The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1889-08-15


,ver % no other status has been ln-.
vented. have no husband. .
':And no wife, although have been
married." 81.
"A widower! Hum! / should not
have thought so. > 5s
mo, not q widower. I was married
without my knowledge, by mistake, in
default. The newspapers married me-
heard of it in India and SO persist
emily that I got a three months leave
only to make myself q free man once
more. left the r. and q. three DAYS
ago, and am on my way to the Bellunes
to ask what they were about in allow
ing their nearest relative to be labelled
all over the world as booked and done
for"
"A hard case. and one deserving of
much pity. So the indignity of we'd
lock has been put upon you. Accept
my deepest sympathy" ~
you may laugh, but it was, it is
odious. All the fellows out there affect
to believe it is true-that l am a dere-
lict husband with family. On land
ing here found no end of letters of
congratulation. dare not show my
self at the clubs. If at first 1 was in
clined to treat the matter lightly, now
am determined to sift the whole thing
sue the libellers, and give public de-
NAL
ITO the compromising accusation of
matrimony? I would, if I were YOU"
Il SHALL" he said sternly.
They were just steaming into the
Carlisle station. Jessica remained
alone while her companion smoked. a
cigar on the platform. She took adj
vantage of the gathering twilight to
rise, and unperceivod. to examine the
label on the hat box reposing in the
rack. She had some difficulty in de-
ciphering it, and fell back into the seat
as the owner of it stepped once more
into the carriage. He fancied she
looked very pale, and asked her if she
was tired. She did not answer at once,
but as soon as the train was fairly un-
der way she said. abruptly: rs your
name Montgomery Swift"
ut is, he said, surprised; but glanc-
ing at the hat box, which lay in an
altered position, he added: "Have you
guessed that, too, you fortune teller?"
land you call yourself captain?"
continued Jessica, in the same harsh
voice.
Il do. till I become major"
':Impossible! There is not Captain
Montgomery Swift in the whole British
army"
II beg your pardon. am that hum
bic officer
mo. you are not; there is no such
man in the army list-there was not Il
year ago."
"Possibly not at that time, for a year
ago I was Monty Gordon. Last Christ
mas good old man, who was my god
father, died and left me all his for
tune and estates, on condition that I
should take and bear his name. 1
complied, a Swift was manufactured
out of a Gordon, and yet remained 4
captain. Under either appellation,
equally at your command. But now I
must ask Of your dressing bag the same
introduction furnished by my hat-box,
and learn by what name can address
my travelling incognita when l meet
her again at the Towers" He quietly
bent over the flap of Jessica's neat
russia leather bag. but saw only the
letters u. Nj. 81
"Ah,' he said, "the same initials as
mine; then, interrogatively, "they
spell?"
80 ''Jessica Montgomery Swift
A dead silence followed. Jessica
lay back against the cushions motion
less, with a crimson flush on her cheeks
and forehead. Captain Swift felt that
some painful mystery was about to be
disclosed, and that the woman by his
side was gathering strength for great
effort. He generously depressed every
sign of curiosity and astonishment, and
waited her pleasure.
After few moments she turned
toward him and spoke slowly and hest
tatingly.
Il throw myself upon your mercy,
Captain Swift; do not deny publicly toI
morrow that you ever were married to
Jessica Wynne. DO not pursue those
who originated that-libel. Give me
time. l assure you that will do my
utmost to undo what l have DONE"
She looked very young and fair. with
her earnest eyes and moist lashes.
what have you done ?" he said,
simply.
''Listen to me, and forgive me if you
can. When l first came to London, at
eighteen, found it horrid place;
only married women were admired,
petted and courted-we girls were no.
where. So l made up my mind to come
back to town-married; and as l had
not a husband handy-they are 80
scarce you know-l invented one. l
thought 1 was quite safe.: T; wanted
him to he an officer, because England
has such a lot of troops in places people
never 60 to. l looked all over the
army and navy lists to make sure did
not choose name belonging to any
living man; I christened him Mont
gomery Swift, hap-hazard; put the
paragraphs in the papers. He was a
very likely sort of husband to have,
you know, and it seems so natural that
he should forever be among the saw
ages-anywhere. Nobody seemed to
care about him at all; but they did for
his wife sim0ly because she was not a
girl, and it was all working beautifully.
%, why did you turn up? Why did you
have Swift for a godfather? Why did
he die?''
would it have suited you to keep
up this farce much longer?" said Cap
fair, Swiff 1,,+ mn o~,,,,col 1,oI-