Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-05-06

The seconds heightened into minutes
and with every minute the crowd grew
less. Cab amer cab, close by where L
stood, laden with boxes, drove OF in
turn. After what appeared to be an
age, at length saw three persons com.
ing Quickly toward me. The middle
one was Edgar. Plainly enough /
could see three faces in the gaslight.
nv husbands was pale and drawn, and
as he came quite near | noticed q ner-
yo,Is twiching of the lips; though, in
spite of II, he tried 90 sntle.
aDarling;" he said with an unsteady
voice, but quite loud enough to reach
bis companions, darling, l cannot so
with you. Neutrality-suspicious.
eating cue Of the men-"wil accom-
pany YOU TO the Charing Cross Hotel,
where telt graphed for rooms this
morning. In an hour or two hope to
join you. You may be sure the business
/, i'm erative that takes me from YOU"
"Oh, Edgar! Business
Don't make it harder for me, Le-
ouie!" And the sOrrowful, pleading
tone awed mt instantly into silent &C.
Quieecerce.
Thetwo men must have heard each
word, but both kept their eyes averted,
and the peculiar stOlidity on the coun-
tenance OF the one seemed to reflect it.
self on that OF the other. With a silent
hand clasp, Edgar and parted, and-I
was driven off in cab as fast as the
| crowded state Of the London streets
permitted.
On reaching Charing Cross Hotel. the
man whom Edgar had sent with me
| on the box only wanted to see the lug.
gage in and to know the number OF the
apartments allotted to us-I saw him
enter it in his pocket boOk-and then.
without work to me, he departed.
| was shown into a handsome
suite OF rooms on the first
floor. Numerous candles lighted
up the pretty sitting room, a brighter
fire burned in the crate, near which
was small round dining.table, laden
with fruit and flowers, and covers laid
for two. The quantity of lovely flow
ers made the air heavy with perfume.
\ little later on, emerging from the
| bed room, I found y waiter removing
one of the covers. He inquired if he
should serve dinner then. Net until
my husband came, told him.
Pardon, madam, he said deteren--
tally, "but the dinner was ordered
for this hour, and the person who saw
he luggage i'll said il was the gentle.
mans wish he should not be waited for"
II cannot dine alone was my only
answer, with difficulty chsking back a
sob; and when the man had left the
room ! shed tears at the fOrlornness OF
my pOsition-a husbandless bride In
vain inhaled the sweetness 9th love-
| IL flowers that Edgar's forethought had
provided; they only seemed to add new
bitterness to my heart. causing my tears
to break out afresh.
Restless and feverish, | alternately
paced the rom, or stood listening u
! the slightt It sound that might herald
my husbands coming. All at once my
! glance fell on heap Of newspapers
| living Oh a side table, and the sight OF
them recalled an incident OfOu jour.
ney. | would follow our fellow travel
| els advice and seek distraction for my
mind in reading Of the murder which
had SO engrOSSed him. What wanted
was easy enough to find. 1t occupied
q conspicuous place oil the first paper |
| took up. The heading was i'll large
type, ~ though it We're the most i'm
pGrtant topic of the day. II is need
| feSs-and would Ue tediouS-to give
| hear the whole of the newspaper ac-
count. It will be sufficient for my pur-
pose if retain the style of the original,
| COndensiug it as much as possible, as
| follows:
When the last train from the North
| reached London on Saturday night,
| lady wa. discovered in tirst-claSs car
| rage, dead. On examining the COM
| partment there seemed abundant evil
dence of struggle having taken place.
! A ductOr-a surgeon from one of the
| London hospitals, whose name, for GER
tain reasons, | withhOld-gave it as his
| opinion that death had been caused by
| Strangulatlou. That robbery had been
! tie Incentive to the terrible crime
| seemed only too apparent, from the
| TACT that some SOvereigns and silver
! were scattered on the floor, also that a
broken watch chain hung from the
| lady's pocket, whence the watch ap.
| pesred TO have been violently Urenched.
! There was no Clew to the unfortunate
| lady'S identity. Her appearance and
dress were both Intimately described.
| The latest accounts stated that the pO-
| lice believed themselves on the track OF
the dasard!y perpetrator OF the
| crime.
How was il that, although read this
so attentively, and can even now recall
! every word, it yet failed AT the time to
produce the effect | coveted" Ii was
| powerleSs to make me forget, even for
| u moment, my own fOriorn positiOn-a
| deserted bride. When | had finished
reading / looked at the timepiece. 1t
was nearly ~ o'clock. At this moment
| aman was ushered in by the waiter. |
recognized him at once as the same
| who had come on the cab from the sta
| ton.
The newspaper was still lying spread
! out before me OIL the table. Rest
ing my hands upon it, looked at the
intruder. "Do you come from Mr.. Har.
ripgton." asked.
II do, ma'am."
"lOu have brought me message"
"A note"
SoSaymg, he strobe forward and laid
a folded slip Of paper before me. \
small key fell from 1t as | opened it.
| These words were sCrawled in pencil;
DEAREST: Enclosed is key Of my
pOrtnanteau. The bearer has my in
| structiONs. f. H.
I'm here to open the gcntlemau's
| portmanteau, ma'am; and the sooner
| you show it to me the quicker things
will get done"
but we have not been out of Eng
land, began, SOME vague old MEM
| Dries Of custom. house duties fitting
through my mind. 1.-The portmanteau
Is there" added; for, after all, had
not proof this man was sent by Edgar:
scarcely had spoken when he drag
ged the portmanteau in from the adj
| Joining bedroom, and commenced
most careful examination of the con-
tents. How it chafed me to see those
coarse, rough hands turning over my
| husbands thing-things which TO me,
| his wife, would have been sacred.
Was Edgar compelled by the bust
| ness which had called him away to
stay all night: Tnis Interpretation Of
! the affair occurred 10 ME at seeing two
or three articles of drcss-after under
Il L. ,,Ioaai