Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-09-05
DAILY SHORT STORY
DOUBLE WEDDING.
OriginaI.l

used TO the possession OF wealth aud
did not appear To realize its value. Be
sides. she was ingenious and confid-
ing. Henry Dexter, the son of wealthy
parents. loved her. but after delibera-
ton she gave her heart to Clarence
Hawley. AT any rate. she accepted him.
Gertrude had an Intimate friend,
Edna Clarke. and those who knew
Hawley best declared that il Miss
Clarke had been the heiress, instead of
Miss Brett, Miss Clarke would have
been Mrs. Hawley. What every one
else saw Gertrude did not appear to
see-that her friend wanted her lover.
But Edna. while she was oStenSibly
Gertrude's friend and confidante, con-
stantly accepting favors that Ger
trude's wealth rendered possible, Sc
cretly hated the girl who was TO wed
the man she herself wanted.
But a still greater surprise was in
store for them. When 1t was an
nounccd that Gertrude. who had no
near relatives living had made will
leaving half of her fortune to Edna
and the other half to Clarence Haw-
ley, people considered ii time for some
| one to interfere Unfortunately. there
was no one near enough lo tHt LtlicSS
to go to her and demonstrate. Since
she was of age there was no authority
To forbid the disposition she had made
| of her property.
The next thing in this chain of aston
ishments was Gertrude's sailing for ~
trip abroad. accompanied only by Ed
na II was considered frightful in
ducement TO crime Edna. loving her
benefactress' affianced husband, inner
iting half of her fortune, while Haw
ley was heir TO the remainder. would
have every opportunity to get rid Of
the one who stood between her and
wealth 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
party to ascend a mountain. Gertrude
insisted on making detour alone with
guide and separated for some time
from the other tourists. When her
guide rejoined the party he came with
tOut Gertrpde, who, he reported, had
slipped and fallen into Il crevasse thou
E-sands of feet deep. This was the story
THAT Edna brought home, and with it
l.she brought ample documentary evil
ltlence of its truth. Nevertheless there
were those who refused to believe it.
II While legal proceedings We're being
taken TO divide Gertrude's estate be-
| tween the heirs it was announced that
Hawley and Edna We're 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
secretly to look into the matter of the
accident. But his departure became
| known. Since 1t did not seem to
trouble the heirs, who were preparing
for the wedding. the suspicious that
chung to Edna were much aliayed.
| Cards for the wedding were issued.
was to come off. The wealth they
were to receive did away with the
prejudice against them. and people
were looking forward to brilliant
affair. But one morning week be-
| fore the day set society met with
shock. Some one-it was supposed
| through mathematical number of in
vitations to the wedding of Henry Dex-
ter and Gertrude Brett. to take place
on the same day and hour as that OF
Clarence Hawley and Edna Clarke.
There was great Indignation at this
outrage. as it was considered, and 1t
was supposed that when Henry Dexter
returned he would take pains to dis
cover and punish the perpetrator. The
bride and groom eXpectant gave every
evidence of being deeply wounded, and
| feeling. which had been against them,
was turned in their favor.
The Dexter cards named the resi-
dcnce of Mrs. Whiting, a wealthy
| friend of Gertrude, as the place of
the wedding, and society was sur
prised at the report that preparations
were being made there for some i'm
portant event. The night before the
! weddings, as announced, startling re-
port was circulated that both Dexter
| and Gertrude had been seen in town.
| The last link in the chain was the
putting up of awnings leading from
the street to 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 Gertrude 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. Suspecting
her lover and her friend, she had kept
her own counsel and laid a plan by
| which they should have every oppor-
tunity to prove or disprove her sus-
picions During the mountain climb
she had purposely separated herself
from the party, bribed her guide to
leave her at his home with his wife
and report the fictitious accident.