The Red Cloud chief., 1893-08-11
az i NNvNMs0 Saa. ~ sewvwDO COY
XI.-CoNrISuED.

CHAPTER XI.-CoSTISCED.
What sort Of II foul ficnd do you take
me for, Lorimcr? When you asked me
IL ! had ever beer married l quailed,
because my married life was such n
miserable failure. | tumblcd into owe
with a beautiful but absolutely heart
less woman within three months after
leaving home. | had about n thousand
dollars then from the sale of my riding
horses. We got along smoothly enough
while that lasted. When it was all
gonc-whcn-bah! there's no necessity
for washing ones soilcd linen in public
Il went off To look for work. | wrote
back regularly enough. But-wcll, I
got back here about II year ago. heard
my wife had gonc to Europe, traced
her as far as the steamcr-no farther.
Up to the moment you showed me that
letter of Ida's | had been unable to dis
cover the whereabouts Of my little girl.
That vas what l was staying here for"
And Johns wifc?"
Must have been Amclia's sister.
There was a Nora Hemway. l received
one letter from Amelia after my
departure, in which she told me
she had taken steps to have our
marriage set aside on the ground Of de-
sertion. She was willful and passionate,
and my failure to support her gave her
ample opportunity, under our lax laws,
of accomplishing her end. Thank God,
my little Ninctte is safe" He broke
off pctulantly:
What are you looking ut me that
way for, Lorimer? Have l said any
thing particular nauseous? l never
posed for a saint"
Dennis answered him abscntly. "Did
you not say that her sisters name was
Nora lIcmway?"
ibid"
"TIavc you followed the papers on the
Norcross affair, Fairbanks?'
II have not"
Lorimcr called n waiter and ordered
the weeks file of papers brought. Both
men were silent while waiting for its
coming. Dennis was idly clipping the
edges Of the wax impression on Ida
Fairbanks envelope.
Fairbanks, rs idly watching the opcr-
alton, said, by way Of breaking an in
eomprehensibly awkward pause:
Il see Ida still makes use of the old
seal. What III old-fashioned girl she isl
rs this the Fairbanks scalp Dennis
asked, duly. II could not make any
thing out Of il but a short-leggcd bird.
] supposed il was n woman's fancy"
ut is n martlct. In hcraldry it de-
fines the position Of its owner as a
younger son. They must take their
flights on clipped wings, climb on short
legs. Fathers forefather was a younger
son. Yes, it is the old family seal. The
men of the family all have used it,"
The file of newspapers was placed be-
fore them just then, and Dennis Lori
mer began Tutoring the unwicldy
leaves with nervous haste.
Read that" he said, CURLY, putting
his finger on n paragraph and pushing
it towards his companion.
The chief of detectives confcsScs
himself absolutely bafllcd in every eff
fort at ~unravcling the Norcross affair.
The last clow has failed them. The
woman who was admitted to the house
by the butler that Friday afternoon
turns out To have been a sister of Mrs.
Amelia Norcross', and fondly devoted
to her. Her name has not been re-
vealcd, but the butler says she wrote
the one word Nora on the card she sent
in tn his mistress on that fatal after
noon. This cXplodcs the theory Of her
possible guilt"
There might have been a thousand
Noras calling on their sisters that Fri
day" said Sibley Fairbanks, crushing
the file of papers savagcly between his
strong hands. 'But it opens up a
CHASTITY possibility" After a long pause:
'Lorimcr."
"Well?"
''If it is soft that is the end-thcn
may God be mcrciful to us all.'
"And bring the truth To light" Dem
mis- added, in n solemn undcrtonc, gaz-
ing tixedly at his companion.