The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-05-24
CHAPTER XVIII.
A Woman in the Case.

| ;5,S CHAPTER XVIII.
- A Woman in the Case.
Notwithstanding her discontinue
Lurline determined to hold q reception
The cards had already been Issued, ant
all the fashionable and aristocratic so
ciety which had virtually ignored hel
existence, were invited. She had man
aged to convey the impression that sh,
had received information regarding tn,
late John Ardsley, and public curiosity
was excited just enough to induce those
invited to accept. For John Ardsley'f
strange death had been topic of uni
versal interest, which the fact Of his
secret marriage to Lesley had increas.
ed tenfold. Everybody liked the young
man, and so, at length, nearly all had
decided to attend the grand reception
at Chadwicke Hall, after which it was
generally agreed to drop its very name
from the visiting lists as long as Lur-
line should be its mistress.
The night of the reception arrived.
The mansion was blaze of light and
beauty. Strains of sweet music float
ed through the sumptuous rooms and
the house was filled with rare flowers.
The guests were exquisitely attired.
but freezingly cold and polite to de-
gree quite arctic.
Mrs. Chadwicke herself was dressed
IN lovely robe Of white lace, like
frostwork, and glittering with dia-
monds. There was no woman present
SO beautiful.
The guests gathered in the great
drawing-room, and waited with ill-con-
cealed Impotence for their hostess to
introduce the subject of John Ardsley.
The time came at last.
She stood in the very center of the
room-a picture never to be forgotten.
She raised her beautiful, pansy-blue
eyes with strange smile, and said
slowly and distinctly:
Il feel that 1t is my duty to expose,
as far as am able, the true character
of this man who has been lately taken
from our midst; for there are those
foolish enough to mourn him, but who
would soon dry their tears had they
known bis real character"
For shame, to speak against the
dead!" cried an indignant voice.
Mrs. Chadwicke turned in the direc-
ton Of the speaker.
True" she returned gently, land no
one regrets more than l the truth of
this matter. But this man Ardsley
was an impostor, living here under an
assumed name. He had no right to
the name he bore. l have paper
tlere"-and she raised one pearly hand
which held folded paper-"which will
prove the truth of my assertion, and
make Miss Dinsmore repent her i'm
prudent folly to the end of her days,
for this paper will bear me out in my
assertion that his real name was Guy
Raleigh of Herefordshire, England,
and"
LET me see that paper, If you please,
Mrs. Chadwicke," said voice at her
side, and Lawyer Greyson suddenly
appeared.
The woman grew pale and started,
but she had no other resource but to
obey. He glanced the paper over, then
placed it in his pocket.
Il am under obligations, madam"
the old lawyer observed, blandly. This
paper Is the missing link, which I
have long sought, in the chain Of EVIL
dence. 1t is quite sufficient, together
with the other proof in my possession
(among which are three letters from
one Lurline st. Cyr to Viva Dudley,
quite enough, ! repeat, to prove Guy
Raleigh as the long-lost heir to the
Chadwicke estate, the position usurped
by yourself. And since Guy Raleigh
and John Ardsley are one and the
same person, l advise you, Mrs. Chad
wicke. to step down and out at once
and forever, for"
He turned, and her eyes followed his,
and staring vacantly before her, grew
black as night with passion, horror,
desperation; for there, emerging from
a side room, was John Ardsley him
self, with Lesley-pale, but, oh, so hap
py!-leaning on his arm.
Ladies and gentlemen" cried Grey
sons ringing voice, "the game is play
ed out. Our hostess desired to treat
you all to a surprise tonight, but I
conclude that my little surprise will
'out-Herod Herod.' You all see that
John Ardsley is not dead, although our
charming friend, Mrs. Chadwicke here,
tried hard enough to put him out Of
the way. She recognized him, knew
who he was, and also that he was
aware Of her own miserable past,
which he had threatened to expose;
80 she hired two HUMANS, tools of hers.
to abduct the young man, keep him a
prisoner until she could devise some
diabolcal plan to remove him forever.
The villains succeeded in carrying him
off, and locked him up in an old cabin
two or three miles away IN the woods;
but one Of the men. on his way back
to report to Mrs. Chadwicke, IN the
darkness of the night, and being a
stranger in the place, fell into the riv-
err and was drowned. He had stolen
Mr.. Ardsleys ring Gan heirloom, by
the way, in the Chadwick family,
and as he slightly resembed Ardsley
In personal appearance, and happened
to have worn suit of clothes just like
his, also, 1t was no wonder that the
mistake was made, and the wrong man
buried, for John Ardsey.
But the detective who was search
ing for Mr.. Ardsley found in the pOck-