Wallowa chieftain. [volume] (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909, 1902-01-02
CHAPTER XXI.

in vain Whether they were too busy
to give me proper attention, or too anx-
ious TO join the stir and mirth of the
townspeople, they all declared they knew
nothing of any Englishwoman. As | re-
turned dejectedly TO my inn, | heard a
lamentable voice, evidently English, be-
moaning in doubtful French. The omni-
bus from Falaise had just come in, and
under the lamp in the entrance Of the
archway stood lady before my hostess
who was voubly asserting that there
was no room left in her house. hasten
ed TO the assistance of my countrywom-
an, and the light of the lamp falling up
on her face revealed to me who she was.
"Mrs. Fosterv' l exclaimed, almost
shouting her name in my astonishment.
She looked ready to faint with fatigue
and dismay, and she laid her hand heav-
lily on my arm, as If to save herself from
sinking to the ground.
Have you found herT she asked, in
voluntarily.
"Not a trace of her." l answered.
Mrs. Foster broke into an hysterical
laugh, which was very quickly followed
by sobs had no great difficulty in per-
suading the landlady to find some accom-
mediation for her, and then l retired to
my own room to turn over the extraordi-
nary meeting which had been the last
incident Of the day.
1t required very little keenness to come
to the conclusion that the Fosters had
obtained their information concerning
Miss Ellen Martineau where we had got
ours, from Mrs. Wilkinson; also that Mrs.
Foster had lost no time in following up
L. 1r11x txxra -fn NJ
hours behind me. She had looked thor
oughly astonished and dismayed when
she saw me there; so she had mad no
idea that | was on the same track. But
nothing could be more convincing than
this journey of hers that neither she nor
Foster really believed in Olivia's death.
That was as clear as day. But what ex-
PLANTATION could l give to myself of those
letters, of Olivias above all? Was 1t
possible that she had caused them to be
written, and sent to her husband? l
could not even admit such a question
without sharp sense of disappointment
In her.
l saw Mrs. Foster early in the morn
ing, somewhat as truce-bearer may meet
another on neutral ground. She was
grateful to me for my interposition in her
behalf the night before; and as | knew
Ellen Martineau to be safely out of the
way. | was inclined to be tolerant to-
wards her. / assured her, upon my hon
or, that / had failed in discovering any
trace of Olivia in Noireau, and | tod
her all | had learned about the bank-
ruptcy of Monsieur Perrier, and the scat
tering of the school.
but why should you undertake such a
chaser asked; ''if you and Foster are
satisfied that Olivia is dead, why should
you be running after Ellen Martineau?
You show me the papers which seem to
prove her death, and now l find you in
this remote part of Normandy, evidently
In pursuit of her. What does this mean?"
"You are doing the same thing your
self" she answered.
EYES," | replied, because l am not
satisfied. But you have proved your
conviction by becoming Richard Foster 5
second wife"
''That is the very point" she said,
shedding few tears; ''as soon as ever
Mrs. Wilkinson described Ellen Marli-
neau to me, when she was talking about
her visitor who had come to inquire af-
ter her, / grew quite frightened lest he
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