's
plans, but I'd like to help you on my own account, if I may."
He gave her a quick look, at once grateful, suspicious and amused.
Then he said:
"Clear out, Colby. I'm sure you have a hundred things to attend to, and
when you're gone I'll have a little talk with Miss Stanton."
The lawyer hesitated.
"If this conversation is likely to affect your case," he began, "then--"
"Then Miss Stanton will give you any information she may acquire,"
interrupted Jones, and that left Colby no alternative but to go away.
"Now, then, Miss Stanton, out with it!" said the boy.
"There are a lot of things we don't know, but ought to know, in order to
defend you properly," she observed, looking at him earnestly.
"Question me, then."
"I want to know the exact date when you landed in this country
from Sangoa."
"Let me see. It was the twelfth day of October, of last year."
"Oh! so long ago as that? It is fifteen months. Once you told us that you
had been here about a year."
"I didn't stop to count the months, you see. The twelfth of October
is correct."
"Where did you land?"
"At San Francisco."
"Direct from Sangoa?"
"Direct from Sangoa."
"And what brought you from Sangoa to San Francisco?"
"A boat."
"A sailing-ship?"
"No, a large yacht. Two thousand tons burden."
"Whose yacht was it?"
"Mine."
"Then where is it now?"
He reflected a moment.
"I think Captain Carg must be anchored at San Pedro, by now. Or perhaps
he is at Long Beach, or Santa Monica," he said quietly.
"On this coast!" exclaimed Maud.
"Yes."
Patsy was all excitement by now and could no longer hold her tongue.
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There was once a king who was very powerful. He had great influence over the wild beasts and animals. Now the tortoise was looked upon as the wisest of all beasts and men. This king had a son named Ekpenyon, to whom he gave fifty young girls as wives, but the prince did not like any of them. The king was very angry at this, and made a law that if any man had a daughter who was finer than the prince's wives, and who found favour in his son's eyes, the girl herself and her father and mother should be killed.
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