St. Paul daily globe., 1889-02-09
couple was from New York. They're
only just gone to the statiOn.'
"What station?''

The wild thought of confronting them
at public reception in the White house
occurred to Ball. Then the abSurdity
of this idea and the improbability of
their attending the reception suggested
the madness of his whole conduct. He
saw now that when he missed Elizabeth
at the ferry, the only course left was to
return home, relate his suspicious to
his father, and act-upon the old gentle
mans advice. The best way now to
make amends for his folly was to go
home as fast as steam could carry him.
Acting on this idea, he found him
self half an hour later on the
express train bound north. Utterly
worn out, he leaned back in the
chair and prepared for nap. BE was
to hear the voice of Elizabeth speaking
in her usual low, sweet tones. His seat
was close to the forward compartment.
He listened, thinking he had dreamed.
There was no sound from the curtain
compartment for several minutes. He
began to think that sleep had played
him false, when the same familiar voice
came indiStinctly to his ear. Then he
realized that he was travelling with the
bridal party. Should he burst in upon
the curtained compartment with a tor
rent of reproaclieS? The strange par
alysis of action that for two days had
made him passive just when his Oppor-
tunity seemed to present itself and rem
dered his pursuit of that mocking voice
grotesquely vain, once more seized
his faculties. Suddenly his great fear
was that he should be seen and recOg-
nized. He cowed in his seat for ten
minutes and then buried himself, face
to the wall, in vacant chair, as far as
possible from his unconscious acqualnt-
ances. Instantly he saw in the mirror
at the end of the car that JOhnStone had
come out of the compartment. The
young man looked pleased and smiled
genially when fellow-traveler shook
his hand and whispered something in
his ear. Ball thought bitterly. as he
saw his own haggard face in the mirror,
that few girls of twenty-one would hesi-
tate long in choosing between him and
Johnstone. For an hour he reflected
upon his misfortune, and then was sur
prised to find himself drowsy. He
yielded to sleep and presently the
world of reality began slipping
from his cluthes. When he awoke
he opened his eyes expecting to see a
flying panorama of wood and water,
farm and village, but saw instead only
white counterpane in the midst of q
small, still, clean room into which the
sunshine poured with tempered ray
through white and stiff1y starched lace
curtains. A white-capped, pleasant
faced woman, in large armchair,
placed finger upon her lip in token Of
silence. Then she said softly: ''How
are you to-day, Mr.. Ball?''
Hungry" said Ball. and added:
"Where am |, and why am lere?"
You are with friends. You were
takenill while on a journey.
Then she touched a bell and bade the
attendant that answered call the doctor.
The1atter came, examined the patient,
wrote prescription, and in answer to a
whispered inquiry from the nurse. said:
s'YeS, I'll stay till she comes"
Soon after there was gentle knock
at the door. The doctor opened it to ad-
nit the newcomer and then went out
Ball stared and recognized Elizabeth.
At the thought of her perfdy his face
hardened.
''Arnold, don't you know me?" she
asked. They were the very tones he
had heard over the telephone and each
time In the parlor car.
"You are Mrs. tombstone. l think"
said Ball stiff1y from the pillow.
The sorrow deepened on her face. and
he saw her touch the electric button.
An attendant came and with him the
doctor.
'.He doesn't know me-" Ball heard
Elizabeth say to the doctor. Then at a
word from the latter she left the room.
Isn't that Mrs. Henry JOhnstone.
who was Miss Elizabeth HoWland?''
asked Ball. .e
NO" said the doctor, as he helped
prop the patient up with pillows that
he might eat little nourishing meal
Just brought in. "that is Miss Elizabeth
Rowland, and am told that when she
changes her name it will be to assume
that of Ball.'' L..
"Was she not married in Baltimore
to-day to Henry Johnstone?''
''She was not. Mr.. Johnstone was
married in Baltimore day before yester-
day to Miss Jane Hall. and it was Mr..
Jollnstone that identified you when
you were taken i'll that same day OH an
express train near this city,
'What city?" inquired Ball, with the
air of man who will not be imposed
upon.
.'Philadelphia. You've been on the
edge of brain fever for the past forty
eight hours, and Miss Rowland and her
Lolio. 'aio hoi0 HoiPihsa " Hoi 90 Jou'
If you'll go to sleep now you may see
the young lady in the morning.
Ball acted upon the doctors suggeS-
ton, and when Elizabeth appeared next
morning her lover had the air of one
ready to accept any reasonable eXplana-
ton.
"Oh, Arnold! where did you get the
idea that had married Harry john
stone, and why did you leave New
York so suddenly" she asked.
II went because heard you make an
appointment to meet man at the Cort-
landt Street station. and thought you
married Johnstone because heard you
talking in that parlOr car with him and
his sister, first in coming to Phiiadel-
phia from New York. and then from
Baltimore, where JohnstOne was mar
ried.''
''But made no appointment by tele-
phone and | did not come to Philadel-
phia with Mr.. Johnstone and his sister.
On the day you left New York l Went
to visit Aunt Ellen Mason at Orange.n
''Not your Aunt Ellen Austin at Phil
adelphia?" said Ball querulously, his
tired brain worried with the puzzling
question of Elizabeth's identity with the
woman whose voice had led him chase
for two days.
"Then who did talk by telephone,
and who did travel with the john
stones?''
"a light broke on Elizabeth's face,
and Ball secretly resented the sign of
an intelligence superior to his,o own. 81
have it now" said she with "a light
laugh. "Did Mabel Johnstone speak at
any time whel. you saw herr" &
"No," said Ball shortly, veAed at the
apparently irrelevant question.
Ibid you see at any time the person
whose voice sounded like mine?'
NO" said Ball, nettled again.
''Did you never hear that Mabel's
voice is very like mine?"
1t was plain enough to the sick man
now: "then it was she whose voice l
hoard thaD2,,