The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-01-11

possible?"
"You can do me service" she
responded, quietly, 'if you will. And
that is, help me find some one-some
one who l am convinced is hidden in
that great wilderness of a city, and
whom 1 have come here to seek!"
"If it is possible" he said, you
may rely upon my doing my best.
But you had better give me your con-
fidence."
"There is little to tell" she answer
ed. 81 am that despised thing-a de-
serted wife! My husband left me. We
had shared three bitter years togeth-
er. and then, without a word, he went
away"
"And you want to find him; you
care for him still?"
ooh, no-but. yes, l do want to
find him. He treated me as badly as
man can treat woman. And yet.
| must find him!"
"And what is your idea as to the
cause of his disappearance?
She paused some moments.
ct seems a strange fancy" sne
said at last. "But what l believe is
this: He left England under a cloud.
In America he continued the same
life of reckless folly. He married
me for love, as l thought; but it was
merely that l might act as decoy to
a gambling den which he secretly
ran. Our final quarrel arose from my
objections to this infamy."
But what shall you do, even though
you find him? You would surely new
er live with him again, if he treated
you so shamefully?"
mot for the world" she said, with
faint shudder "And yet I must find
him. 1t has become the fixed pur-
pose of my life. Some money was
left me a few months ago, and this
enables me to start upon my humiliat-
ing quest. Until than 1 was poor. l
had to work hard for a scanty liv-
ing"
He looked at her keenly.
81 believe" he said, that you must
care for him STILL
ut would cost me hardly a pang
to hear that he was Dead she replied.
"And yet / must find him. Perhaps
peoples pity had CALLED my pride, and
made me determine that my husband
should acknowledge me as his wife
under his right name, although we
should never be more to each other
than mutual bearers of that name"
"You are a woman whom most men
would be proud to call their wife"
he, answered, seriously
When they reached London Mrs.
Poole gave him all the knowledge she
possessed of her missing husband. The
details were meager enough, and she
hadn't even photograph to aid them.
Stern found that he possessed apti-
tude for detective work, but profitless
weeks passed by.
One afternoon, however, he recelv-
ed a telegram from Mrs. Poole: MY
search is at an end He went at
once to her rooms.
I'VE met face to face in London
SIG Sduu L vi q u1OAAOht
he tried to. deny me; but seeing 1t
was useless, he hurriedly promised,
upon my giving him my address, to
let me hear from him today! He
would not let me detain him, but
broke away from me in few mo-
ments. I was helpless"
What shall you do if he does not
writer"
But she did not answer him. Her
eyes we're staring strangely at an
evening paper which he held in his
hands.
Some words at the top of a page
had caught her gaze. She snatched
the paper from his hands with cry.
and read the few lines beneath the
heading.
Isis that his answer" she ask
ed, in a trembling voice.
Stern read where she indicated.
1--WE regret to announce that Sir
Stephen lesson met with fatal &C.
cident in the hunting field this morn
ing. 1t will be remembered that the
unfortunate baronet came into the
title, quite unexpectedly, a couple OF
years ago, three strong lives having
dropped out Every one will sympa-
thize with Lady Gertrude lesson,
who, as Lady Gertrude Kingsley, was
the loveliest debutante of her year."
HE was a villain all through, you
see," said Edith Poole. 'He married
this woman while l still lived. He
has ruined her life as well as mine.
What shall l do? Shall l put forth
my right to this mans name, and
take it away from her? Or shall
forever keep back the truth that
would strip her of-everything?
He did not answer. His features
were fixed. He saw clearly, like a
picture before him, certain scene
in a Mayfair drawing-room-he heard
a woman's hard merciless voice, her
insulting words He remembered the