Page:The Master of Mysteries (1912).djvu/390

 front of Miss Maverick's eyes and stared through the aperture.

"Come here, Valeska!"

He handed her the ophthalmoscope, adjusted it, and bade her look. Valeska gazed into the retina of Bessie's eye. At first she could distinguish nothing. Slowly she perceived the warm pink back of the eye, and in the center a ruddy spot. It was the optic disk—shaped like an angel's wings! She dropped the instrument and clasped Bessie in her arms.

"Bessie Mixter!" she exclaimed.

"No!" Bessie jumped up, staring. For a moment she stood silent, then she grasped Astro's hand.

"Oh, you won't tell him, will you?" she pleaded. "Promise me you won't ever, ever let him know! I don't want the money! I want Willie to have it, as he's always had it! Don't let him ever, ever know!"

"But it's yours!" Valeska exclaimed.

"I don't care. Don't you understand, Valeska?"

"You mean—"

"Yes!" Bessie cast down her eyes.

"Then you'll marry him, now you know that the money's rightfully yours?"

Bessie drew herself up. "Of course!" she said. "Wouldn't you?"

"It's too much for me," said Astro.

"That," said Valeska, "is because you are only a man."

"I know I'm supposed not to know anything about love," he said gloomily.

"Nothing at all!" Valeska's tone was decisive.

"And I'll have a father after all!" cried Bessie. "That's the best part of it! I've wanted a father all