The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-08
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARING
AND WHAT FOLLOWED UPON IT, IN THE END SOCIETY PASSED
 ITS VERDICT.

with the news just as 1 was sitting
 down to dinner. The old boy was clear
 ly out of his mind with excitement, and
 wouldn't stop for drink, what was
 worse, let me have one, but dragged
 me downstairs and bundled me into a
 cab
 The rest of the night was spent in
 driving about London to hunt up police
 agencies. Finally, at o'clock in the morning, we landed at his fiat in Earl g
 court, thoroughly dead beat.
 And the papers bristled with it. suppose it came as a godsend in the slack time for most of them gave a
 couple of columns.
 The journalists had done it thorough ly. They gave a highly decorated ac- count of Talbot's private career and an analysis of his character and dispcsl- ton. They did the same for his vanish ed wife, with precise account when and where she disappeared. Then they speculated as to the reason. Was it murder, robbery, suicide or an elope- ment?
 It seems that Talbot arranged to meet his wife at Waterloo at o'clock the previous afternoon, on her return from a country visit When the train came in the compartment in which she had traveled contained magazine With her initials inscribed on it. a novel, "So- ciety's Verdict a small handbag and an un1brella-but not Lady Dolly. Tal- bot had inquired of the guard. That intelligent functionary remembered the young lady quite well, but had not seen her get out "Then where the dickens is she?" roared Talbot. The guard look ed under the seat and referred him to the station master.
 After wiring in every direction with out getting any tidings except that she had certainly entered the train, Talbot concluded that she was the victim of foul play. There was no doubt that she had travelled alone and that she had her little jewel case with her. The jewel case was now missing, while all the ar ticles which were practically valueless were undisturbed. There was no sign of struggle. So Talbot drove down to my place, dragged me away from din- ner and then went to the police.
 q suppose there wasn't any little tiff or misunderstanding between you?' I asked suggestively.
 Mot bit of it,' he said heartily. "We were never so thoroughly united as we were last Thursday, when I saw her off Tn fact, old man, I don't mind telling you that it's only during the last month or two that we have begun to understand one another You haven't any idea what a good little woman Dolly is. On the surface she seems to be a trifle an-and-frivolous, but at heart, she's as true as steel. She wasn't very fond of me when we first married II admit it--but I'm certain it's all right now"
 T suppose there was no money trou- bles?" I said carelessly.
 Nothing more than usual" he said with faint smile. "As you know, my income is small, but I won't let her drop out of the set she has been used to, because don'4 think 1t would be wise, consequently it's bit of a pinch to keep afloat."
 I guessed as much.
 'But that hasn't anything to do with it. he said, warmly. That little wom- an has been decoyed and robbed, l on 1y hope no harm has come to her. By George! Cliff, I give you my word I'd sacrifice my life to save hers" I knew he meant it literally, and I was rather sorry to see him so much in earnest, for I believed that within the next few days he would have a nasty shock. "Why man. he went on, "at the very moment 1t happened she was reading my own novel"
 Your novel;" I said. What on earth do you mean? You don't mean to say that you have written a novel?'
 He blushed like schoolboy. "she made me do it." he said. "She said it was quicker way of getting on than waiting for briefs. But don't tell any body. ] have published it under an as- stunned name for fear it would damage 1 me, and, between ourselves, it's shock | Ing rot"
 A copy of "Society's Verdict was ly- | ing on the table, and I picked it up, feeling in a vague way that it had | to do with Lady Dolly's dis appearance. What is it all about?" I asked
 "Oh, don't aske me!'' he said bashful- ly 'It's nothing but sentimental twad- dle The usual business; you know-a woman who hovers on the brink of the 
 And what becomes of herr?
 ''Sl1e bolts-runs away from it all to escape temptation, and begins life again In an obscure country village"
 q suppose Lady Dolly suggested it, more or less?" asked.
 'We talked it over together" said Talbot T told her that if I wrote story it would be all about her, as she is the only woman I know anything about.''
 And Lady Dolly is practically the heroine" l suggested
 'The characteristics are the same, but the incidents are purely fictitious" he replied ,sulkily. But why do you ask r these absurd questions about rotten novel, when I'm nearly out of my mind with anxiety?"
 Because, you silly old juggns," I said, "don't you understand that what Is fiction to you is fact to Lady Dolly? She has dramatized you'd story in real disappeared Talbot raved at me for suggesting such 8 thing, but the coincidence was too striking to be disregarded In fact, two days later--no news of Lady Dolly { having been received in the meantime "a smart journalist, who had taken the trouble to look through the book, point ,d ont that her liSa ppea rA nee cDlnclu- |