St. Landry democrat., 1886-05-29

Now said Lorrimer, when Ronald
! Marsh looked wonderingly up at him.
what the Moses is it all about? These
people. Lowe Il Carter, were the law
yers who paid me my claim against
Miss Churchill. She had money then
or the mean. of getting money, or she
couldn't have left the stage and have
paid my claim. Now, here she is in
financial difficulties, running to the
pawnbroker' sand I'll swear she's a
| lady. born and bred-and all the while
| she's asked in the newspapers to 60
and claim her private fortune! Because
YOU know it's as plain as the nose on
your face that it's the same woman"
Who said Tregarthcn was dead2'
said the poet. These ore his initials. y
II said he was dead said Lorrimer
"She told me So He was quite per-
suaded she had done so. 1T must be
the same woman. Anyway, I'll tell
Won what | can do. can 60 and see
! the lawyers and tell 'en her address
| We have done business together al
ready. Since | saw this advertisement
I've had the curiosity to turn over the
file of the Times, and | find that it 5
been published every day for nearly
| four months. wish | could persuade
her to come back to the boards. I'm
| less her private fortune is d precious
| big one. Id guarantee to double it for
her. She's q perfect gold mine. There
never was such a Rosalind, and l don't
| believe there will ever be such another.
The sense OF romance and mystery
which seemed to grow up about Mrs.
| Tregarthen helped to keep her in
Ronald Marsh's mind. and he began to
haunt the street she lived in, and, dur
ing the hours of darkness, to prowl
about its neighborhood, until the pc
lice set watchful eyes upon him and
booked him in their own minds as a
person with an unlawful purpose.
Lorrimer wrote to the lawyers, ask
ing if the Miss Churchill advertised was
identical with the Miss Churchill in
whose behalf they had done business
aforet me. Receiving an answer IN the
affirmative, he supplied them with her
address, and waited to hear more, No
news reached him until the poet turned
up one evening. with greatly disturbed
aspect, and announced that Mrs. Ire
=
with her had left the boarding house,
and had taken new lodgings in stree
Oft the Trottenham Court Road--that
both she aud the child were poorly and
scantily dressed and that the house in
which she now lived was fit only for
the occupation of the very poo. l-or-
rimer went to the lawyers, begging to
be enlightened They, inquiring
courteously into his right to claim en-
ightenment and finding it to be nom
existent, respectfully declined to salts
fly him. He retreated, and had new
conferences with the poet who was
Fundamentally gloomy, and let fall
deadly hints about villainy and betrayal,
and the wild justice of revenge, per-
picking Lorrimer still more. At last,
spurred by his lofty hopes of the
actress possible future and his own,
and moved at least in part by the
promptings of good-nature, and hauled
toward Il solution of the mystery by a
very cable of curiosity, he leaped impa-
tiently into hackney carriag and set
out in search of Mrs. Tregarthen. He
had her address from the poet.
Sun blistered paint, years old, upon
the door; thick wells of dust upon the
windows; mere well OF an area. with
rusted ratings round it; doorsteps
"She might have had mansion in
Park-lane by this time thought Lor-
rmer, as he scanned the place. land
vet she lives here. What was her pri-
vate fortune, wonder-the last curse
of a dying mother-in-law9 1t looks
like it,
When he tugged at the bell-pull
long piece of rusted iron came out from
the door-post with reluctant creak.
He pushed it back again, and tapped
the blistered door with his gloved
knuckles. A slatternly woman came
into the well of an area, wiping her
hands uoon dirty apron, and, having
inspected him, went leisurely into the
house again, and after a pause, which
seemed long to his Impotence, opened
the front door an inch or two, and re-
garded him afresh in unpromising 81
lence.
Good-morning, said Lorrimer,
with smooth politeness. You have
lduy etay any Aele, LID all, beileFe,
and should be extremely obliged if I
might be allowed to see her. We are
old friends, and have been informed
that she is in some distress" Lori
mer was gorgeous as to his attire, and
his manner was almost monarchical.
AS he spoke he drew a half-crown from
his waistcoat pocket, and, holding it
delicately between his finger and thumb,
like duke performing playful con-
juring trick, dropped it into the wom-
ans palm, which came automatically
to receive it. The woman opened the
door little wider
"Do you mean Mrs. Tregarthen,