Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-12-11

VI
every available subject for displeas
urs.
He went that evening to Keusing-
ton, to see the lady at whose house
his daughter had first met her betroth-
ed, but only to find to his dismay that
the house was to let, and that no trace
Of Mrs. Bigley was to be found Moth
| ing. thereto ore, was to be asertajned
from that quarter He was at loss
to know where else to apply for inn
| formation. and so waited patiently
with the hope that the post would
bring him some explanation.
But no such explanation came.
Puzzled and furious. the colonel tele-
graphed to the hotel in Paris for par.
ticulars of Mr.. Smith-Whlte's death,
and the subsequent disposal of his re
mains. An answer came back that
no such person, nor anyone answer
ing to the description had visited the
hotel, and the proprietor Indignantly
denied that anyone had died suddenly
under his roof. 1t then began to dawn
upon the unfortunate family that they
had been made the victims of an infa-
nous and cruel hoax.
The Dowager Lady Dumbledon,
filed with pity for the poor girl thus
heartlessly made fool Of, carried her
off to Brighton, charitably that
chane of scene migat assuage the
acuteness of those agonies of shame
and modification that the deceived
and deserted young creature must be
experiencing.
The little circle wherein the Madi-
sons moved and had their being was
shaken to its foundation with indig-
nation at the heartless cruelty of
which poor Madge had been made the
victim. the tale of her woes leaked
out in Brighton, and awoke a perfect
Juror Of sym pathy. Her behavior
was pronounced as perfect-she was
so quiet. so dignitied, so patient under
her unmerited sufferings.
Lady Dumbledon became quite
proud of her young friend, who was
undoubtedly the success of the mo-
ment. and received the greatest pos
sible attention. After few weeks it
was semi-officially given out that Sir
Reginald Dacre, young man of fam
lily and fortune and irreproachable
character, had successfully sought
Miss Madison's hand, though no for
NAL engagement was to be entered
INTO foz he present, so that the poor
girl might have the time to recover
her shattered feelings.
Meanwhile, Col Madison was re
ceiving a great deal of sympathy,
too. He became feature at his club,
and enjoyed notoriety he could well
have dispensed with as the father of
the young lady who had met with so
extraordinary and unpleasant an ad
venture. Everyone offered him ad-
vice in the matter.
Hang it, colonel, the blsckguard
ought be discovered and made to
pay forit, cried one of his old friends,
energetically. "Set a detective on
his track, man.
The colonel considered his friends
advice, and, after considerable hesita
ton, concluded to act upon it. He
therefore went TO Scotland yard, and,
on the suggestion of an experienced
officer, he decided to take the gor-
geous betrothal riag to the jewelers.
whose name was in the case, IN order,
if possible, 10 ascertain something
about the purchaser. Here a shock
awaited him. The ring had been pur
chased by a lady, with instructions
that it should be placed to Col Madi-
sons account.
Good heavens Roden" he slut
tered. You dared TO put ring like
that to my account without any
authority of minel Could you not
see that it was vile, infamous, dis
graceful hoax2'
Mr.. Roder stood high in his calling.
He was sorry for the colonel, and SO
at once took back the ring, expressing
his regret that he should have fallen
into the error complained of; but as
so@n as Col. Madison had left his shop
he went down to Scotland yards, and
there made certain communication
which he had refraised from voiun-
teering t. his agltatet customer.
A few days after this Sir Reginald
Dacre's younger brother ran down
FROM London and walked into his
rooms.
Look here, Regy. You say you
are going to marry Miss Madison, "
he said slowly. ''Well, take my ad-
vice, and-dont "
Sir Riginald's cheerful face paled.
''What do you nean}' he asked in
a passion.
II mean that she is too clever for
poor, stupid fellows like you and me.
That hoax was all plot, got up by
herself from beginning to end. The
man never existed. He was a myth.
She took in her own people, she took
in old Dumbleton, and she all but
took in Scotland yard, into whose
hands poor old Madison at last put
the affair. The only person, fortuna
tely for you, that she did not take IN
was old Roder."