Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1890-08-15
CHAPTER xLvu-rHE w1rE's RETURN.

CHAPTER XLvII-THE wIFE'S RETURN.
OF course Mrs. Vimpany was gate
right Iris had gone back to her husband
| She arrived, in fact, at tho cottage in the
evening Just before dark-in the falling
day, when some people are more thar
commonly sensitive to sights and sounds,
/ and when the eyes are more apt than a!
other times to be deceived by strange ap
pearances. Iris walked into the garden,
/ hiding no one there. She opened the dooI
with her own key and let herself in. The
| house struck her Is strangely empty and
silent. She opened the dinine-room door;
no ono was there. Like all French din
| pose than for eating, and furnished with
| little moro than the barest necessaries.
! She closed the door and opened that of the
SAL that ale was empty. She called
ner ausu.uu, mere was no answer. oht
called the name Of the cook; there was nc
| answer. 1t was fortunate that sac did
not open the door Of the spare room, fol
there lay tho body Of the dead man. Sh'
went upstairs to her husbands room.
That, too, was empty. But there was
something lying on the table, photo
graph. She took 1t up. Her face became
| ed aloud, then dropped the picture and
fell fainting to the ground. For the pho
tograph was nothing less than that of her
husband. dead. in his white grav--clHthes.
nls nands composed, his eyes closed, his
cheek waXen.
The rry fell upon the ears of Lord Harry,
who was in the garden below. He rushed
into the house and lifted his wife upon the
bed. The photograph showed him plainly
what had happened.
She came to her senses again, but seeing
her husband alive before her, and remem-
boring what she had seen, she shrieked
again, and fell into another swoon.
"whst is to be done nOwE asked the
husband. What shall 1 tell herr How
shall make her understand? What can
| do for hern
A. for help, there was none: the nurse
! was gone on some errand; the doctor was
arranging for the funeral of Oxbye under
the name of Lord Harry Norland: the cot
tage was empty.
Iris came round, and sat up. looking Wild
what is it," she cried what does It
meant"
ut means. my love, that you have re-
turned to your husband" He laid an
arm round her, and kissed her again and
again. ,
Harry"
Your own Harry. my darling. What
else should bef"
Tell me then, what does It mean-that
That means nothing-nothing- freak
a joke Of the doctors. What could it
mean" He took it up. WHY, my dear.
am living-living and well. What should
this mean but a joker"
He laid it on the table again, face down
ward. But her eyes showed that she was
not satisfied. Men do not make jokes on
Death; it is sorry jest indeed to dress up
O man in grave-clothes, and make a pho
tograph of him, rs Of one dead.
But you-you, my Iris; you are here
tell me how and why-and when, and
everything. Never mind that stupid pic
ture: tell me-"
Il got your letter, Harry" she replied.
MY letter." he repeated. "Oh, my dear,
you got my letter, and you saw that your
husband loved you stillw
II could not keep away from you, Har-
~, whatever had happened. l stayed as
long as could. l thought about you day
and night. And at last Ill came back
Are you angry with me. Harry"
Angry Good God! my dearest-an-
gry,"
He kissed her passionately-not the less
passionatsly that she had returned at a
time so terrible. What was he to say to
her, How was he to tell err While he
showered kisses on her he was asking
himself these questions. When she found
out--when he should confess to her the
whole truth; she would leave him again.
Yet ne dld not Understand the nature OF
the woman who loves. He held her in his
arms: his kisses pleaded for him; they
mastered her-she was ready to believe,
to accept, to surrender even her truth and
honesty: and she was ready, though she
knew it not, to become the accomplice Of
q crime. Rather than leave her husband
again she would do anything.
Yet, Lord Harry felt there was one res
ervation; he might confess everything. ex
cept the murder Of the Dane. No word Of
confession had passed the doctors lips,
yet he knew too well that the man had
been murdered; and, SO far as the man
had been chosen for his resemblance to
himself, that was perfectly useless. be-
cause the resemblance, though striking
ut the first, had been gradually disappear
ing as the man Oxbye grew better; and
was now, as we have seen, wholly lost at
ter death.
81 have great deal-a great deal-to
tell you, dear" said the husband. holding
both her hands tcnderly. You will have
to be very patient with me. You must
make up your mind to be shocked st first.
though shall be able to convince you that
there was really nothing else to be done
nothing else ut all"
"Oh! 60 on, Harry Tell me all. Hide
nothing"