ady Angela's Cousin?

aron Von Lodge was the head of a small country known as Lilliland near Switzerland. The time was the early 1900s.

The Baron was engaged to Lady Angela of Alpine Castle. Lady Angela had been receiving letters from a woman named Beatrice. Beatrice claimed that she was a cousin of Lady Angela’s. She also claimed that she had legal documents that proved that she was heir to some of the fortune in the Alpine Castle. Lady Angela liked the idea of having discovered a new relative and would welcome her to Alpine Castle if she was who she said she was.

After Lady Angela discussed the matter with the Baron, it was suggested that Professor Hamblin should look into the matter. If Beatrice could furnish the Professor some legal documents that he could examine it might be helpful to Lady Angela.

Lady Angela wrote to Cousin Beatrice and asked that she send some information to Professor Hamblin about her ancestry.

A few weeks later Professor Hamblin received word that a representative of Cousin Beatrice would soon arrive to show the legal documents to him.

The meeting took place in the library of Lilliland Castle. All the documents that Professor Hamblin examined appeared to be genuine. The Professor informed the Baron that the documents seemed to prove that Beatrice was truly related to Lady Angela. But the Professor wanted to make sure and show the documents to a forgery expert in Switzerland to see if there was something that had been overlooked.

The Professor took the documents to Switzerland for a careful examination. The expert discovered they were a very clever forgery.

Professor Hamblin immediately contacted the Baron with the news and the Baron told Lady Angela without delay.

Lady Angela mentioned to the Baron that she was just about to send a letter to Beatrice to invite her the Alpine Castle. Instead, a letter was sent from Professor Hamblin stating that the documents she had furnished were not legitimate but a clever forgery.

Lady Angela was both happy and sad about the results, happy that the truth was uncovered early and sad that she had lost what she had hoped to be a new member of her family. She was also sad that there were people in the world who were not honest.