Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-10-03

yalise he had noticed in the tram-car. He
invited Sherrieff to dinner, and the pair
| awaited with intense excitement toe en-
trance of Mr.. Questin."
He came in when they were seated at ta-
Die d'hote, and took his place opposite
them. Dick turned crimson, and slightly
kicked his friend
| Oh, It's the man" murmured Mr.. Per
klns, rather crestfallen, and yet pleased
to see his acquaintance again. How are
you sir?" he said across the table. "Glad
to meet you again, Mr. Questin."
Mr.. Questin glanced sharply up, bowed,
then seemed to recollect the speaker, for
he said cordially that he was glad to see
him.
You look pretty fit now, sir, A." remarked
Mr.. Perkins, ''but 1 thought you likely to
be real sick when we parted in Rome"
Il was for bit," the other answered.
"but soon picked up"
''You were well out of Naples; they had
cholera at compound interest after you
left"
eyes, its not thing would go out of
my way to meet"
''See anything of it when you were
around?"
"Oh, believe the poor beggars were dy-
| ing of it, but it's Struggled away as much
as possible"
| 'Ah! Didn't you tell me that you had a
kind o. nervous shrinking; that it was
about the only mortal thing that scared
| you, Mr.. Questin?''
Just that" answered the other, with
| slight laugh, then he turned to some topic
of the day, and an animated conversation
ensued.
! Mr.. Perkins took no notice of Dicks
eager questions and comments until the
two were at the latter's hotel, when, slow
ly removing his big cigar, he said: "She's
right, as young woman in love should
be. It's another man"
| At this astonishing announcement Dick
seized him by the arm, gasping with anx-
/ iety to hear more.
| Face, same; voice, same; action, same;
inside all wrong; not-&it that off. Now to
discover if he has murdered the other.
Can't make out if he is the other man in
the carr
Dick wrote at once to Anastasia, saying
that they had clew at last.
| ''Now," said Mr.. Perkins, well get o
right cute sort of detective, and keep an
eye on our friend day and night"
seemed a possibility of her idea being a
correct one, she began to put together all
| that Osmund had ever told about the
Questin family, with the conviction that if
there was an impostor in the case, so
strong a likeness could not be mere ac-
| cident She then wrote to Sherrieff, tell
ing him that Mr.. Questin's younger broth.
er had married sister of his wife's, and
/ I0a
travagant wants any longer they had van
| ished from sight, and that they had had
one, if not more sons, whom Osmund had
| never known.
| Anastasia was now in a condition of few
erish anxiety; her nerves in a terrible state
of tension; haunted by pictures of what
might be, weighing in the balance, the
chance of ever again having her lover re-
stored to her, daring not to lift her hopes
too high in dread of their being knocked
down again.
After having suffered the cruel abase-
ment of that sudden contemptuous deser-
ton; after having had her love torn,
crushed and bleeding from her heart,
all these hopes and fears were strain up
on her too great to have been long en-
dured.
She had made up her mind to bear it,
nevertheless for some time yet, when
telegram relieved her from acute suspense.
''You are wanted. -SHERRIEFF."
Twelve hours later she entered the Hotel
de France, and was met by Dick scarcely
able to contain his excitement.
Pale as death she grasped his outstretch-
ed hands, but could not speak.
''He is found-alive," said Dick, almost
in a whisper overcome himself by the sight
of suppressed emotion stronger than he
had given human nature credit for.
Then she gave a little sob and turned
away. Oh, unspeakable mercy; should not
she give thanks and praise in her heart,
even before she asked single question?
Dick could not have made long story OF
it then, though he did afterward.
eve tracked him-the fellow-at last to
maison de sante outside Paris, and there
he is-ill, rather; he has been very i'll
that's only natural The scoundrel placed
him there as an insane relative, and goes
to see him, I believe for the sake Of study
ing his part. You must come and swear
to his identity, and then we will telegraph
for the father"
She could not see him till the next day,
when she and Dick went together, and
found the dear Septimus Perkins waiting
for them, because he would not thrust
himself upon her sooner.
"Got him safe, ma'am," he whispered,
jerkily, 'but you mustn't expect to find
his hair curled and his handkerchief scent
ed" This with great earnestness
The door opened, French doctor with
! waxed mustache bowed himself into the
room and invited Anastasia to follow him
into the inner room.
If the doctor was so moved that he could
only shed tears cOpiously into large CAM
brio handkerchief; if Septimus Perkins was
stamping and coughing in the other room
to keep his sympathy within bounds; If
Dick had mist before his eyes, then
should not the curtain fall over that won
derful reunion? All, dear love and IN
failing truth, what matters pale, sunken
face, and lean, trembling figure? 1t was
Osmund himself though a wreck.
'Oh, sweetheart; oh, my ownP'-heart
to heart spake what lips could not utter.
The only disappointment was to the doc
tor. ''These English-they speak so little;
they throw away situations the most raw
ishing," SO he meditated.
They all thought themselves very clever,
excepting Tasia, who thought of nothing
but how to pet and comfort her found
ling" as Mr. Perkins called him, and to
| bring him back to health; but they had to
deal with wits as sharp as their own.
When they marched forth armed with the
law to arrest the pseudo Osmund Questin,
all trace of him had vanished; but a brief