The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03

/ your countrymen;" and again Monsieur
Dobree shrugged his shoulders
And YOU can prove this?" asked Jock
Fraser, looking with his shrewd brown
eyes at the Frenchman's face.
81 will swear i'll These ladies and
have no secrets. / know all about Mon
sieur Whitaker and Biddulph.
"And you know" said Biddulph, with
a darkling brow, "that this woman came
to me and swore falsely--pretended she
was her dead twin-sister?"
Once more Monsieur Dobree raised his
shoulders to express regret.
"Alas, | know' he said. MADAM e
] Whitaker was what you called hard up.
| What could she dol You must pity and
forgive her."
at was a vile deception" said Bid
dulph, passionately. "But you are ready
now, and she is ready to swear before this
gentleman and lady that you both are now
| speaking the truth"
IL swear it as gentleman" cried Mon
sieur Dobree, grandly.
"And you pr said Biddulph, looking at
the woman fixedly.
~ swear it too. When poor Josephine
! was shot"
"Fool!" muttered Monsieur, with tight
drawn lips.
Il mean poor Natalie, of course" con-
| tinued the woman, with little conscious
laugh and a dusky blush; "but your
Highland whisky is so strong, my brain
seems half muddled."
But Nora had caught Biddulph's hand
as she again had uttered the word
| Josephine"
''She is not speaking the truth, James"
| She half whispered in his ear; Il do not
| hal AGE ah ha
writing. ! believe this is Natalie"
"Did you write the letter to warn Miss
Stewart l was married MANI" asked
Biddulph, sharply, the next moment.
"Yes-at least"
"And the one you wrote to her lately,
to tell her YOU had something to COM
municate to herP
The woman looked as If afraid to COM
NIT herself; she hesitated; she glanced
uneasily at Dobree.
81 get puzzled" she said presently "you
ask so many questions"
Il think" said Dobree, with a pro-
found bow, 'if this young lady and ma
dame will permit me to suggest, that this
interview had better be deferred until
another day. Madame, in her agitation,
| has taken more OF the potent spirit of this
| land than is good for her brain. She is a
| little muddled, in fact; but If Monsieur
| Biddulph will come with me and her to
the small inn, l shall prove to his salts
faction and the young lady's that this Is
Josephine Beranger, the twin-sister of
Monsieur Biddulph's late wife. With
your permission we shall now take our
| leave, and l shall communicate with mon
sieur."
He bowed to Biddulph as he spoke, and
offered his arm to the woman, who took
it without speaking, and they left the
room together. Nora and Biddulph
looked at each other as they went out,
and there was bitter pain in Nora's eyes.
James" she said, clasping his hand,
and forgetting the presence OF Jock Fra
ser, sit is all falsel We cannot believe her,
nor the mani"
"He's disreputable looking fellow, and
| don't believe word he has been say
ing" said Jock Fraser, bluntly. Mora,
my dear, you cannot act on such evidence
as this"
"No," she answered. "James, don't 90
near them any more" she continued,
looking up into Biddulph's agitated face ;
we've must forget what-we hoped
might be-we must still be friends"
She was very pale, and the bitterness Of
the disappointment was very great; but
| still she bore herself with a certain dig
nifty, and displayed far greater calmness
than Biddulph, whose face was black as
| night"
Then you give up all dOubt?" he said
abruptly.
'I-am afraid So"
al cannot!o he answered, with bitter
emphasis and passion.
'FBiddulph," said Jock Fraser, kindly
/ Is,,t foil
| going on the word OF such a man as that.
Nora could not do it; you could not ask
| her. It's hard to have to say such thing
| but | believe this woman is your WIFE,"
an see the fellow, at any rate" said
| Biddulph, "and I'll try to find out about
| this Whitaker. 1t may be patched up
story, but there may be some truth in it
| after ALL"
81 fear not" answered Jock, and Nora's
\ heart echoed his words.
Then, presently, Jock went away, and
/ Nora and Biddulph were alone.
Don't give up all hope, Nora," he said,
taking both her hands.
She looked up in ms face and smiled a
sad smile.
eve shall always be friends, you know"
she said gently; and he knew from her
manner she meant they could be nothing
more.
The same night, about 10 o'clock, the
doctor was sitting and refreshing himself
with his accustomed toddy, before retiring
| to his well-earned rest, when loud rap
ping at the surgery door disturbed him,
and, with a sigh, he laid down his pipe
and went to open it.
Outside stood the village inn-keeper,
with an agitated, frightened face.
Anything wrong, Jamie ?" asked the
doctor, who was well acquainted with the
man.
Then the innkeeper in many words
told his story. The "leedy," who was
supposed TO be the wife OF Mr.. Biddulph
| of Dunbaan, had been staying at his
house for some days past, and this morn
| ing a friend, "a queer-looking foreign
| chap" came to visit her and they went out
| together during the afternoon. But be-
! fore they went ''the leddy," by the inn
keepers account, drank many glasses of
whisky, and the man (the foreigner)
seemed angry with her for doing this.
| And when they returned high words were
! exchanged between them, but afterwards
more whisky. was called for and then
they apparently began to quarrel
again-a least the people in the
room below thought they even heard the
sound of blows. AT o'clock, however,
the man came downstairs, and seemed all
right. He told the innkeeper he was go
ing out for a little walk, as madame"
who had had been agitated and fatigued,
had lain down to rest in the sitting-room,