Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-04-18

leaned over it now IN a detected attitude,
/ her face hidden in her hands. Edna's
! hand was on her shoulder; she was speak
/ ing to her in q low, earnest manner.
You won't tell him, Edna? On your
/ honor promise you won't tell Jack2" cried
/ George. looking up suddenly.
/ I would rather cut of my right hand,
/ Edna exclaimed vehemently.
She turned toward me as she spoke,
/ and, instinctiVely stunning to be caught
housekeeping, I retreated.
Seen ghost? Look precious like it,
said Hawks facetiOusly, as lhung myself
into chair in the library.
COnfound everything" exclaimed
impatiently.
Amen, calculated Charley, with an
information that another time might have
caused me to smile. Have b. and s.
old fler; thatu put you all right. Strikes
me you're almost teetOtalers herel Very
different to the old days, Ell? I'm "a ehiel
! taking notes, you know chiel taking
notes?' Guess III give you the benefit of
looked at him attentively. He had
had fair amount of champagne, and
was now doing full justice to the brandy
/ and soda.
Go on, Hawks. may not say much,
but I'm listening, I said to humor him.
Keep yOur. eye on the DOctor-keep
! sharp eye on him! See?"
4 don't see in the least, I said eoIdly,
for was still puzzling over the words 1
had heard in the drawing-rOOm.
Well, if you don't already know and
won't see, III put it palmer. That Doc
tors a gone coon on your wife, a -
gone coon, L tell you. Fact, sir"
Don't talk to me such internal rot. "
It's gospel truth, Jack. You've a right
to know all 1 can tell you, so here goes.
You didn't 60 to the drawing room with
! Gascoigne and me after dinner. He was
{ e-aN l. ID
by JOYe, If you had seen the looks he
gave her when he thought my attention
was taken up with Miss LyntOni When
she sang, Should he upbraid, " he seemed
to 20 clean off his head. He went over
to the piano with his eyes fixed on her as
though he were bewitched."
The devil! Do you mean-"
Stop, man. Don't take it up wrong.
L haven't said one word against Mrs.
Dudley, mind, and don't intend. Her
conduct was admirable. She did not even
seem to see what am telling you. I be-
! lieYe she is as innocent as baby. Fact,
man"
"HaVe you anything more to say?" in
quired, testify. If so, out with it..
Great Caesar! Haven't you had enough?
I've given you the straight tip-'Ware the
Doctor am off to bed. I've got to catch
the first train in the morning. You'll
order them to call me and all that?"
Eyes, I'll see to it"
And, I say old fler, mind I tell you
your wifes not in it. She's right enough.
Caesars wife, you know! No Offense, eh?"
he asked, tossing off the contents of his
tumbler.
Caesars wife. indeed! Whvremind me
of the hackneyed legend? Cesar put
away POmpeia, not for the reason that he
believed her guilty, but because his wife
must be above suspicion. I suspected
George of knew not what! She might
be as innocent as a babe, butt must
prove her so!
Assuring Charlie that where no offense
was intended none could be taken, I
saw him to his room, then rang for the
butler, gave the necessary orders for the
morning, and ascertained that my wife
and Edna had gone upstairs. Nothing
more would be required, said, and sat
down to wait till I believed all the house
hold had gone to bed. We kept early
hours at the Grange; it was little more
than II o clock when, every sound ap-
parently silenced, I crossed the hall and
prepared for action.
Some lights were still left burning, but,
concluding that the MUSHROOM would
probably be in darkness, I carried a lamp
with me thither and proceeded direct to
the writing table at which my wife had
sat when she wrote the evening before to
GascOigne. 1 lit the two candles on the
table, placing the lamp between them.
opened the blotting- book. 1t was a
new one. I turned over some spotIess
pages until came to one on which were
a few ink marks. Tearing this out held
it close to the light, the wrong side to-
ward me.
Come, I want you"
Great pOwersl My wife, then, had
secret understanding with this man-this
man whom she had so emphatically said
she hated. 1 had right to know the ma
ture of that understanding. George her
self could not ask; for, alas! I had al
ready discovered she did not hesitate to
utter a falsehood when it suited her.
I placed the piece of tell-tale blOtting-
paper in my pOcket-bOOk, eXtingUished
the lights, and made my way in hot haste
upstairs. My idea was to send to Mrs
Armstrong. She first must help me.
Arrived at the door of the housekeeper's
apartments, L knocked. Mrs. Armstrong
opened the door Immediately. She was
dressed as I had usually seen her.
you, sir" she exclaimed in some dis
may.
Yes, but must see Miss Lynton at
once. Do you hear? Can you help me?"
step in.
obeyed, and found myself where I
had never been before, namely, in Mrs.
Armstrong; ~parlOr."
I was scarcely prepared, however, to be
/ brought so suddenly face to face with
! Edna Lynton, and felt mora disconcer
/ than care to own when L saw her stand
| ing by the fire. She looked ethereal. all
in white. A long, loose, white wrapper,
/ with some swan down about it, was
| thrown over the muslin dress she had
/ worn at dinner.
There can be no necessity for you to
/ go away. Please stay. she said. as Mrs.
/ Armstrong was preparing to quit the
/ room. The woman hesitated, but signed
! to her imPeratively to go.
This is strange conduct, Mr.. Dudley.
! VIII you explain It, quiclzly?" asked Edna,
| and as she spoke she shiyered, though not
/ with cold
Il have come to learn the secret-about
my wife, I said, assuming a sternness
/ that, alas! by no means expressed my