Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-08-18

subject She was jealous, intolerably
jealous, of her husband: suspected him
OF Inconsistency to herself if he was COM
monty CIV. to handsome woman She
watched rim like lynx, and did her ut
most to make his life a burden to him,
yet loved him passionately all the time
in her vehement. wrong headed manner"
Poor grill poor girl r. murmured Mil
dred, with a stifed sob, and then she
asked with intense earnestness, 'but,
Lady Lochinvar, you who knew George
Ransome, surely you never suspected him
of murder?v
Il don't know, Mrs Greswold- be-
| lieve he was a gentleman, and a man Of
an open, generous nature; but, upon my
word, should be sorry to pledge myself
to positive belief in his innocence as to
his wife's death. Who can tell what
man might do, harassed and tormented as
that man may have been by that woman's
tonguef | know what pestilential things
she could say-what scorpions AID adders
dropped out of her mouth when she was
in her jealous lts-and she NAV have
gone just one step too far-walking by
his side upon that narrow path-and he
may have turned upon her, exasperatei
to madness, and-one push-and the thing
was done. The edge of cliff must be
an awful temptation under such circum-
stances" added Lady Lochinvar solemn
~ Il am sure / would not answer for
myself in such situation"
II viii answer for him." said Mildred
firmly.
You know him, thenY
'Yes, I know him. He was happy
manor seemed to be happy-for thirteen
years of married life, and then his only
child was snatched away"
He married again, tllenr
"Yes. he married second wife four
teen years ago. Forgive me, Lady Loeb
inyar, for having suppressed the truth
till now. / wanted you to answer me
more freely than yca miast have done had
you known all. George Ransone is my
husband he assumed the name of Gres-
void when he succeeded to his mothers
property"
Then Mr.. Greswold, your husband, is
my old acquaintance. Is he with you
here?'
mo. have left him-perhaps forever"
ION account of that past story?"
NO, for another reason. which is my
sad secret, and his-a family secret.
1t involves no blame to him or
me. 1t Is a dismal fatality which
parts US. You cannot suppose, Lady
Lochinvar, that l could think my hus-
band murderer
"A murderer? No! do not believe
any one ever thought him guilty of de-
liberate murder-but that he lost his tenn
per with that unhappy girl, spurned her
from him, flung her over the edge of the
cliff"
20, no, no, no! 1t is not possible! l
know him too well. He is not capable of
a brutal act even under the utmost exas-
peration. No irritation, no sense of in
jury, could bring about such a change in
his nature. Think, Lady Lochinvar.
have been his wife for fourteen years. l
must know what his character is like"
You know what he is in happy cir
cumstances, with an attached and confid-
ing wife You cannot imagine him goaded
to madness by an unreasonable, hot-head-
ed woman. You remember he was mad
for half year after his wife's death
son for his madness"
His wife's wretched death, and the
fact that he was accused of having MUIR
dered her, were enough to make him
mad. Did his wife ever talk to you of her
own history"
Never. She was very fond of talk
ing to me about the mistake she had made
in marrying a man who had never cared
for her; but about her own people and
her own antecedents she was silent as the
grave. In a place like Nice, where ev-
erybody is idle, there is sure to be good
deal of gossip, and we all had our own
ideas about Mrs. Ransome. We put her
down as the natural daughter of some
person OF importance, or at any rate, of
good means. She had her own fortune,
and was entirely independent of her hus-
band, who was not a rich man at that
time"
Il am very grateful to you. Lady Loeb
invar, for having been frank with me.
will 60 and look at the house where they
lived. l may find some one, perhaps, who
knew them"
''You want to make further inquiries ?"
81 want to find some one who is as
convinced of my husbands guiltlessness
as | am"
THAT will be difficult There was
very little evidence for or against him.
The husband and wife went out to walk
together one April afternoon. They left
the house in peace and amity, as it seem
ed to their servants; but some ladies who
met and talked to them an hour after
ward thought by Mrs. Ransome's manner
that she was on bad terms with her has
band. When she was next seen she was
lying at the foot of the cliff, dead. That
is all that is known of the tragedy. You
could hardly hang man or acquit him
upon such evidence. 1t is a case of not