The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-06-04

You dear. old darling sald Mabel,
inPetuously. -cAn you forgive mes'
forgaye her. and. assuming tho
mien II : martyr. went 20 bed. From
| that moment. however. she regarded
Bancroft - my bad angel. and hated
him With al the cordially of indignant
womanhood- Meantime Bancroft had
commenced 70 haunt me. From being
naturally frank and open disposition.
became pretty naturally vigilant and
alert. fe4rful each instant that I would
| betray myself and realizing that each
day put me further from the possibility
Of an explanation. grew preoccupiet.
moody. morose. Ny nerves. quirering
under the tension. were giving way.
looked scared and guilty. The very
name Of Bancroft was hateful 70 me.
and when my wife harped upon him l
/ felt thar l should 90 mad II ! did not
get away. lie had become astonish-
| ingly real % me. and felt nv person-
| atty becoming mixed and meshed with
l this myth-this man u air and nothing
ness in . manner that upset all NV
1 previous notions Of identity. I almost
| believed thar ! had actually met Ban
croft At some time. or that I was liv-
I ing . dual existence. In short was
on the verge Of lunacy when the climax
\ came.
One evening when went home 70
supper in nv usual perturbed state Of
mind there was . strange man At my
gate He had keen. Ratchet face and
1 wore slouch hat
| Mr. Frank \. Styne, ! believe"
| "les. sir"
! II am = member Of the city detective
force The chief wants 70 see you At
1 his Office"
| What forT / gzsped.
! Il don'tknow. You had better come
down a. once"
| IAN right" / said. my brain in a
whirl- Wat till | 20 in and see my
/ WIFE
Your wife il 1t the Office he re-
piled VITA peculiar smile.
4 Shocked and alarmed beyond express
sion. piled him with questions. but
I. be insisted that he knew nothing of
| 1.-THE case - he called IL and hurried
me along. The fact oizs had not the
slightest idea what Mabel could Be
doing At the police headquarters re-
doubled my fears The chiefs Office
Was approached bv series Of passage
ways. At the end Of one Of which saw.
- in . feld-glA<s. room in which
were seated nv wife and stout gen
tlcmaA IN uniform. whom knew BY
( sight and reputation Mabel did not
seem frightened. but was very pale and
wore determined look
Mabel. l cried. a. rushed in,
what does this mean
I Your wife" interposed the chief.
blandly. states that you are acquainted
/ with the occupant Of room II. No. -
Staunton place l. that facts''
What about it, I asked. appre-
ciAting the necessity Of gaining some
more Information before committing
mys-H-
Have You seen Intervening PAperss"
| Nc"
Then. said the chief. II will tell you
Y frankly what | want. for believe you 10
Be man Of reputation The occupant
4 CT room II No. % Stanton place. was
murdered last night and the occu-
1 pant Of room IL is suspected We
could not End out who that individual
WA but your wife has been kind
enough 70 inform Us thai il i . party
named Bancroft . friend Of yours
We want Bancroft When and where
did you see him l2st'
! / felt the ground suddenly slipping
from under my fee< TIE wkolc horror
I Of nv situation dashed upon me
mabel spoke up:
Prank. she said. when I saw that
number in the paper this afternoon
4 knew il was Bancroft / could moi keep
silent after such dre2dfa sc.ing. and
felt that this WAS perhaps the way
open 70 break your connection with
that wretch 50 put on my things
and came down here. Ii vas for bnsh
our s2kes o. Frank. tell the gentle
man AL you know Of that man and lee
Us 4 least get our skirts clear Of this
awful crime
The chief looked At me fixedly. Under
viii work like lightning In an instant
had formulated plan
Have YOU private ROOM" ! asked
| ..leS' ne replied. come this way.
wait here. l said 70 Mabel: s.do
not be alarmed I will tell him all ("
| When the chief closed tho door Of the
inner room I said to him very calmly.
There i no such man A. Bancroft.
What" he exclaimed. starting out
I Of his professional stoicism-
\ He il . mere creation Of my poor
wife's fancy" replied. sadly.
/ Explain yourself
II viii IL you viii make the most
trifing Inquiries you viii find that no
/ such person e Bancroft ever existed