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

to London.
CHAPTER XXII.
One of my first proceedings, after my
return, was to ascertain how the Eng
lish law stood with regard to Olivia 5
position. Fortunately for me, one of DIR.
| Seniors oldest friends was a lawyer of
great repute, and he discussed the ques-
/ tion with me after a dinner at his house
at Fulham.
There seems to be no proof Of any kind
against the husband" he said, after l
had told him all.
why" l exclaimed, 'here 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" l asked.
''As far as l see into the case. he GER
tainly could" was the answer, which
drove me frantic.
"But there is this second marriage" l
objected.
''Fhere lies the kernel of the case" he
said. "You tell me there are papers,
which you believe to be forgeres, pur-
porting to be the medical certificate with
corroborative proof of her DEATH Now,
if 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 a very foolish and a 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 do" he answered, lis to
establish your influence over this fellow
and go cautiously to work with him As
| long as the lady is in France, if she be
alive, and he is too i'll to go after her, she
is safe. You may convince him by de-
grees that it 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
ly secure her in the future"
| was compelled to remain satisfied
with this opinion. Yet how could be
! satisfied, whilst Olivia, if she was still
living, was wandering about homeless,
and, as l feared, destitute, in foreign
country?
next evening. Mrs. Foster had been to
Brook street every day since her re-
! turn, to inquire for me, aud to leave an
urgent message that | should go to Bell
ringer street as soon as | was again in
town. The lodging house looked almost
as wretched as the forsaksn dwelling
down at Noireau, where Olivia had per-
haps been living; and the sitting, musty
air inside it almost made me gasp for
breath.
$50 you are come back" was Fosters
greeting, as l entered the dingy room.
YES" replied.
81 need not ask what success you've
had" he said, sneering "'Why so pale
and wan, fond lover?' Your trip has not
agreed with you, that is plain enough.
1t did not agree with Garry either, for
she came back swearing she would never
go on such wild-goose chase again. You
know l was quite opposed to her going?"
NO" | said incredulously. The dia-
mond ring had disappeared from his fin
ger, and it was easy to guess how the
funds had been raised for the journey.
Altogether opposed" he repeated. IL
believe Olivia is dead. / am quite sure
she has never been under this roof with
me, as Miss Ellen Martineau has been.
| should have known it as surely as ever
tiger scented it's prey. Do you suppose
| have no sense keen enough to tell me
she was in the very house where was?"
Nonsense" | answered. His eyes glis-
tened cruelty, and made me almost ready
to spring upon him. l could have seized
him by the throat and shaken him 10
DEATH in my sudden passion Of loathing
against him; but | sat quiet, and ejacu-
lated Nonsense" Such power has the
spirit Of the nineteenth century among
civilized classes.
OLIVIA is dead" he said, in a solemn
tone. Il am convinced of that from
another reason; through all the misery
Of our marriage, never knew her guilty
Of an untruth, not the smallest. She was
as true as the gospel. Do you think
you or Carry could make me believe that
she would triae with such an awful sub
ject as her own death? No. l would
take my oath that Olivia would never
have had that letter sent, or written to
me those few lines Of farewell, but to
let me know that she was dead"
There was no doubt whatever that he
was suffering from the same disease as
that which had been the death of my
| mother-a disease almost invariably fa-
| tai, sooner or later. A few cases of cure,
| under most favorable circumstances, had
been reported during the last half CEN
| tury; but the chances were dead against
Fosters recovery. In all probability, a
long and painful illness, terminating in
inevitable death, lay before him. In the
opinion of my two senior physicians, all
that could do would be to alleviate the
worst pangs Of 1t.
His case haunted me day and night.
In that deep undercurrent Of Conscious
ness which turks beneath go surface