The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-04


 ring and all that was hers; but with out a great command laid upon me cannot pierce my heart by speaking of that which was and is not"
 His inability to speak came partly from an Initial concealment. His mar riage to Annette Ledru had been the result of romantic episode. She was the daughter of a French officer Of high rank. She had been married with
 out the consent of her family to a young Englishman, Maurice Christian Bycliffe,, who was then prisoner in France. Later he joined the Hanove- rian army, and then went on to Eng land to attend to what he said was i'm. portant family business. He wrote to her to follow, and sent his London ad- dress. She reached England with her baby, only to receive a letter from him, written on his deathbed, asking her to return to France.
 She was almost penni:ess. Tn this condition she was found and succored by MT. Lyon, who supported her out of his scanty Income for more than a year and at last married her. She died three years afterward, leaving him with the child. which he brought up as his own.
 The concealment always weighed heavily on his conscience, yet he could not bring himself to tell Esther.
 An accident spurred his indecisiop and led him to action that had conse- quences affecting persons who he did not dream cJuld ever be interested in anything that a minister of a humble dissenting chapel could possibly do.
 MT. Christian, courier and factotum in general to Mir. Phillip Debarry. son of Sir Maximus Debarry, lost a pock- etbook of his masters and also a mem orandum book of his own. Felix Holt found them. and. not wishing to have dealings with the aristocratic family delivered the articles to Mir. Lyon.
 Mir. Lyon was holding one of the articles. an ornamental note book of pale leather stamped with gold. when from broken pocket formed by the cover there dropped a small gold chain with seals and other trifIes attached to it.
 He lifted them close to his eyes with a trembling hand. That night he unlocked a small box, took from it a small locket and compared 1t with one that hung on the chain. The name on the former was Maurice. The name engraved on the other was Annette In each was lovers knot of hair ex- actly alike.
 Haggard and pale. Mir. Lyon opened the pocket book He found the names Maurice Christian, half rubbed out, and saw that a third name was entirely erased. The other leaves in the note book were new and had evi- dently been inserted recently.
 T will send for this Christian" :" said he to himself in the anguish of the long night after his discovery, as he sat awake before the dead fire. Let my path henceforth be simple" But his heart was woeful within him the more so since Esther had been showing tenderness and affection in the past few days such as she had never shown before.
 His mind never had been quite free from suspicion as to his wife's first husband Though he tried to put 1t away from him. esteening 1t a sin to mistrust his fellows. the thought per- sisted in arising again and again that Bycliffe had merely sent Anette the deathbed letter as convenient way to desert her.
 And now he held in his hand what seemed proof. Yet this Shristian. a servant, might have obtained the book and the chain from the real Bycliffe. The similarity of names might mean nothing Resolutely he sent to the man. notifying him of the recovery of call for, them in person. =
 Poor MT. Lyon was anything but a diplomat MT. Christian was a man whose wits had been sharpened by forty years of living, by them. He saw at glance that the minister had a secret. Therefore, in answer to Mir. Lyons falterlng questions, he confided himself rigidly to describing his prop erty and demanding 1t. The minister gave 1t up helplessly.
 Christian left the house, muttering to himself. The old fellow has got some secret in his head. It's not like, ly he can know anything about me. It must be about Bycliffe. But Bycliffe was a gentleman. How should he ever have had anything to do with such a seedy old ranter as that?"
 Left alone, Mir. Lyons bewilderment and trouble grew to such Q degree that finally he resolved to resort to the wisdom of the serpent, which was his ingenious definition of the law. That evening saw him in close communic-a tion with MT. Matthew Jermyn, to MT. Jermyn promised to ascertain for him. without scandal or premature be- trayals, whether or not the man Christian were really Annette's hus- band, who had been called Maurice Christian Bycliffe.
 The theory that Destiny is blind is certainly incompatible at times with the wonderfu combinations that she makes. If MT. Lyon had searched the entire world he could not have found a man to whom his secret was worth more just at that moment. Mir Jermyn had entered the minister's house worried almost to desperation He emerged with a triumphant gleam fin his eyes.
 He lost no time in sending for Chris. tian. The latter came, truculently, and asked impudently what he wanted.
 Be seated said Jermyn. "A-your Henry Ecaddon."
 Christians start end grasping breath were a sufficient answer to the cum hing lawyer.
 "scaddon." said he. q know all about you. You fled from this country in a military disguise twenty-four years ago to escape imprisonment for forgery, and were taken prisoner by the French. During an exchange of prisoners the lot fell to you to be re- turned to England. You gave up your chance willingly to fellow prisoner of your age and size. You exchanged clothes and name with him and he passed over to England as Harry Scad- don. Shortly afterYard you escaped. but it was reported that you. still bearing his name. had been drowned while trying to reach the Maltese coast"
 suppose I deny it?' said Christian doggedly.
 Jermyn pleasantly you would not prevent me from exposing you with proof that I hold. You would merely end the present conversation. On the other hand, If you answer certain ques- tions this thing may take good turn for you. and I will keep your sec tt. ticles of Bycliffe's In your possession"
 ssVe exchanEed clothes n a hursy'