The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1908-04-11
WI.
~ Lord i1ears iif TidInas.

The morning sun was streaming
brightly through the windows when
Darlington glanced at his watch as he
opened his eyes. and was startled to
discover that It was already seven
O'Clock. And he had meant to get
up early that day to prepare himself
the better for that interview with his
wife. Hastily arising, he stole soft
ly to the door opening into her bou-
doir, tried the knob gently and found
that the door was locked. He lis
tened, but could hear nothing. Imag-
lining that she was still asleep, he sum
moned his valet, bathed and dressed
himself with unusual care for the OPP
erations Of the day, and then returned
TO the door Of the boudoir. Again he
knocked, and more loudly. Receiving
no answer, he fairly Numbered upon 1t
with his feet, to be met with the
same silence as before.
Pulling the bell, he summoned his
own man once more and made my
lady's maid be brought to him. In
a few moments the startled woman
presented herself before him.
Now, my lady's maid was mor or
less Of a luxury. Whenever she could,
Ellen attended to the details Of her
" toilette herself, but sometimes
the complication Of unusual apparel in
volved the necessity Of assistance, and
then the maid was ready.
your mistress" began my lord, i'm
periously.
Yes, my lud."
Did she send for you last night?"
mo, my lud."
Has she rung for you this morn
ing?"
mo, my lud."
VERY we'll, you may 60"
The maid curtsied and turned away.
There was nothing unusual in Ell
lens failure to summon her maid,
but nevertheless Darlington felt some
what uneasy. He went back and
knocked again on the door that opened
into my lady's boudoir and then he
called her name.
Suddenly he bethpught him Of the
door not often used that opened into
the hall from her bedroom. He
cursed himself for a fool for not hav
ing thought Of it before. He ran
thither at once in spite Of the fact
that his conduct was attracting the
attention Of the servants passing Z
and fro about their various duties.
He tried the handle Of the door
which was shut, and found it was un
locked. He threw 1t open. The bee
had not been tenanted, yet Ellen hat
certainly u~ndressed, for the gown anC
other things she had worn the nigh
before lay in a tumbled, confused
heap on the floor just where she haC
kicked them off. Darlington stepped
~curiously over them. He lifted n b!
one the familiar articles Of apparel. HI
was in a state Of complete bewilder
ment. Suddenly the thought occurred
to him that she might have laid dow
on the sofa in her boudolr.
Stiu clutching the slipper she ha'
worn. which was the last thing he haI
touched, he threw open the door be
tween the two rooms, only to discove
that the boudoir itself was empty
My lady's desk stood open befor
him. A piece Of paper caught hi
eye. He dropped the slipper, dartel
toward it, opened the paper, whicl
was addressed to him, and read tn
following:
: ..The enclosed pays my last debt I
. Lord Darlington. When he reads this.
shall be on the WAY TO my own land
with the money which he won, he ca
buy himself Lady Cecily without the for
mality Of a marriage ceremony and
her arms he can forget the woman h
shamed. whom he once loved and VIII
once loved him.
From the paper as he had torn
open. an Enclosure had fallen. II
stopped and picked 1t up. 1t was tn
cheque on Ellen's bankers for twent
odd thousand pounds. NY lords brai
reeied as he stared from the cheQu
to the note. 1t vas as II he Ia
been struck some powerful blow owe
the heart and was for the momer
paralyzed. He sank down In a cha