Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-03-08
CHAPTER xxII1.
Madge'. Postscript.

Madge's Postscript.
My husband insists upon my writing
the concluding lines to his account of
the Arnewood mystery. 1 cannot quite
make out why, but fancy he still
thinks treated him rather badly when
my poor brother Tom was in that aw
full scrape, and wants me to admit that
he was not to blame after all. And.
really, as things turned out, I'm afraid
was too hasty in saddling him with
the responsibility for Toms disappear
ance.
But how could I, a mere country girl
down in Dorset, imagine that Tom
would alter so greatly for the worse in
so short a time? 1t just shows what a
dreadful place London really is for
young man, without a home and Il wife
to look after him. Well, of course. we
were all oyerioyed at home when
Ralph sent us Tor rather mel the glad
news that Tom was alive and well.
though l must confess my JOY all VAN
ished when, after hulrying up to Lon
don, found that he was in prison and
almost insane. He knew she at once.
though, poor. dear fellow, when they
took me to his cell. and Ralph said it
was a sure sign his intellect was re-
turning
Ralph told me all about the great
,ase which half-filled the newspapers.
and that everyone was talking about.
and l couldn't help feeling very proud
of the part he played in it. Indeed af-
ter listening to his praises as sung by
Mr.. Hawkins and an inspector named
Trail (such a nice man l thought himN
7 TO -1,of ht,
condescend to take any further notice
of an ordinary little girl like me. But,
to do him Justice, Ralph was not the
least bit conceited about his work. and
he told me he only valued the success
because it brought him nearer to me.
After that, what could / say?
Then he pressed me and worried me
until l had consented to marry him as
soon as ever Tom should be set at lib
erty That was on February 18th. by
order of the Home Secretary: and we
were married upon st. Valentines Day.
Papa being too intirm to travel, Tom
gave me away, and seemed to under
stand quite well what he was doing.
Inspector Trail was best man. and
Mr.. Hawkins insisted upon providing
the wedding breakfast. He gave me
quite lot of wedding presents, but
his gift to Ralph was best of all. 1t
was deed of partnership in the firm.
which has ever since been known as
Hawkins. Weston s. Co.
We had to curtail our honeymoon on
account of the trial, which Ralph had.
of course, to attend. He got me seat
in court on the last day. and l could
not help crying when the judge passed
sentence. OF course, he was a very
wicked man, Mr.. Blake, but he looked
so handsome, with his pale, aristocrat-
ic face and lovely white teeth, that it
really seemed Il pity to hang him. And,
as everyone knows, he escaped the gal
lows after all, by poisoning himself.
We often receive a visit from Mr..
Dirk Nanston. who now owns a gynl-
nasium near Sloane Street. The claim
of his protege to the ArneWcod estates
is in Il fair way to be established, and
the doctors seem hopeful of his recov-
cry in course of time, from the strange
loss of memory that followed his fall
down the shaft in Queensland. He is,
in other respects, almost if not quite
as sensible as most other people; and
he simply worships his friend Mr..
Eanston.
Tom is living at home, absolute quiet
beng the cOndltlOn most urgently IN
sisted on in his case. He is a rigid
teetotaler, and has a harmless fad for
writing stories in which Ralph always
figures as the greatest detective of the
age.
Mr.. O'Brien sent us two beautiful cy.
cles as wedding presents from himself
and his partner, while Mr.. O'Flynn Sc
riously compromised himself in my
eyes by forwarding Ralph a six-gallon
keg of Irish whisky.
What can add except that I am
very, very happy in our villa in Abbey
Road, and that am conceited enough
to believe that there is not a more con-
tented husband in England than Ralph.
The little woman is quite right. She
always is.-R. w.
The End.