The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-08-24

| TN
4 "Where the devil did qJou come from9t
calculated Nora.
answered your question. 1 came to
Boston to be present at your wedding.
Do you object to my being witness?"
"You seem to know good deal about
my AFFAIRS" snarled Mora. eff am
! to be married, as you say, perhaps you
could enlighten me as to the identity
of the bride?'
you will be fully enlightened in due
time, but first there are some matters
to be set straight. Let me see. You
expect Perdita Van Cortlandt to ar
rive by the noon train from New York,
I do you not?"
Although Mora should have been pre-
pared by what he had already heard,
he was staggered by these words,
which proved that all of his plans
were known to this man.
''How did you guess that?" he STAN
mered.
ooh, never guess! It's a bad habit,
common with detectives. am not one,
| though you have perhaps COMPOUNDED
me with the class because you met me
with one. No; l never act by guess
| work. 1t is knowledge with me al
ways, accurate knowledge"
cit was impossible for you to ac-
| quire this knowledge. No one knew
my plans except myself and-and the
lady,"
And she did not betray you. Yet
the seemingly impossible often hap
pens By accident was at Mrs. Van
Cortlandt's house yesterday. Only a
pair of portieres separated us when
you made the appointment with Per.
dita. So, you see, it was very simple"
"You contemplate eavesdropper!'
II regretted my position very much.
would have preferred to walk into
the room and disclose the fact of my
presence to you. Once l was tempted
to do SO, but refrained because did
not wish to do you bodily harm, as I
certainly should have done had con-
fronted you at that moment
"You are insolent. But I have no
more time. Since you know that the
lady is coming you will pardon my go
I ing to meet her. She is stranger in
! Boston, and the streets here are tortu-
| BUS, as you are aware"
Eyes, quite so, but you need not CO.,
/ "What do you mean?"
"Perdita is not coming to Boston"
"You are mistaken. know that she
Is. In fact, l am positive of it,"
"Well, one never should be too sure
Of anything in this world. Now, hap
pened to make call at her house last
] night, and when l was leaving Perdita
intrusted me with telegram which
she wished me to send"
"a telegram"
eyes. 1t was very short-in fact, on
~ two words, Bon voyagev-and it
was addressed to you.'
Course you, why did you not send it
to me? 1t would have
sit would have prevented you from
coming to Boston! just so! That is
| why / did not send it to you.''
Mora glared fercely at Mr.. Mitchell
for a moment and then suddenly be.
came calm again.
bah! You can't bluff me. You
overheard that part of our converse
ton also. That is how you know the
signal agreed upon in the event of her
deciding not to follow me-"
II did not send the dispatch last
night for the reason which have Civ
en-, but now that you are in Boston /
do not object to delivering the original
Perhaps you may recognize the lady's
chirography. Here it isl
He handed the paper to him, and
Mora took it neryously. He saw at a
glance that it was genuine and was
for an instant overcome by his disap
pointment Then he controlled him
self again, and, speaking as coolly as
did Mr.. Mitchell himself, he said:
Every well. Perhaps now you will
allow me once more to ask you, why
you have come here"
"Once more reply to be present al
your wedding"
Mora was puzzled by this reiteration
and contracted his brow in thought
Then new idea occurred to him:
do you mean that-that Perdita has
come, after all?"
No; do not mean that. am moi
alluding to Perdita when 1 speak OF
your marriage
'sIhen, in the name of all that is won.
derful, who is this mysterious woman
who is to be my wife?"
"Lilian Vale!'
Gillian Vale" cried Mora, recoiling.
Gillian Vale! You are mad" :,
mo, Mr.. Mora. l am perfectly sane
came to Boston to be present when
you marry Lillian Vale!'
"Not it know myself!n
"Ah, but perhaps you do not know
yourself! Few men do. Listen to me
Mora! 1t is absolutely necessary that
you marry this girl
/ "But why? Why should marry
her? She is nothing but little variety
actress. W'hy she is