Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-02-23


because my married life was such a
miserable failure. tumbled into love
with beautiful but absolutely heart
less woman within three months after
leaving home. had about thousand
dollars then from the sale of my riding
horses. We got along smoothly enough
while that lasted When it was all
gonc-when-bah! there's no necessity
for washing ones soiled linen i'm public
Il went off to look for work. wrote
back regularly enough. But-well.
got back here about a year ago, heard
my wife had gone To Europe, traced
her as far as the steamer-no farther
Up 10 the moment you showed me that
letter of Ida's had been unable u dis
cover the whereabouts of my little girl.
That was what ! was staying here for. "
"And Johns wife?"
Must have been Amelia's sister
There was Nora Hemway. ! 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 Ninette is safe" He broke
off petulantly:
What are you looking at me that
way for, Lorimer? Have ! said any
thing particular nauseous? never
posed for saint"
Dennis answered him absently. ibid
you not say that her sisters name was
Nora Hemway9"
IL did"
Have you followed the papers on the
Norcross affair, Fairbanks?"
81 have not"
Lorimer called 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, as idly watching the oper-
alton, said, by way of breaking an in
comprehensibly awkward pause:
II see Ida still makes use of the old
seal. What an old-fashioned girl she isl"
''Is this the Fairbanks scalp" Dennis
asked, duly. 81 could not make any
thing out of it but short-legged bird.
/ supposed it was a woman's fancy"
1T is martlet. In heraldry 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 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 fluttering the unwieldy
leaves with nervous haste.
Read that" he said, CURLY, putting
his finger on a paragraph and pushing
it towards his companion.
The chief of detectives confesses
himself absolutely baffied in every eff
fort at unraveling the Norcross affair
The last clew has failed them The
woman who was admitted to the house
by the butler that Friday afternoon
turns out TO have been sister of Mrs.
Amelia Norcross and fondly devoted
TO her. Her name has not been re-
vealed, but the butler says she wrote
the one word Nora on the card she sent
in to his mistress on that fatal after
noon This explodes 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 savagely between his
strong hands. But it opens up a
CHASTITY possibility" After long pause:
"Lorimerr'
"Well?"
If il is soft that is the end-then
may God be merciful to us ALL"
And bring the truth to light" Den
mis- added. in a solemn undertone. gaz-
ing fixedly at his companion.