The Topeka state journal., 1905-10-21
TIE EVENING STORY
IA DonbIc Weddlng.

A Double wedding
Gertrude Brett was an heiress. Heir
esses are usually described as teaLLuI
that they will be married fer tnelr
money but Gertrude had always Deen
used to the possession OF wealLh ana
did not appear to realize ats value. pc
sides, she was ingenious ana cohHoins'
Henry Dexter, the son of wealthy par
ents. loved her. but after deliberation
she gave her heart to Clarence haWiey'
At any rate, she accepted him.
Gertrude had an intimate friend, Edna
Clarke, and those who knew tdaWIey
best declared that if Miss clarke nslo
been the heiress, instead OF MISS Brett
Miss Clarke would have been MIS-.
Hawley. What every one else saw
Gertrude did not appear to see-tnst heI
friend wanted her lover. But Eona,
while she was ostensibiy Gertrude
friend and confdante. constantly accept
ing favors that Gertrude's wealth. rem
dered possible, secretly hated the slta
who was to wed the man she herseh
wanted.
store Cor them. When it was an
nounced that Gertrude. who had no
near relatives living. had made VIII
leaving half Of her fortune 10 Eoha
and the other half to Clarence aaWiey'
people considered il time for some one
to interfere. Unfortunately, there was
no one near enough to the heiress 20 go
to her and demonstrate. Since sne was
of age there was no authority TO forblo
the disposition she had made OF her
property.
The next thing in this chain of aston
/ ishments was Gertrude's sailing Tor a
1 trip broad, accompanied only Dy Eana.
It was considered a frightfuI lnduce-
ment to crime. Edna, loving her bene-
| factress' affianced husband, inheriIlrlS
half of her fortune, while HaWiey was
heir 10 the remainder, would nave
every opportunity to get rid OF the one
who stood between her and weal1n
and love.
| Strangely enough, there was at least
every appearance that this extreme
| view Of the case had come about IN
switzerland the two girls Joined a par
/ ty to ascend mountain. Gertrude IN
sisted on making q detOur alone with
a guide and separated for some time
from the other tourists. When her
guide rejoined the party he came with
out Gertrude, Whos he reported, had
slipped and fallen into a creVaSse
thousands of feet deep. This was the
story that Edna brought home, and
with it she brought ample document
ary evidence of its truth Nevertheless
| there were those who refused to be-
lieve it.
While legal proceedings were being
taken to divide Gertrude's estate be-
/ tween the heirs it was announced that
] HawIey and Edna were engaged. OF
/ course no one was surprised. 1t was
simply considered an inevitable result
/ of Gertrude's infatuation and that If
! murder had not been committed she
had at least induced murder.
/ Meanwhile Henry Dexter, who sin
/ cerely loved Gertrude, went abroad Sc
cretly to look into the matter OF the
accident But his departure became
known. Since it did not seem to trou-
bic the heirs, who were preparing for
the wedding. the suspicious that clung
to Edna were much allayed.
Cards for the wedding were issued
I a event
| was to come off. The wealth they
were to receive did away with the
prejudice against them, and people
were looking forward to a brilliant af-
fair. But one morning a week before
the day set society met with a shock.
Some one-it was supposed through
malice-mailed a number Of invitations
to the wedding of Henry Dexter and
Gertrude Brett to take place on the
same day and hour as that of Clarence
Hawley and Edna Clarke. There was
great indigna ton at this outrage, as II
was considered. and it was supposed
that when Henry Dexter returned he
would take pains to discover and pun
sh the perpetrator. The bride ano
groom eXpectant gave every evidence
of being deeply wounded, ana feeling
which had been against them, was
turned in their favor.
The Dexter cards named the resi-
dence of Mrs. Whiting. a wealthy
friend of Gertrude. as the place Of the
the report that preparations were be-
ing made there for some important
event. The night before the weddings
as announced, a startling report was
circulated that both Dexter and Ger
trude had been seen in town. The las
link in the chain was the putting up OF
awnings leading from the street tC
Mrs. Writings residence.
AT high noon the next day both we'd
dings took place. The clergyman had
scarcely pronounced Clarence and Edna
man and wife before they were assured
that at the same hour Henry and Ger
trude had also been made one. In a
twinkling their anticipations of wealth
tumbled like air castles about them.
1t turned out that Gertrude had not
been so stupid after all. Suspectine
her lover and her friend. she had KEPT
her own counsel and laid q plan BY
which they should have every oppor-
tunity to prove or disDrove her sus-
picions During the mountain climt
she had purpOsely separated herself
from the party, bribed her guide tc
leave her at his home with his wife and
reDort the fictitious accident After
Edna's engagement she had writer
Dexter, who Immediately went to her
It was then that she and Dexter came
to a decision as to their relations, anC
the forthcoming wedding was an
nounced The only revenge (she con
sidered it rather a punishmerH- for hei
friends duplicity and Hawley's inten-
ton to marry her for money! that Ger
trude cared to take was the double wed
ding. AUSTIN A KINGSLEY.
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