Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-11-19

vention for telegraphy. You wish NJ
expense spared?"
up to a few hundred, you know.
Ralph replied.
Very good. Then I will be OF t
the city Immediately. If Mr.. Fergu
sen has any virtues and any faiIings
shall certainly hear of them there
ITO the extent of the few hundreds
you can afford to expend in the matter
Mr.. Ruyton, said the detective.
In these words there seemed to
Ralph, after the expiration of a week,
no encouragement.
Mr.. Porter had absolutely nothing
to tell him in derogation of Mr.. Fer
guson's pocket, which had perhaps
naturally appeared his only assailable
side
I wish, sir" said the detective,
that my credit was as good as this
Australian gentleman's Folks
smack their lips when they speak of
him.
Whereat Ralph groaned.
Eve may as we'll stop, then" he
murmured.
You just leave it with me-" he said
We've not done with him yet. I'll
tell you soon enough when it's a hope
less case
And so Ralph went his way with a
shoulder shrug, and made all manner
of foolish mistakes at the office, for
the nearer Maimie's wedding day ap-
preached the less he was able to live
like the promising young man he had
! been accounted-before Donald Fer
| gusen came on the scene.
| The last week arrived.
The impending marriage had been
mentioned in the papers, and Maimie's
wedding gown had been described in
two or three Of the ladies' weeklies.
Ralph's own particular chums, who
knew how hard he was hit, had done
their best with him-and failed. They
could not convince him that there
were as good fish left in the North sea
as any that reached Grmsby market.
Neither could they persuade him that
Mamie Wrottesley was a heartlesS
mink and worth no true mans adora-
ton.
Meantime Mr.. Porter had not been
accessible
Ralph had called twice and had not
seen him. He had written and received
10 answer.
The truth was that his client irritat-
ed the good detective, who preferred
not to see Ralph until he had hit what
he was aiming at, or was positive he
never could hit it. Mr.. Porter was, in
fact, mot at home" to Ralph Ruyton.
This, if Ralph could have known it,
would have been yet one more of those
pleasant arrows which the fates just
then took delight in shooting al him.
AS it was, he thought comparatively
little about the detective, and all about
Mamie
He had seen her and the Coolgardie
man driving together with Mrs. Wrot-
tesley) in the row, and he had seen
them together in a Bond street shop.
If he could judge by Maimie's face she
was prodigiously happy. And he did
so judge.
Mrs. WrOttesley was wiser She
knew better. Now that the marriage
was only three days distant this astute
lady felt sure nothing could keep her
from being the mother-in-law to
millionaire But instinct told her so
much that was in her daughters mind
that she longed intensely for the quick
and safe transit of these last three
days
Needless anxiety, you would have
thought, if you could have seen the
marriage ceremony, which was duly
celebrated with all the pomp exacted
of the rich by Dame Fashion. There
was not hitch anywhere. True
Mamie was very pale, and once held
her hand to her heart. But other
brides did the same thing, and we're
not whit less happy for it as wives
Then came the breakfast, and soon
afterward Mr.. and Mrs. Ferguson were
carried north
Mamie hankered after the lakes for
honeymoon, said her mamma, and so
Mr.. Ferguson had engaged rooms at a
Windermere hotel.
Matters had got thus far, indeed, ere
Mr.. Porter obtruded himself upon the
unhappy Ralph. The latter was at the
Office, after an Intellectual luncheon,
who the detective appeared.
''Well, Mr.. Por-" Ralph was begin
ing, with great irony, when the other
stopped him.
There's no time for talk, sir" he
exclaimed. Come with me at once"
'FBut do you know"
81 know everything. That confound-
ed ship only came in at II o'clock this
morning, and I couldn't trust my docu-
ments until then. I've thought it best
to charter a special for us ALL
The detective spoke with JUNCTION. He
enjoyed his clients surprise i'm
measurably.
'1'll explain it as we go along in the
hansom,'' he added "The others are
already at Euston."
1t was Ralph's turn to feel faint.
However, Mr.. Porter's subsequent
words were better for him than sal
volatile
There was another woman in the
case," ran Porter's tale 81 learned
that from Melbourne man who knew
/ the parties He vowed Ferguson was
married to her eight years ago. That
was what he had to establish, and it's
taken some doing, I can tell you, in
IL