Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-09-17


cepted. On her wedding night, after the
wedding, and when they had reached dis
tant city whittier they had gone. he aban-
doned her, taking with him all her money
and jewels leaving her utterly cast down
by his awful prefdy.
Two days later her aunt, Mrs. Ward,
took her home. Then the truth came out
Elmer Warren had played desperate game.
He had never married her at all, but had
employed a villainous confederate to act
the part Of q clergyman. Worse, he had
assumed my name in his dealings with the
trusting woman he had SO basely deceived
She believed. her friends believed. that
Percy Sherwood had welded falsely tho
beautiful Beatrice AvenaI.
AAlasl when this truth came to her, even
the knowledge that Elmer Warren was but
8 husband in name did not alleviate her
misery. The finger of scorn and contempt
was pointed at her, she became gloomy,
sad and despairing, and finally, her mind
darkened, her hopes of happiness blasted
she became the demented creature she vas
when you, Edith, first saw her.
Mrs. Ward set to work to ind Percy
| Sherwood. You can imagine my surprise
when the truth was made known to me.
Vainly I sought Elmer Warren and i'm
plored him TO return to the woman he had
deceived scornful derision was the only
reward of my efforts, and finally, when
Baatriea was hrouoht tn the CITY bv Mrs.
Ward. I visited her. 1t was at that visit
that the clouded mind labored under the
delusion that was her husband; the fancy
seemed to quiet her and I humored it.
Regularly would visit the cottage while
she was with Mrs. Ward and spend an hour
or two once a month in their company. It
quieted and soothed her. and humored
her caprice-a pitying sacrifice for Elmer
Warren's wrong, which he rewarded by i'm
posing upon you and endeaYoring to make
you believe Bentrice Avenal to be my wife.
Tenderly caring for her, loving her as
might sister, at last see her mind re-
stored and peace and happiness for her in
the future, If she can only forget the per-
fidy of the man who, though now dead, was
compelled by Mans skillful ruse to we'd her
honorablv ere he died."
Mrs. Leslie was removed to the cottage
of Beatrice Avenal, where she died few
days later. They mercifully kept her in ig-
norance Of her husbands death, and the
presence of Edith frightened her dying
moments. Elmer Warren and Reuben Les
lie were buried side by side, and the re-
mains of Armitage were recovered from
the old pit and found q resting place in a
cemetery near the city.
The ill-fated victim of jealous desire
to conscientiously perform mission in
trusted to him by Orrin Perc.val, the cir
circumstances of his death were explained
and proven to his relatives in England.
where, few months later, Percy Sherwood
and his wife proceeded.
She never sought Rivers again but once,
and then to learn from his lips the fact
that the knife with which Elmer Warren
had murdered her father was in his possess
sion. Satisfied of his lack of completely
in the actual crime, Nan aided him to es-
cape to d:stai city, where he reformed
and became peaceful member of society.
Beatrice Avenal and Mrs. Ward were not
forgotten, and, as strangers to the land
which had held SO much trouble for them,
found more peace and happiness beneath
the skies Of old England.
Amid the brightness OF their new home
life held quiet but joyful experience for
them, and in the fullness Of faith and cour-
age bountiful reward has come to Percy
Sherwood and his family through The
earnestness and devotion of a woman !
fight for love.
1.-THE END