Chariton courier., 1907-03-15
CONTINUED FROM List MONTH

sent
The next morning Miss Elmore was
much better. Rose watched her till she
slept and had then gone to lie down on the
sofa in the sitting room:
She was much better that towards the
middle Of the day. when the doctor came.
he allowed her to get up
over. and little by little the young actress
told her story.
She had been playing with company in
America when she first met Wilson, who
was then taking to the stage. He was not
good actor, but he was a gentleman and
made himself agreeable, and people liked
and they fell in love. He asked her to be
his wife and she consented and they were
married. Soon afterwards she heard that
and she wanted to return and see her. At
first her husband objected. but at last, up
on thinking it over, he consented. but she
noticed that he seemed very nervous as
soon as they landed upon English soil.
She returned to find her mother dead. All
journey and she proposed that they should
get engagements in England. At last she
succeeded in obtaining one with travel
ing company for herself and her husband.
One night. in a little town near London,
message was brought to her husband that
a gentleman named Marlborough wanted to
see him. He was terribly agitated, and
exclaimed my God. they've recognized me.
thought after all these years 1 was for
gotten"
That night he told her his story He
confessed that some years before he had
been in an Office in London and had been
accused Of embezzlement He assured her
that he was innocent but could not prove
it. and that If he were taken he would be
sent to prison for years. She was terrified,
and they left the place at once and. came
to London. Jack after that rarely went
out. He seemed in constant terror of being
recognized They were very poor, and she
had had to pawn to pay their rent. Then
they saw the advertisement for an actor
and an actress to go to the Cape with
company. Her husband said that would be
the best thing for them. and he had sent
her to try and get the engagement. Rose
knew the rest.
49," thought Rose to herself, "he has
deceived this poor girl, and she really be-
lieves that she is his wife! What am to
say to her? What will she do when she
knows the truth?'
great pity welled up in the heart of
Rose Smedley for this poor girl who had
ceased to regard her as rival and looked
upon her only as fellow victim.
But now more than ever she felt bitter
against her husband. and determined to let
him see that his baseness was known to
her. Then he might go to the Cape If he
liked. She would not raise finger to stop
him. But no mercy she might show him
would enable him to atone for the wrong
he had done Kate Elmore.
The doctor had still forbidden Kate to
Leaving her at home Rose went out She
was determined in some way to see John
70 Smedley that day. She looked about her
to make that the house not
watched and saw the detective at the top
of the street. He had resumed his watch
But as she came out his back was turned
for moment. few doors below was
corner of the street-round this Mrs Smed-
ley darted. Then she stopped we'll out of
sight and waited. If the detective had seen
her he would come after her at once.
She waited few minutes and he did not
come. Then she was sure that he had not
seen her leave the house, but was still
watching it.
She was safe now. She went up the side
street to the top and took a short cut and
made her way into Holborn; there she took
a cab and drove to the address given by
Kate Elmore.
dirty blinds and general appearance Of
being let off in lodgings to people who
were not too particular.
She knocked at the door and the land
in her arms and small untidy child cling
ing to her skirts, opened the door.
II come from Mrs. Wilson, with mes
sage. for her husband. Is he at homer"
Gone away" exclaimed Rose, in as
tonishment
Yes, he paid me my rent and went away
last night: He left letter for Mrs. Will
son, which was to be given her when she
came in"
.she. is, staying with me. I'll take the
letter to her,
Certainly. ma'am. and welcome"
The landlady went upstairs and fetched
the letter and gave it to Rose She looked
at it, and chill feeling crept over her
heart.
The last doubt was removed. It was her
husbands writing. She had always be-
lieved that Wilson was her husband but
the certainty was shock to her, none the
less.
She took the letter home. She was bound
to give it to Kate. 1t might contain some
thing that it was necessary she should
know at once