The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-10-13

| the station, sending back verbal mes
sage by the goodman to her husband
that she would write. The coachman,
on being Intercepted, said he believed
Mrs. Claverton mentioned that she was
| going NJ to town, but that her manner
was so agitated and nervous that she
hardly seemed conscious of what she
was saving.
Mr.. Claverton was struck dumb bv
this intelligence, and Mt once OWNED
what had happened. The recollection
of the conversation he had overheard mt
the club flashed upon him like n revela-
ton. 1t was evidently not by mere
coincidence that his wife had disap-
peared suddenly and mysteriously the
same afternoon that Dick Alton went
off with-somebody; and he bitterly
realized that he bad been chuckling
over an incident which involved dis
grace and misery TO himself. For few
moments he was paralyzed with dismay
and establishment. But his energetic
nature soon began to assert itself. He
went upstairs and packed few clothes
in portmanteau; then, with clenched
teeth and throbbing heart, he unlocked
the mahogany case in which he kept his
revolver, and carefully loaded all the
chambers. He tod the servants he was
going to join his mistress in town, and.
| having fortified himself with stiff
glass of brandy, he caught the last train
to London.
His brain was in whirl with furious
excitement, and the only definite idea
he had in his mind was fixed detcrmi-
nation to overtake the guilty pair. He
did not pause to consider what he
should do if he succeeded in this, but
the presence of the revolver in his side
pocket afforded him savage satisfaction.
On arriving at the London terminus, he
drove to Atoms club, and ascertained
from the hall-porter that the Captain
had started for the continent by the
evening mail. Mr.. Clavertcn controlled
his impatience as best he could till the
next morning, when he followed in pur-
suit Instinct, rather than reason,
caused him to go straight to Paris, for
it never occurred to him that the fugi-
tive might have stopped short of the
capital or branched off to Belgium.
Guided by his knowledge of Dick Al
tons habits, he made inquiries at the
more expensive hotels, and at Maurices
he obtained a clew. An English gen.
tleman answering the runaway's descrip-
ton, and accompanied by lady, had
arrived that morning and just left and,
although they had given the names of
Mr.. and Mrs. Winter, Atoms personal
appearance was sufficiently striking to
be easily identified.
Mr.. Claverton did not hesitate to con-
tinue the pursuit. He had worked
himself into state of frenzied activity,
and was consumed with furious rage
and jealousy. A burning thirst for re-
venge deprived him of his sober senses
and made him unmindful of everythin,
but the immediate object he had in
view. He devoted several DAYS to
tracking the fugitives from place to
place with relentless and untiring per
severance, undaunted by failure, indf-
ferent to discomfort and fatigue, and
only spurred 90 fresh exertions when il
became evident that Alton was endeav-
oring to evade him. In this desperate
and exciting occupation Mr.. Claverton
spent more than week; and, though
his fierce determination never wavered,
he began to be conscious both of phys
zeal and mental prostration, which seri-
ously interfered with his seH-imposed
task.
One afternoon Mr.. Claverton found
himself in the quaint old town of
Nantes. He was there quite by chance,
being en- route from EvreuX, whittier he
thought he had succeeded in tracing the
delinquents. Having to wait an hour
in order to change cars at Nantes juno
ton, he strolled listlessly down the
main street, and was walking along,
brooding over his wrongs, with his eyes
bent on the ground, when he suddenly
heard familiar voice, and, looking mp
quickly, he beheld handsome Dick
Alton lolling out of one of the windows
of the principal hotel smoking cigar
and conversing with some one inside the
room.
Mr.. Claverton could hardly believe
his eyes, but fierce indignation and ha-
tired soon overcame his establishment.
Atoms head was turned AVA, from him,
and Mr.. Claverton crossed the road and
entered the hotel without being noticed.
Passing unceremoniously through the
vestibule he rushed up stairs and made
straight for the room which Alton occu-
pied. Though his movements were
rapid his footsteps had evidently given
warning of his approach, for, on fling
ing open the door, he only caught a
glimpse of the skirt of a dress as the
wearer disappeared into the adjoining
room and left Alton alone.
Alton, who was visibly embarrassed,
started and stared at Mr.. Claverton as
he entered, with puzzled expression.
"Mr. Claverton," he exclaimed, max
ing step forward.
"Yes, sir" said the outraged husband,
waving him back. Il have been seek
ing this interview for some time"
Indeed Pray be seated" said Al
ton, recovering his GOODNESS and staring
intently at his visitor.
Mr.. Claverton dropped into chair,
partly from sheer WEAKNESS and partly
because, now that the supreme moment
had come, he felt strangely at a loss
what to say. He forgot all about the
deadly weapon which he carried in his