Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-04-03

of the room, to find his wife, clad
| only in a loose, flimsy dressing gown.
| She had tainted away.
Lifting her tenderly in his arms, he
| carried her back to her own room,
| where he successfully applied restora-
tives.
| She had awakened, it seems, In the
midst of dreadful dream. She
thought he was in danger, that she
might lose him, that they would soon
| be parted forever. And Horace, with a
| cruel, aching pain at his heart, realized
| how prophetic must the dream become.
To remain with his wife, should Alice
| chance to be alive, was utterly out of
| the question. His conscience and in
| tegrity, the whole man in him, forbade
that. He would prove the dream either
| true or false, even though the result
| might break his heart.
The next day, therefore, he instructed
his valet to pack his portmanteaus. and
forward the same to him, directly he
| sent for them. Then he called on his
lawyer, an old college chum.
George" he said, brokenly, gripping
| his hand, certain circumstances have
arisen which may necessitate my leav-
| ing the country. 1 shall know definite
| ly tomorrow night. Everything is hor-
ribly unreal, as yet. But there. ask me
no details, there's good fellow. Only
pledge your word to take this explana-
| ton to my wife. Comfort her, George.
in memory of the old days. Let no
| harm befall her, don't allow her to
grieve or fret, settle my affairs for
her."
And ere the astonished man Of law
| could accept or refuse the trust, Horace
had rushed away.
How the intervening hours passed,
Horace was never clearly conscious.
| The appointed time, however, at last
drew near, and faint and haggard, he
quickly repaired to the place of meet
ing, anxious, yet dreading, to learn the
worst. Jedrey was already there, and
stepped forward from the shadow of
one of the arches.
"That's right" he said briskly, I'm
Brought the money, 1 suppose
"Why else should be here?" replied
Horace, striving to conceal his trem-
bling apprehension. "Yet even you
cannot expect me to pay until Alice is
produced alive"
THAT is easily DONE" said Jedrey,
keenly enjoying his discontinue. "Fol-
low me; it isn't far"
Detected and wretched, with every
hope now shattered, Horace trudged
| mournfully in the wake of his guide.
Yet had they thought to look behind,
they must have inevitably detected
three figures creeping stealthily after
them.
Presently a dull patch of light be-
came visible. 1t shone from the win.
dow of a small, square cottage, old and
dilapidated, whose door opened readily
to the touch.
The interior was a combined living
| and sleeping apartment. A low, filthy
bed occupied one corner.
In chair at the side sat, or rather
| swayed, woman truly indescribable.
Coarse matted hair hung danky about
her head and shoulders. Her features,
clean and washed, must have been
more than repellant; but, black, grimy,
bloated, grinning, they presented an ap,
pearance shocking and repulsive in the
extreme.
Hello, Horny, old boy" she cried,
thpur ,r;, 1t
| dearie! What! Is my cherub shy?
Ha! ha! ha! Then let me give you
onew
The banker surveyed her silently
dumbiS, blankly. There had been no
deception, no trickery.
"Are you satisfied yet?" Queried Jed
rey, sardonically. Perhaps you would
like still further proof. Alice" he COM
manded, turning to her, "show him
your marriage certificate"
"Ha, ha, hal" giggled Alice. fumbling
among the folds of her tattered dress.
Proof does he want, Ell? Pretends
not to know his loving wifey does he?
See,' she added. drawing forth a
crumpled document. and lurching to-
ward him with it; there you are,
dearie, in black and whitew
Suddenly, however, the door flew
wide back, and George Grimmell, dart
ing inside, hastily snatched the paper
and scanned it eagerly.
'Hurrah!' he shouted, throwing
aside the drunken woman, who
stumbled across the bed and passively
lay there, half sobered by surprise.
"As / imagined! before she met you!
Mixed the certificates, Officer, officer,
catch that mani Quick: don't let him
escape. That's it, slip the jingles on
him! Horace he continued, shaking
his hand excitedly. you're n fool
Don't you comprehend man? Jedrey's
her husband-her real and first one!
And Lucy's your wife-your second
and true one!'-New York News,
The Pay Authors Receive In Japan.