Inheritance and succession -- Fiction; Mystery fiction
"Some surprise party, eh, Jim?" he asked pleasantly. "This rather puts a
crimp in your little game, I would savy, old boy. Going to cop the whole
boodle tomorrow, was you?"
"Who the hell are you?"
"Well, if I answer your questions, perhaps you will answer mine. I am
McAdams of the City Hall Station, Chicago, and I know exactly what I am
here after. So the best thing you guys can do, is cough up. Who's that
girl who has been working with you?"
Hobart glared sullenly, but made no response.
"You'll not answer?"
"Oh, go to hell!"
"All right, old top. She is in this house somewhere, and can't get out.
Somers, look around a bit; try behind those curtains over there."
The officer stepped forward, but at the same instant the draperies
parted, and two girls stood beside each other in the opening, framed
against the brighter glare of light beyond--two girls, looking so alike,
except for dress and the arrangement of their hair, as to be almost
indistinguishable--Natalie white faced, frightened, gazing with wide-open
eyes on the strange scene before her; the other smiling, and audacious,
her glance full of defiance. It was the voice of the latter which broke
the silence.
"Am I the one you want, Mr. Bob McAdams?" she asked clearly. "Very well,
I am here."
McAdams stared at them both, gulping in startled surprise at the vision
confronting him, unable to find words. Then his eyes fixed themselves on
the face of the speaker.
"What!" he burst forth. "You, Del? Great Scott! your name was Hobart,
wasn't it? Why I never once connected you two together. Is--is this guy
your father?"
"I don't know about that," she returned indifferently. "It is a matter of
argument I believe. However, Bob, what's the odds now? I am the one
you're after, Mister fly-cop; and here I am."
She walked forward, almost proudly, her eyes shining, and gazing
fearlessly into his. He stepped back, one hand extended.
"No, Del, this must be a mistake. I--I can't believe it of you, you--you
are not a crook."
"Oh, yes I am," she insisted, but with a tremor in the low voice.
"I've never been anything else, Bobby boy--thanks, thanks to that
thing down there."
Natalie still remained poised uncertainly in the door-way, scarcely
realizing what was occurring before her; she saw suddenly a familiar
face, and held out her hands.
"Oh, Matt, what is it?" she cried. "Is--is it all over?"
"Yes, all over, dear; these are police officers."
"And that--that girl? She looks so much like me. Who is she? do
you know?"
West clasped her hands tightly, his voice sunk to a whisper.
"She is your sister, Natalie," he asserted soberly, "Your twin sister."
Her unbelieving eyes swept to his face.
"My sister; my twin sister? But I had none."
"Yes, but you did," he insisted gently. "You never knew it, but Percival
Coolidge did. This was his devilish scheme, plotted years ago when you
were born. Now here is the end of it--the girl is your sister. There is
no doubt of that."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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