The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-11-03
A MYSTERY OF THE MIND.

landed in Southampton on the 14th
of November, 1879. 1t was late of Sat
urday afternoon, and by the time nay
baggage WAS at the railway station there
was barely time to catch the last train
to London. A few hours later l was in
my room at the Westminster Palace
hotel, for it was of course much too late
to think of hunting up Madelaine. I
must wait until the next day.
passed a restless night, for i could
not dnny mind of misgiving that had
been weighing upon it for several weeks
past. This misgiving was none the less
oppressive because it was not founded
upon what could be called a fact. Facts
are by no means always the most per-
suasive part of experience, and a con-
viction may be none the less conviction
because it is impossible to furnish mat
ter of fact reason for it.
/ had been away from England four
years in all. Most of this time had been
passed in New Zealand, as editor and,
finally, as proprietor of a newspaper
there. had partly made up my mind
to settle there and have Madelaine come
out and join me, or perhaps to return
and be married to her in London and
take her back with me. But when her
letter came, informing me that she was
mot very WE'LL formed sudden de-
termination to sell the paper and return
for good and all. 1t was not so much
what she said as a certain depressed
tone apparent throughout her letter that
impelled me to this step.
The letter had reached me ON the last
day of July. | made my arrangements
: promptly. and succeeded in disposing of
my newspaper on favorable terms. |
then wrote to her that 1 was coming,
and a few weeks afterward l embarked
The idea of returning home in compare
lively prosperous circumstances to marry
the woman / had loved so long filled me
with happiness, and during the early
part of the voyage l was in excellent
spirits. Then came the mystery; and
from it's effects had suffered ever since.
No doubt the situation, in other re-
spects, did not call for anxiety. Made
laine, like myself, was an orphan. but l
believed her to be in good hands. Mrs.
Trench, the executrix of the will and
the girls guardian, had good business
head, great force of character, and was
in all respects an uncommon woman,
She was awidow, and for years had con-
Quoted her late husbands business in IL
mastery manner, paying off one by one
the heavy debts which had been con-
tracted ald establishing it upon pay
ing basis. She was "a second cousin of
Madelalne's, and the girl and her eco 900
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 i'll at ease now.
When looked out from the window
of my hotel room that Sunday morning
/ was confronted by dense and dark
London fog. My watch told me that it
was 8 in the morning, but it might have
been that hour in the evening, for all
the daylight there was. L dressed and
went down stairs, and by 9 o'clock 1 was
in a hanson, on my way to Courtfield
gardens, Earlscourt. where Mrs. Trench
and Madelaine lived. The distance was
not great. but the fog was so bewilder-
ing that we were nearly an hour in
reaching the place. At last the cabby
drew up in front of the house. and
jumped out and ran up the steps. was
very much excited, but | tried to fight
down all dark thoughts, and the antici-
patton of seeing Madelaine once more
sent the blood tingling through my body.
A servant opened the door and stared
at me inquiringly. Iasked whether Mrs.
Trench was at home. The girl replied
that no such person lived there. Miss
Madelaine, then? The girl shook her
head. Its Mrs Forbes family lives
here, sir. she said. And she added, in
response to my startled inquiries, that
they had been in possession not much
over month.
| demanded to see Mr.. Forbes, who
turned out to be portly and respectable
British merchant; but he could give me
little available information. He had
only seen Mrs. Trench once: of Made
laine he knew nothing The negotiations
had been conducted through the house
agent. | obtained the address of the lat
ter, and returned to my hotel in very
unenviable frame of mind indeed. Be
ing Sunday, was forced to remain in
active. till the next day. / now felt sure
that Madelaine was dead But how did
she die? And why had Mrs. Trench,
who knew was coming home, left no
trace or clew for me to find her? 1t had
an ugly look
Next morning the fog still continued,
but was at the house agents Office al
most as soon as it opened. Here, too,
my investigations were far from. reas-
suring. The agent had never seen Mrs.
Trench at ALL A gentleman had called
on him and transacted the business on
Mrs. Trench's behalf. This gentleman
had not given his name, but was de-
scribed to me as a tall, slender person
age. with dark beard and eyegleszes
More he could not tell me-.
From the agency l drove to Mrs.
-rrranchss rllaeo of h11sineSS in I,ea1enf-,1l II
street | did not expect to find her
there, but / could scarcely fail to learn
her whereabouts. 70 my aStonlshlnent