The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1901-11-29
CHAPTER XXI.

f'3Es
CHAPTER XXI.
One Of my first proceedings, after my
return. was to ascertain how the Eng
lish law stood with regard to Olivlas
position. Fortunately for me, one OF Dr.
Seniors Oldest friends was lawyer %
great repute, and he discussed the ques-
tion with me after dinner at his house
at Fulham.
sThere seems to be no proof Of any kind
against the husband" he said, after
had told him all.
"Whyw | exclaimed, there you have
girl, brought up in luxury and wealth,
willing to brave any poverty rather than
continue to live with him."
"A girls whim," he said.
"Then Foster could compel her. TO re-
turn to him." | asked.
"As far as | see into the case. he GER
tainly could was the answer. which
drove me frantic.
'But there is this second marriage" !
objected.
..There lies the kernel Of the case" he
said. s'You tell me there are papers,
which you believe to be forgeries, pur-
porting to be the medical certificate with
corroborative proof of her death Now,
IL the wife be guilty of framing these,
the husband will bring them against her
as the grounds on which he felt free TO
contract his second marriage. She has
done very foolish and very wicked
| thing there"
"You think she did it?'' asked.
He smiled Significantly, but without
saying anything.
"But what can be done now?" asked,
"All you can dc" he answered, is to
| establish your influence over this fellow
and 90 cautiously to work with him. As
| long as the lady Is in France, II she be
alive, and he is too III to go after her, she
| Is safe. You may convince him by de-
| grees that 1t is to his interest to come to
some terms with her. A formal deed OF
separation might be agreed upon, and
drawn up; but even that will not perfect
" secure her in the future"
| | was compelled to remain satisfied
| with this opinion. Yet how could be
satisfied, whilst Olivia, IL she was still
living. was wandering about homeless,
| and, as | feared, destitute, in a foreign
country
| made my first call upon Foster the
| next evening. Mrs. Foster had been to
Brook street every day since her re-
! turn, to inquire for me, and to leave an
urgent message that / should 60 to Bell
ringer street as soon as | was again IN
town. The lodging house looked almost
as wretched as the forsaken dwelling
down at Noireau, where Olivia had per
hans been living; aud the sitting, musty
air inside it almost made me gasp fol
breath.
| $50 you are come backw was Fosters
greeting, as / entered the dingy room.
s'Yes," replied.
eI need not ask what success you've
had he said, sneering. Why so pale
and wan, fond loverT Your trip has mo-
agreed with you, that is plain enough
II did not agree with Carry, either, foi
she came back swearing she would nevel
90 on such a wild-goose chase again. Yol
know was quite opposed to her going 2
sNo," | said incredulously. The dia
mond ring had disappeared from his fin
ger. and it was easy to guess how thu
funds had been raised for the journey.
Altogether opposed" he repeated. g
believe Olivia is dead. | am quite sur,
she has never been under this roof witt
me. as Miss Ellen Martineau has been
/ should have known it as surely as eve
A tiger scented its prey. Do you suppos
have no sense keen enough to tell M
she was In the very house where was 2
: "NonsenseT l answered. His eyes glis
tened cruelty, and made me almost read,
to spring upon him. could have seize,
him by the throat and shaken him +
] death. in my sudden passion of loathin
t against him. but l sat quiet, and ejacu
: lated "Nonsenser' Such power has tn
spirit of the nineteenth. century anon
. civilized classes.
4 "Olivia is dead" he said. In a soleml
: tone. II am convinced of that fron
another reason; through all the miser
of our marriage, | never knew her guilt
8 of an untruth, not the smallest. She wn
0 as true as the gospel. Do you thin
4 you or Garry could make me believe tina
t she would trifie with such an awful sui
e iect as her own death? No. woul
0 take my oath that Olivia would neve
Q have had that letter sent, or written
me those few lines of farewell, but t
T let me know that she was dead"
4 There was no doubt whatever that
t was suffering from the same disease a
q that which had been the death of m
: mother-a disease almost invariably IL
= tai, sooner or later. A few cases Of cure
Z under most favorable circumstances, ha
r been reported during the last half Ger
9 tury; but the chances were dead agains
!. Fosters recovery. In all probability,
q long and painful illness, terminating
r inevitable death. lay before him. In tn
r opinion Of my two senior physicians, a
that l could do would be to alleviate th
n worst pangs Of 1t.
Ill His case haunted me dag and nigh
i In that deep undercurrent Of conscious
!, ness which turks beneath our surfaC
IS sensations and impressions, there was a
l. ways present the image of Foster. wit
t, his pale, cynical face and pitiless eye
: With this was the perpetual remen
d brance that a subtle malady, beyond Il
E, reach Of our skill. was slowly eating ava
IS his life. The man I abhorred; but Il
buucEcft lllntcEiVunlf hhAcd WIN -
n memories which clung about my mothe
lie aroused my most urgent instructive con
e passion. Only once before had watche
'e the conflict between disease and its ren
y edy with so intense an interest.
" It was a day or two after a consult
n tion that | came accidentally upon Il
It little note book which ! had kept
Guernsey-a private note Sook, access
e Bile only to myself. Il was night; Jac
10 as usual. was gone out, and was alon
1t I turned over the leaves merely for lis
y less want OF occupation. All at once
IN came upon an entry, made in connectiS
| with my mothers illness, which recall'
o. to me the discovery l believed | hs
$ made Of remedy for her disease, had
he only been applied in IFS earlier stage
" Il had slipped out OF my mind, but no
d. my memory leaped upon Il with irresisi
ir bit force.
{. | must tell the whole truth. howevl
n terrible and humiliating Il may