The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-03-31

the old mansion, and were lift there I'm
heeded-a visible sign of hopes aban
doned. A new unfinished wall or tw'
Knocked the ruins and the whole plac
was desolate with the signs of raw re
pair Tregarthen lett the house il
which he had resided during his brie
married life and went back to the home
of his fathers.
As may be guessed, the whole coun
tryside was alive with speculation
Where everybody was equally ignoran
it was natural that there should b.
many who were the sole repositories O.
truth; and it was equally natural that al
the versions set about by these enlight
ened people should differ. But, how
soever they differed in detail, it was re-
markable to notice how they agreed in
the main point. The old story against
Tregarthen revived and took additions
to itself, and it was settled by
common consent that he had done
something dreadful, and that Mrs.
Tregarthen had been compelled
to desert him.. Some of the hungrier
after melodrann found shivery hints
of murder in the story and dropped
sayings about convenient caves on Ire
garthen Island.
In Tregarthen's mind bis wife'A
flight was thing Of long ago before .
somewhat obvious reflection occurred
to him. She had given him her fort
une to pay for the repairs of the old
house, and he had no right to retain it.
From the moment when he thought OF
this the money seemed to burn him.
and he went off in hot haste to London
Messrs. Lowe & Carter, of Clements
Inn, had been his wife's solicitors, and
he naturally applied to them. The
senior partner was man OF genial u.s.
pect, not at all legal in his looks; an
elderly man, with boyish frankness
of manner and a smiling eye.
Tregarthen told his story with saw
age brevity.
"My wife, for reasons OF her own,
has left me. You know that she made
over to me the whole of her own fort
une."
'In spite of my ADVICE" said the
lawyer
Precisely. am here to return 1t.
If you have no present knowledge of
her whereabouts
"None in the world
"You may advertise, requesting her
to apply to you, and saying that her
fortune lies in your hands. If You will
execute the necessary instruments !
will sign them before leaving town."
"You wish the transfer to be abso-
lutte and unconditional"
"Absolute and unconditional. Be
good enough not to mention my name
in the advertisement. She will re-
spond to the name of Miss Churchill"
':Her stage name" said the lawyer,
"before she married"
you knew that?" said Tregarthen,
looking darby at him.
eve knew that. Certainly. We ar
ranged her fathers affairs and were in
occasional communication with her un-
til few months ago. Excuse me, Mr..
Tregarthen. Men in my profession
hear a good deal of domestic discom-
forts, and sometimes succeed in patch.
ing up difficulty
II shall not ask your mediation in
this case, SIR" Tregarthen answered.
II shall be obliged if you will delay
me as little as possible. I have no
other business in London
He did not leave pleasant impress.
sion Oh the lawyers mind; and if he
had known it, Or cared to know it, he
had disagreeable impression to cleal
away, to begin with. The lawyer had
heard Tregarthen's unfortunate regi-
mental story from the one quarter in
which it was likely to be reviewed with
the least mercy. Colonel Pollard was
client of Messrs. Lowe & Carriers,
and when the Colonel told a story he
had knack of telling it to his own
credit. In his narrative Tregarthen
shone as rowdy and a traducer OF
the sex, a Toate, a boaster and black.
guard.
The necessary documents were drawn
up and signed, the advertisement was
prepared and inserted and Tregarthen
went back to his island. Before he left
town he was asked one question by the
lawyer.
''Do you desire to intr1st me with
any message to Mrs. Tregarthen in case
the advertisement should reach her and
she should apply to us?'
'None," said Tregarthen. His heart
was sore and he was weary Of the
world. There was no man in England
more unhappy, and the very necessity
of the case forbade him to repose con.
fidence in any man.
He went back and lived almost alone,
and loathed the world. There was no
honor in man and no truth in woman,
and he had learned this bitter creed by
experience. To uplift voice for honor
was to call down ruin; to love was to
be betrayed; to be blameless meant
that the human rarity who dared it
should be Stunned and hated.
For long time his books were
charmless, and day by day his hearts
auditor added despair to hatred, and
found the sum total to be misery.
After pause he learned that the law
yers had by chance discovered Mrs.
Tregarthen, and that she had refused
to touch a penny of the money from
his hands. This might have puzzled
him if he had been in the humor to BE
puzzled by anything. As it was. he
wrote icily back that the money was
none of his, but hers, and that size
might please herself about accepting or
refusing it. He, at least, had no claim
upon it. The men of law wrote once
more, saying that Mrs. Tregarthan had
again disappeared, and asking for in
structions. He had none to give, and
Miss Farmers fortune lay at interest,