Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-11-10
AMYSTERY OF THE MIND.

landed In Southampton on the 18th
Of November, 1872. It was late Of a Sat
urday afternoon, and by the time my
baggage was NJ the railway station there
was barely timo 70 catch the last train
90 London. 4 few hours later was In
my room NJ the Westminster Palace
hotel, Tor it was of course much too late
70 think Of hunting up Madclainc. |
must wait until the next day.
passed a restless night, for could
not rid my mind OF a misgiving that had
been weighing upon IL for several weeks
rast. This misgiving was none the lcso
oppressive because IL was not founded
upon what could h called fact. Facts
are by no means always the most per.
sussivo part Of experience. and con
viciinn may be- none tho less a conviction
because u is impossible 10 furnish Rmat-
Ter Of fact reason for II,
had been away from England four
years In all. Most n this time had been
passod in New Zealand, IA editor aud.
finally. a. proprietor Of newspaper
there. had partly made MP my mind
10 settle there aud have Ma1elaine come
ont aud join me, or perhaps 10 return
and bc married 10 her in London and
take her back with me. But when her
letter cane. informing mo that sho VIA
mot very well, l. formed sudden do
termination to sell the paper aud return
Tor good and all. II was not 10 much
shat she said ~ certain depressed
ono apparent thronrhout her letter that
hnpellcd me 90 this step.
The letter bad reached mo on the last
Jay of July. I made my Arrangements
promptly, and succeeded In disposing Of
my newspaper on favorable forms.
ihsu wrote to her that was coming,
and u fcw weeks aftcrwnr1 I embarked.
The idea OF returning home In compare
lively prosperous circumstances tomarry
the woman had loved ~ long filed me
with happiness. and during tho early
part Of the voyage / was In excellent
spirits. Then came the mystery; aud
from lie effects had suffered ever since.
No dpsbt the situation. IN other re-
fpects, did not call for anxiety. Made
lsine. like myself, was an orphan, hut 1
believed her 20 be In good hands Mrs.
Trench, the exccuirix of the will aud
III. girls guardian, had good business
head. great force u character. aud was
Ia all respects an uncommon woman.
She was awidow, aud for year. had con.
Quoted her late husbands business Ia u
mastery manner, paying OIL one by ono
tho heavy debts which had been con-
traotcd aud establishing It upon u pay
IA N.HaNH Aha H.. -
Madclnlns's, aud the girl aud her 10000
could not have been left In safer or
more capable hands. / had gone abroad
completely at ease on that score. All
the same was very III at ease now.
Whom looked out from the window
Of my hotel room that Sunday morning
] was confronted by q dense aud dark
London fog. Ny watch told mo thas 1t
was in the morning, but 1t might have
been that hour In the evening. for all
the daylight there was. dressed and
went down stalls, and by o o'clock was
In hanson, ON my way 10 Courtield
gardens, Earlscourt, where Mrs. Trench.
and Madelaino lived. Tho distance was
not great, but tho fog was no bcwildtr-
lug that We were nearly an hour In
reaching tho place. At last the cabby
drew up In front Of tho house, and 1
jumped out and ran up the steps. was
very much excited, but tried to fight
down all dark thoughts, and the antici.
patton Of ssdug MAdelaine once more
sent the blood tingling through my body.
A servant opened the door aud stared
ut NE inquiriucly laslcd whether Mrs.
Trench was at home. The girl replied
that NO such person lived there. Miss
Madelaine, them Tho girl shook her
head. Its Mrs. Forbes family liycs
here, SIR" she said. Aud shc added. In
response 10 my startled inquiries, that
they had been In possession not much
over month.
demanded TO sce Mr.. Forbes, who
turned out 10 be u portly and respectable
British merchant but he could give me
littlo available information. Ho had
only seen Mrs. Trench once; Of Made
lninc no knew nothing The negotiations
had been conducted through the houso
agent. lobtained tho address Of the lat.
tor, aud retuNhed to my hotel in very
unenviable frame OF mind indeed. BE.
ing Sunday, | was forced 10 remain in.
active I'll the next day. 1 now felt sure
that Madelaine was dead. But how did
she di,y And why had Mrs. Trench,
who knew was coming home, left no
trace or elew for me to ind herr II had
an ugly look.
Next morning tho fog still continued,
but was at the house agents office al.
most AS soon as Il opened Here, too,
my Investigations were far from roas.
Huring. The agent had never seen Mrs
Trench nj all. A gentleman had called
on him aud transacted the business on
Mrs. Trenehs behalf This gentleman
had not gwen his name. but was de.
fcribed TO mo as a tall, slender person.
age, wilma dark beard aud eyeglasses.
More he could not tell me.
From the agency | drove 10 Mrs
Trench's place OF business, In Leadenhall
street, ! did not expect TO find her
there, hut could scarcely fail TO learn
her whereabouts. To my astonishment
found the store In the hands OF stran.
gers. Trench Il Co, had made nm assign.
ment nearly year before, paying eight
thillngs on tho pound. No ono knew
where Mrs. Trench was, nor could any
one give me the least information about
Mndelaine.
was now not only thoroughly
alarmed, hut also thoroughly aroused.
Evidently there was some black secret
here. would fathom It at whatever
cost. Who was the black bearded man