The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-22
sY WILLIAM LIE QUEUX,
1897, BY WILLIAM LIE QUEUX.

We stood watching the dark swirling
waters and enjoying the cool night breeze
that swept along the river causing the
lamps to flicker, when he suddenly
asked:
''How is Ella? I quite forgot to ask
after your wife. "
81 do not KNOW" I replied, after a
brief pause.
Don't knows"he echoed, looking at me,
puzzled. why, what's the NATTER"
'tShe has left me-" answered gravely.
left youf' he cried, removing his
cigar and staring at me. "Have you
quarreledT"
"No. On my return home one night
in January found a note of farewell
from her. have heard nothing of her
since. Mrs. Laing disappeareds the same
day. -,
nouncement had caused him the greatest
agape. "Have you no idea of the reason?"
tNone, whatever" replied. Then
confidentially, I told him of ELIAS
mysterious Absences. her walk : in
Kensington Gardens, and her letters from
the unknown individual who had met
her SO frequently, emitting however, all
mention either of the theft or recovery of
the secret convention, for it was Lord
Warnham's wish that I should keep the
existence of that instrument a profound
secret.
'sHave you no idea who this strange
fellow is?' he inquired, sympathetically.
Not the slightest" / said.
ELLA was not addicted to firtation,'
he observed refectively, q few moments
quainted with the family for some years,
and have known your wife ever since she
could toddle.
"Tell me of them, II urged impatiently.
g scarcely know anything beyond what
Ella and her mother have told me. What
do you know of ELIAS past?''
"You speak as If you suspected her to
be an adventures, he said, and as the
lamplight fell upon his face saw that
his lips relaxed into good humored
smile. Gas far as am aware there is no
incident of her life prior to marriage that
will not bear the fullest INVESTIGATION; and
as for her mother, no more Straightfor-
ward or upright woman ever lived
Before poor Robert Laing died 1 was a
frequent visitor at their country house.
SO had ample opportunity of noticing
what an affectionate family they were;
and after his death it was who succeed
ed in turning his great business into
limited liability concern"
To outsiders Beck was staggering
parvenu. who delighted in exhibiting his
wealth to others by giving expensive
dinners and INDUCING in extravagances
Of speech and beverage; but toward me
he had always been honestly outspoken
and unassuming- in fact, typical sue
cessful business man, with whose unrff1ued
good humour I had, even when l had
been madly jealous of his attentions to
Ella, found it impossible to quarrel. 1
had long ago grown to ridicule the sug-
gestion that a secret had existed between
them, and now felt instinctly that he was
INV friapd
"Do you think" I asked him, after
long pause. "Candidly speaking, have
you any suspicion that Dudley Ogle was
her lover2''
He knit his brows. For an instant a
hard expression played about his mouth,
and he drew long breath.
81 didn't, of course, know 50 much of
Dudley as you did," he answered, slowly
contemplating the end of his cigar. "But
to tell you the honest truth I ALWAYS s,ls-
pected that he loved her. in fact, her own
evidence at the inquest was sufficient
proof OF that -. -.
His death was an enigma 1 Oh.
served.
Entirely so,' he acquiesced, signing.
She alleged that he had been murdered,
and there is no room for doubt that she
entertained certain very grave suspic-
ions.'
"Of what?" $500" -. A-#s' ..-
Z "Of the identity of the murderer. - I
said. She declared to me, times with
until She had unravelled the mystery"
'H er theory was very wild one," be
laughed. Personally, do not entertain
ii for one moment. The medical Opinion
that he died from sudden but natural
cause is undoubtedly correct he said,
replacing his cigar between his lips as,
slowly striking vesta, he relit it. Then
ha ndd 70,
ley's death certainly seems to bear out
your suspicion that they were lovers.''
''Then you entirely agree with me,'' 1
cried
In a measure only" he answered, his
voice suddenly harsh and cold. 81 have
no suspicion that she ever reciprocated
his affection, although in seeking to learn
the truth Of your friends tragic end she
must have had some very strong motive"
Another fact l also discovered was
tribe curious" l observed after we had
strolled along the deserted terrace from
end to end, discussing the details of Dud-
iey.s death and the manner in which it
had affected her.
"What was it," he inquired, glancing
towards me.
II found that she was in the habit of
visiting every day pretty Russian girl
with whom I was acquainted"
Before marriage2' he asked, raising
his eyebrows meaningly.
Yes" I answered. "She was a refugee
and l had been enabled to render her
father a service some time before, there
fore, we had become friends. I had lost
sight of her for some time, and when 1
again met her discovered that she had
not only been an intimate friend of poor
Dudley, but that Ella visited her fire.
quently on her bicycle when she was sup
posed by her mother to be riding in the
Park"
"Was there anything remarkable in
that factf' he inquired, with half
amused air, nevertheless regarding me
with undue keenness, l thought.
y Nothing, except that the little Rus
sian, who, having lost her father, was
living a lonely life in "a Their large
house In Kensington, warned me against
Ella, telling me she was my enemy. Sho,
however, left without fulfilling her prom
ise to reveal the details.''
Your enemy!'' he cried, laughing
loosely. "She was evidently jealous of
your attentions to her, my boy. A Rus
sian, tool She was Nikilists I sup
pose. or some Interestingly romantic per-
son OF that sort Ell! Surely you didn't
heed what she said, did your"
"Of course mott 1 replied, with a