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"I never knew my father, Mark," she went on, "and yet I heard of his death only a short titon His nae, no less than the Grand Duke of Ecknor, Prince Etkar"

Mark started, but Ruth put up her hand "You proo on"

"My ar Atheson, in London He was the younger son of the then reigning Grand Duke and had left ho never to return But his father and his elder brother were both killed by a boe to my mother He returned to Ecknor, and she ith hiitidoal mate, the Grand Duchess of Ecknor, but my mother was his wife before God and the Church The Grand Duke gave her a large fortune, and she had a beautiful home near the palace Everyone knew and pitied her, but they respected her The Grand Duke soon ceased to care for his anatic wife, but he never deserted her Then, a year after the court iven out that the Grand Duchess had also given birth to a daughter, Carlotta"

Mark patted her hand, but kept his promise of silence Ruth went on

"After that, the Grand Duke seelish wife My land She finally escaped, with e My uncle met us as we crossed the frontier, and it was only then that mother understood why her escape had been so easy--the Grand Duke had wanted her away She saw England only to die heart-broken, for she had loved her husband devotedly My uncle kept me with him until he became a Catholic and went to Rome to study Then I was sent to school in Europe Later I came to America But I had many friends in Europe and visited them frequently It was on one of these visits that I met Carlotta She knew, and we became fast friends, as well as sisters"

"But not full sisters," Mark said, thinking that the story was over

"Wait," cautioned Ruth "There is irls were born to mother, and a dead child to the Grand Duchess Mother never saw one of her babies She never knew And it was years before the Grand Duchess learned that her child had died Carlotta was my full sister She was stolen to replace the dead child Now do you see?"