Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-07-06

same time attend faithfully to his du-
ties at the university, and The conse-
uuence was that his studies were
neglected, his absence from lectures and
clinics became the occasion OF frequent
rer-oofs from the faculty, and in time
the report of his delinquencies reached
Mrs. Dunkirk's ears.
s.Of course she demonstrated with
Hamilton, and he generally answered
her reproaches with angry defiance.
These scenes, however, always ended in
a reconciliation, with promises of fu-
ture good behavior on his part, and a
resolution on hers to give him one more
trial. Thus affairs ran on until at last,
without any warning, the catastrophe
came.
''Mrs. Dunkirk had at the very be-
ginning of her compact with Hamilton
exacted from him a solemn promise
that he would not marry until he had
obtained his diploma and established
himself in practice. Unfortunately for
this promise, chance threw him into
the society of young lady who was
neither wealthy nor highly connected,
but whose wonderful beauty, combined
with her sweetness and intelligence,
took his heart by storm.
eve shall be obliged to imagine all
the details OF this little romance, since
only the merest outlines of it are on
record. His wooing prospered, and
within few months the lady became
his bride. He contrived to conceal the
fact of his marriage from his sister for
several weeks, continuing to reside
under her roof and devoting himself to
the university with a zeal that he had
never before exhibited; and Mrs. Dun
kirk, delighted at what she considered
the first real evidence of reformation,
looked on with kind approval and en-
enlargement. 1t was in the full tide of
her satisfaction with his course that
some one brought her the astounding
intelligence of his marriage.
''You can perhaps imagine the Sc
quel. think she might in time have
pardoned him if he had not deceived
her SO unscrupulously; but that was an
offense beyond all forgiveness. After a
stormy scene, with biting reproaches
On her part and scornful defiance on
his, they parted forever. He took his
wife away from New York within a
week; and Mrs. Dunkirk never looked
upon his face again"
"a sad story" commented North, as
Mrs. Maynard paused here. ''It seems
strange that he should have passed SO
entirely from the knowledge of all his
friends. How long did he live after he
left New York;"
''It was just two years later, be-
lieve, that the papers contained meager
accounts of his tragical death in Balti-
more"
North g-avely assented. The brief
outline of this history that he had re-
ceived from Hunter and Ketchum had
not embraced any particulars of Hamil-
ton Dupont's tragical death; but he
deemed it best not to pursue his in
quiries on that point. After little
musing silence Mrs. Maynard volun-
tecred some additional information.
''His wife, poor girl, died soon after.
broken-hearted. l have been told that
the papers made quite pathetic ro-
nance out of the materials thus fur
nished, and there was a great deal of
sentimental pity expressed for the poor
little Annie, who was thus cast upon
the cold charities of the world. But
the interest in the matter soon died out;
it was only the sensation of few days,
and it gave place to later and more ex.
citing events. Thus the fate of Annie
Dupont became shrouded in mystery.
The chances are, however, that the
poor child died long ago-perhaps in
infancy
''And was this mere newspaper story
the only intimation Mrs. Dunkirk ever
received that she had such a relative as
Annie Dupont?"
ut was positively the only founda-
ton for that belief; yet she was willing
and eager to credit it. The fancy used
to recur to her mind continually, with
out anything at all to justify it. She
alternated between the doubt and the
belief"
"a very mysterious case" commented
North, with perplexed frown. 'And
now let me inquire, Mrs. Maynard, had
DR.. Dunkirk any near relatives?"
=. Not in this country. His family,
you know, were English"
Had he any property?"
s'None whatever"
''Then all this great wealth of Mrs.
Dunkirk's was inherited from her
father?''
Entirely from him."
1.-THE heirs, if any there be, must all
be on the Dupont side?"
$50 imagine"
''There are no heirs on that side?'
"None."
s'Unless Annie Dupont is discov.
ered?"
''How soon after Hamilton Dupont's
death did Mrs. Dunkirl1 commence her
search for Annie?"
''It must have been at least ten years
before she made any effort to trace the
child"
''She did not advertise nor resort to
any very public measures?''
1.-The search was conducted in a very
quiet way, though she spent great
deal of money and employed the most
skillful detectives"
Sand all to no purpose?"
"No trace of the child was ever dis
covered"
FINALLY, Mrs. Dunkirk herself be-
came convinced that there was no such
person in existence?'