Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-10-29

II
meeting of the day before. Mrs.
Brookin then offered a few comments
upon the weather and the unforturat
war and would have arisen. but Louise
detained her. She said, b, nding over
her:
| "You have a son in the war depart
ment who is in great danger, and his
indiscretion has endangered you and
our whole system"
"Lower!-speak lower, for Gods
sakel"
| "He has grossly deceived and
wronged woman named Louise, and
has been rash enough to let her into
bis and your secrets"
Mrs. BroolSin was almost unable to
articula.e; the other handed her q
I glass of water.
where is she-this Louise?" she
asked then.
/ Madam, she stands before you"
Louise had then and there a part OF
her revenge; the elder woma an, in spite
or all her experience, gave way TO
sudden panic. But only &c w moments
was she absolutely helpless. Habit and
the calm face before her restored her
presence of mind.
What is it we can do FOR this woman
who has been so badly treated? She
has no cause TO doubt me. Tell me
| how / may serve her." Her voice was
calm and insinuatingly conciliatory.
she demands public marriage,
madam. Until this year she has be-
ieved herself less than the legal wife
of Raymond Holbin, though God knows
she never intended to be less than til at.
She was his wife abroad, openly ac-
knowledged as such, and row she has
proof of that fact-absoluts, undoubt-
ed proof of the highest character
affidavits of acquaintances, registers,
, letters addressed to her in his own
handwriting and photographs. All
this mass of evidence is properly GER
titled to in duplicate, and she has ono
copy of each in the hands of her law.
yers in Washington and one copy here.
Madam, your son has lived with this
woman as his acknowledged wife, and
1 am assured that under Virginia law
she is his wife and would inherit his
estate"
"Ahi She wishes money!"
mo. She wishes to have her child
restored"
"Her child2 Raymond's child ?"
Alas, madam, one word answers
you-yesl"
He has not told u !, this" said tho
I mother. ut is all tn he had left to
tell; his life has been great, a pain
full disappointment to me-"
TT is likely that he has not told you
other things. He is preparing for
transmission inform ton which he
thinks is good for vast sum Of m oney;
and there is the trouble, for believe,
as you sit before me, madam, that,
having given me his sacred promise,
his sworn promise to send Il by Louise,
join her later and right all her wrongs,
he is really planning to desert her
again. Ehd in that event, madam, he
would leave desperate woman be-
hind"
What could such a woman do then ?
who would believe her-a self con-
fessed spy2''
THAT thought has already impressed
me deeply. 1 am satisfied now that
the woman's safest plan is to see tina :
he doesn't leave until he has met her
demands. And, madam, you have the
power to control him. At six o'clock,
unless I see you both earlier, 1 shall
address an anonymous commupica-
ton"
"Will you take tea with us ut six, IN
stead-in my own apartments? I
think that better"
AT six then. / like the ideal"
In the privacy of her own room Mrs
Brookin gave unrestrained expression
to rage that was consuming her. No
one who knew the cool, suave. tactful
woman of affairs would have recor-
nized her at that moment. She paced
the luxurious apartment with the fury
and abandon of tigress entrapped,
her crushed parasol and the emblems
of her mourning beneath her feet. Re-
sponsive to her furious ringing, Will
liam came running to the room at in
tervals of five minutes to answer over
and over:
mo, ma'am, Mr.. Raymond amt como
In yet," and returned to tell below
stairs that "Mistis is done gone plum
mad over some'pn!" Raymond came
at last. AS he entered his mothers
room such a storm burst upon him as
he had not dreamed could emanate
from the heart OF woman. She had
been Inundated, outwitted and belit-
tied by an adventures, she declared:
she had been threatened and would bs
forced into a compromise with crea-
ture ofthe cutters, and if they carried
out their contract, what triumph for
Brodnar and the jealous, envious peo-
pie who had resented their entrance
into Richmond society," At the mo-
ment she hated even her son; she
blamed him for his insane disregard Of
her wishes; he Rad been a marplot,
she declared, baking her efforts to
advance his fortunes, winning disgrace
where she had opened the path to
honor; and now nothing was left for
him but marriage with low woman,
and the loss of all for which she had
| striven.
Take her." cried the despairing
woman, "and out of my sight forever.
Go down N he ! 49,