The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-10-13

=
Dand soon to be-to your share in the
business"
A low but irrepressible execration
Broke from the miscreant at hearing
this.
"What ~ exclaimed the lady; ..do
you hesitate? VIII you wait until cx-
ten minutes time, how you became
possessed of the money which bought
your share? No; thought not. You
will write it and with il release for
Mr.. barnett. Quick, sir. No matter
how informal it may be, there,will be no
one to oppose it. You have no time to
lose.n
He seized pen and hastily scrawled
n couple of documents, which he handed
to barnett, who in turn gave them to
Mrs Vallens. She glanced at them
and said; "These will do; now you
may 60"
He rose. His wife-it seems strange
thus to describe her-moved on one
side to let him pass. ave may meet
again" he said, pausing on the thresh-
old-it was to Hartleby he spoke;
land if we do
John Elsbie! you are lost if. you de-
lay single minuter' interrupted Mrs.
Nallens. II see the inspector. with
another officer, walking toward this
house"
1t was even as she said; for as she
pointed to the window, all could see in
the road, which nearly faced the house.
two men clad in the familiar blue uni
form of the police.
a SInOln trio o.1onao ,,rns
all that the fugitive paused to rive;
and then he rushed through the house,
crossed the garden at the back, and dis
appeared in the fields beyond.
The Inspector and his satellite, when
they arrived, had brief interview with
Mr.. barnett, who, without entering into
particulars, explained to them that
the danger which had made him send
for their services was now past; and
they. being thanked, quietly retired.
When they were gone there was q
sudden tendency to Mysteries on the part
of Mrs. barnett and her daughter;
while natural curiosity was exhibited
by Mr.. barnett and Mr.. Hartleby to OBJ
tain the key to all this mystery. Seat
ing herself between the two women, say
ing few firm but kindly words to the
mother, and soothing Marian as if she
were child, Mrs. Vallens-still to be
called so-began:
my name, as you must have learned,
is Elsbie; it is so, because the man who
has Just left us bears that name, and he
is my husband. l was educated in En-
gland, but afterwards resided with my
father, who was q merchant at Glib
roll for
my fathers death, / met John Elsbie,
who had, believe, at one time held a
commission in the army, and at any
rate was in my eyes handsome and
honorable gentleman. My father, whose
experience was greater than my own,
never liked my sutton, for such he soon
became; he was staying at Gibraltar in
the interest of some firm. My father
would not forbid the engagement, but
he did not encourage it. He died, and
| found that his money was left to me,
his only child, but through trustees, so
that, without their consent, none of the
principal could be withdrawn from its
investment. Even thus guarded, the
prize was so considerable that it tempt
ed John Elsbie to wed me; and we came
to England.
" This was not more than five years
ago. Ere we had been married six
months, he tried by every persuasion
within his power to induce these trus-
tees to give up to him part, at least, of
my fortune. But they did not like
him, and his plausible pretexts- which
were endless-failed. Then he vent
ured upon bold stroke; he forged
their names and employed some I'M
scrupulous agents, so that he suddenly
obtained possession of the chief part of
my property. The instant he succeed
ed in this he abandoned me; and until
this day l never saw him again. was
reduced almost to poverty, and my only
relation--my mothers brother, who
was in business at Misunderstanding of
my misfortune, invited me to 90 out,
and l gladly accepted his kindness.
Ere | reached Bombay, however, he
had died; but he was unmarried, and
found myself his heiress. 1 returned
to England, and, thoroughly embittered
by my experience, resolved to live a
secluded live, as hermit might do,
under my mothers family name. All
efforts to discover my husband were
vain, although my trustees offered a
considerable reward. was not sorry
that this was so. They would have
been glad to see him in servitude for
life at Portland. / only hoped might
never see him again. Owing to my alb
sence from England, my return under
another name, and some confused re-
port of the death of my uncle, found
that there was an impression abroad
that had died in India. / never con-
tradicted it. You now see what has
led up to the events of to-day"
Her listeners certainly understood