Page:Arthur Stringer--The House of Intrigue.djvu/344

324 much to do with father's family. But these were two old men, horrid old men. When Allie saw them—"

"Wait!" I interrupted. "Who is Allie?" For this was too important to be neglected.

The girl laughed. It was a constrained laugh, with a touch of bitterness. It reminded me of a lemon-drop.

"That's my keeper—Alicia Ledwidge. She really wanted to do everything she could for me. She distrusted those two old men, from the moment they came to the house."

"Why?" I asked.

"She found out, in some way, that they were going to have me make a will in their favor. I think she was afraid they might be able to persuade me to do something like that. So she told them, at first, that I was too ill to be seen. Then they brought in an odious fat-faced doctor of their own. That made it harder than ever for Allie. But we had a house-maid who was very ill—with Bright's disease, I think it was. So, until she could do something, Allie decided to pass this maid off as me!"

"As you?" I echoed.

The girl nodded. Then she went on again.

"But the poor thing got worse, and some time