The Portland daily press., 1898-04-21
Z WILLIAM LIE QUEUX.

81 have no desire to know how Its dis
covery affected you mentally" he inter-
rupted with impatient sarcasm. 81 asked
where you found it, he observed coldly.
81 found it in my own house, / ans
wered.
"Then you mean to tell me that it has
been in your possession the whole time
The things impossible he cried angri-
ly. Remember the dummy palmed off
upon me, and the fact that an exact copy
was transmitted to Petersburg"
No. 1t has not been in my possess
writing chair for support. I'll found it
among my wife's possessions.
Your wifel" he gasped, agitated. He
had turned CHASTITY pale at mention of
her name, and trembling with agitation
swayed forward.
his self possession, clutched at the corner
of his table, and regarding me sharply,
asked: what do you suspectf'
81 scarcely know what to suspect,o
answered, gravely, striving to remain
calm, but remembering at that instant
the curious effect produced upon the For
eign Minister when he had first seen Ella
dancing at the Embassy Ball. My decla-
ration that had found this official bond
of nations in her possession had produced
similar disquieting result which puzzled
me.
"But surely she can have had no hand
in the affair."" he cried. "She certainly
did not strike me as an adventures, or
an agent of the Cars secret SERVICE
SIS is problem that cannot solve,''
| exclaimed, slowly, watching the strange
haggard look upon his usually imperturb-
able features. AFTER leaving you this
evening I went home only to find letter
of farewell from her, and
She has fled then" he exclaimed with
quick suspicion.
Eyes. Her fight was evidently pre- ar
ranged, and curiously enough her moth
er, who lives in Point Street, has dis
charged her servants, disposed of a good
deal of her property, and also departed.
''Gone together, no doubt" the Earl
observed, frowning refiectively.
But is it not very strange that she
should have left the stolen convention be-
hind? Surely If my wife were actually
Russian agent she would never have
been guilty of such indiscretion, said.
"The mystery is inexplicable, Deedes,"
he declared. with a heavy look, half of
pain, half Of bewilderment. Absolutely
inexplioable
This aged man. to whose frmness,
clever craftsmanship, and calm foresight
England owed her place as foremost
among the Powers, was trembling with
an excitement he strove in vain to sup
press. In manner that surprised me, his
cold cynical face relaxed, and placing his
thin, bony hand upon my shoulder with
fatherly tenderness, Her Majesty's most
trusted Minister urged me to confde in
him all my suspicions and my fears.
You have, believe, after ALL been
cruelty wronged, Deedes," he added in a
low, harsh tone. II sympathize with you
because I myself once felt the loss of a
wife deeply, and know what feelings
must be yours now that you suspect the
woman you have trusted and loved to
have been guilty of base treachery and
espionage. She, or someone in sssocia-
ttion with her, has besmirched England's
honor. and brought US to the very verge
of a terrible national disaster. Providen-
TALLY, this was averted; by what means
we have not yet ascertained, although our
diplomatic agents at the Court of the
Gear are striving day and night to ascer-
tain; yet the fact remains that we were
victimized by some daring secret agent
who sacrificed everything in order to ac-
complish the master-stroke of espionage.
can but re-echo the thanks to Heaven
uttered by my gracious Sovereign when
she received news that war had been
averted, nevertheless it is my duty-nay
it is yours, Decides, to strive on without
resting, in order that this mystery may
be satisfactorily uuravelled..
For moment we were silent. Then
in voice that felt painfully conscious
was broken by grief and emotion, re-
lated to him the whole of the wretcned
story Of my marriage, my suspicious, the
discovery of Ella in Kensington Gardens,
how had taxed her with Irritation and
frivolity, our peacemaking, and her sud-
den and unexpected fight.
He heard me through to the end with
bent head, signing now and then sympa-
thetically. Then he slowly asked:
''Did you ever refer to those earlier in
cidents, such as the death OF that young
man OgleP Remember, whatever you tell
me shall regard as strictly confidential. -
Il seldom mentioned it, as she desired
me not to do so.,
when you referred to it, what was
her attitude?'' he inquired, in panied
tone the burrows on his high white brow
deep and clearly defined.
"She declared always that he had been
murdered, and vowed to detect the au-
thor of the crime ~
"Are you, in your own mind, con-
WINGED that there was anything really
mysterious regarding her actions; or were
they only everyday facts distorted by
jealousy" he asked gravely.
There is, believe, some deep mystery
regarding her past" answered..
He knit his grey shaggy brows. and
started perceptibly.
Her pastl' he echoed. Were you
aware of any-er-unpleasant fact prior
to marriageP' he inquired, quickly.
Yes. She promised to explain every
thing ere long; therefore, loving her de-
votedly as I did, 1 resolved to make her
my wife and await in patience her expla-
nation
"Lovel" he cried, cynically. "She did
not love you. She only married you, it
seems. to accomplish her own base and
mysterious ends" Then pacing the room
from end to end, he added, "The more
reflect, the more apparent does it become
that Ella Lalng meant, by becoming your
wife. to accomplish some great coup, but.
prevented by some unforeseen circum-
stance, she has been compelled to fly, and
in her haste overlooked this incrimins-
ting paper
This. too, was my own opinion, and
taking from my pocekt the whole of the
letters that were in the escritoire, placed
them before him.
"They are from your wife's mysterious
lover, he observed, when few moments
later he had digested them. ''Who he is
there is no evidence to show. You sus-
pect him, of course, to be the man she
met in Kensington Gardens?"
| nodded. A sigh escaped me.
Well,," he went ON. "Leave them
with me. A caligraphic expert may pos
81 blY find soma cline to the idautitv Of