The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-09-26
their handwriting had been absolutely the


writing to tell him what the doctor had
said. No answer had come to her tele-
gram to Monte Carlo; but the day after
DIR. Alexander had called she received
letter from Biddulph, dated from Paris,
whittier he had gone in search of Nine. de
Beranger, as he found she had left Monte
Carlo before he had arrived there, and was
believed to have proceeded to Paris.
In this letter Biddulph seemed full
OF hope; he told Nora that Nine.
de Beranger was we'll known
at the gaming tables, and had
lately lost large sums of money there.
One man he had met remembered the twin
sisters, whose likeness TO each other was
so remarkable that they were said some
times to personate each other ain fact,
my dear Nora," wrote Biddulph, ~ be-
lieve now that this wretched woman ut
terly deceived me, and that it was in
truth poor Natalie who was shot in the
Glen OF Balla But shall follow this other
one until l find her, and no doubt she
will be ready for money to tell the truth,
and then what is there to part us ?"
Only terrible uncertainty OF what was
the truth, Nora's heart answered to this
question. This woman was ready to swear
she was not Biddulph's wife if she were
sufficiently paid for dong so; but false
oath would not undo the marriage. 1t
was a terrible position Nora felt; vet
when she answered Biddulph's letter she
had not strength OF mind to tell him of the
doctors words She told HIM what the
woman had said, or at least she partly told
him, and she urged him to come at once
to Scotland, ''for this uncertainty is too
dreadful, she wrote.
Biddulph's reply to this was telegram
To fol hof ha axr-ifh har ho
next day. And he came late in the even
ing looking worn and pale, for he was not
sufficiently recovered for hasty travelling
They clasped each others hands, and for
few moments looked mutely into each
others eyes, both recalling the intense
anxiety which filled their hearts.
At last Biddulph spoke.
$50 she is here" he said; "and you
have seen herP
EYES," answered Nora, and her eyes
FELL
"I believe we have been utterly i'm
posed upon. l shall see her in the morn
ing and force her to speak the truth"
"Oh, If we could but know itl' said
Nora, almost passionately. James, l
don't know-I cannot satisfy myself-Dr.
Alexander believes this woman is your
wife"
w nat can ne know ABOUT IL
Nora clasped her hands together in great
distress.
''It seems" she said, ''that she spoke to
him when she was down there before
that she made a sort of offer then, and
asked DR.. Alexander how much he thought
you would give her if she were to stand
up and swear that she had deceived you,
and that she was not your wife. But the
doctor did not believe her-does not be-
lieve her now."
"But what right" answered Biddulph,
in quick anger, "had Alexander to keep
such an oder TO himself-to give me no
|. hint OF this, when ha knew how much
depended upon ii"
''He thought it was just for money. I
suppose; he did not, perhaps, wish to dis
turb your mind-or mine"
''But he had no right to think anything
of the kindl Good heavens, Nora, what
months of misery we might have been
spared had known this OF course this
is Natalie's twin sister, then; she would
not have made such an offer unless she
were"
"But-but, James, there is another
thing" said Nora, in faltering voice
something which makes me afraid, un-
certain. You remember the letter l got
when l first knew you, the letter to warn
me-before the woman died in the Glen,
you know2 The letter l got the other
day was written in the same handwriting,
and in this case"
Biddulph's face grew blank and dark.
us this so2" he said abruptly. Let
me see these letters, Nora"
Yes" and she left the room to get
them. And when she returned the frown
was still on Bddulph's brow.
He took them from her hand and laid
them side by side, as she had done. They
were seemingly written by one person;
there was a little difference here and
there, as we see in the same handwriting,
and Biddulph noted this as he eagerly
scanned the lines And be thought, too,
at this moment of letters he had received
long ago-love letters at first, which had
grown colder and colder, which appar-
emily also were written by the same hand.
This proves nothing" he said. This
woman told me when she came that
night-the night before our wedding day
that she wrote the letters when her sis
ter, as she pretended, came down here;
yet one of these letters was written from
the little inn at Balla the day before
Natalie was shot. They probably were
taught at the same school and wrote the
same handwriting, just as they were
alike in everything"
"Still-" began Nora, who was pale
and trembling.
"Nora, will you risk nothing2" inter
rupted Biddulph, in voice of passionate
reprOach. "If this woman is ready to
swear she is not my wife, and never was
my wife, is not that enough? / am
not so hard to convince"
"But-but, James, just think-suppose
it is lie-suppose we were married and
happy, and she came again, and said it
was a lie" And Nora put her hand
over her face, and tears rushed into her
eyes.
perhaps you would leave me7" said
Biddulph, half bitterly.
"What could l doP answered Nora,
with sob. ooh, James, let us be sure;
try to trace but her life-don't only be-
lieve her word DIR. Alexander said she
would do anything for money, or say
anything; and it's so strange about the
handwriting. l am afraid-afraid TO
hope"
Nora completely broke down as she ut
tered the last words, and sobs she could
not restrain choked her utterance. The
sight of her grief moved Biddulph, and
his expression, which had been moody
enough, changed and softened.
Forgive me" he said, and he took her
hand. ~ shall seek Alexander and make
every inquiry that 1 can. Don't think
am quite selfish, Nora; but / really be-
lieve this woman is nothing to me-that it
was clever scheme which she was able to
carry out by her extraordinary likeness to