The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-06-10
CHAPTER XIV.

- "
towards a rival that can always be de-
pended upon in the glamor of first pas
sion. He was in the Victoria road soon
after twelve: and, asking for Mrs. Lyme
Wregis, found that lady, as he anticipated.
in the drawing room alone.
II am afraid 1 did not play ny cards
we'll yesterday" said Jack. the first greet
ings passed. II little lost my temper.
l was tried rather hardly"
Yes" replied Mrs. Lyme Wregis; you
had chance and failed 10 take advantage
OF it. There was moment when she
was in a melting mood; and IL you had
only been tender with her then. l think
the chances are that she would have con-
fessed everything. and We should at least
have known the why of this strange
marriage"
II must do ny best to remedy the mis-
take In the meantime, strictly between
ourselves. you will promise me, Mrs.
Lyme Wregis, not even to hint, not TO
breathe a word of what l am going to
tell your
"You may rely upon my silence" said
the old lady.
1T has been suggested to me that
there Is something not quite right about
these Pegrams. and surely that is point
that ought to be cleared up. | am given
to understand that the. man who holds
possession of the clue quite declines 70
open his mouth on the matter unless he
is first firmly convinced that Beatrice is
in reality averse to this proposed mar
riage."
"wen, why do you not tell him that
she Is so?"
"Ah, you see that. as rejected lover.
he would hardly credit my evidence on
that point. There is only one person
that I can think of whom he is likely to
accept as an authority. and that is your
self"
ME, But who on earth. pray. is this
mysterious unknown? and when, where,
and how does he expect me to testifyw
"You know Mr. Hemmingby, manager
of the Vivacity Theater, | thinkf'
"Yes. very slightly; Lexington has
brought him up into our box once or
twice. l am quite willing, il it pleases
you. to admit that he seemed a pleas
ant, gentlemanly man enough: but you
don't, surely, expect me to write and call
him to the family counsels?'
And yet If you do not, l don't know
how we are to get this clue that | re-
quire."
But, my dear Jack. it is impossible.
cannot write TO man l only Just know
about such an extremely delicate subject
as this You must see that yourself"
"Yes. | will admit it is very awkward !;
but I do not know what else TO suggest.
You would do a good deal to break off
this Pegram marriage. would you not?"
Most decidedly, although / should be
running in direct opposition TO your I'M
Gle. Still, | am convinced that Beatrice's
heart is not in Ii, and that nothing but
unhappiness can come of il; but do not
see it is possible for me to write to Mr..
Hcmmingby."
Stop. l think l have it. You cannot
write to Mr.. Hemmingby: but there is
no reason why you should not write a
letter to me, which 1 can show to him
and which will doubtless have the same
effect"
II do not mind doing that, Jack" re-
piled the old lady: "only, remember,
must not be supposed TO know that 1t is
going to be shown to anybody. nor do
want to know anything about what you
are doing for the present. 1t will be
quite sufficient for me to hear all about
it whenever you have that to tell to Mr..
Pegram's disadvantage which shall make
thiz marriage impossible. Their attempt
ing to keep me hoodwinked about the
real reasons of this match is simply a
gross piece of disrespect on both their
parts. No: l have argued my best against
this marriage with each Of them, and now
l trust am about to do something more. "
Ard 80 saying, the old lady rose. and
proceeded to write rapidly for two or
three minutes. She folded up her note,
placed it in an envelope. directed it. and
ther. to Jack Phillimore's establishment,
proceeded to fasten it and stamp it.
There" she said, as she handed it to
him, you will find that all you want but
| prefer that it should go through the
post, so that there may be no suspicion
OF it's having been written for Mr.. Hem
mingby's perusal. Drop it into the pillar
box"
Thank you very much" said Jack, as
he took the missive. 1T shall be posted
as you wish. Armed with this. if / have
any luck, I shall beat that beast Pegram
yet and now l will say good-by."
Jack awaited the arrival OF that note
Of Mrs Lyme Wregis' which he had him.
self posted, feeling a little disposed to
anathematize that lady's over-caution. No
sooner did 1t arrive than Jack sped to
the Temple. and. placing 1t in Ring
woods hands, suggested the sooner they
saw Mr. Hemmingby the better. The two
accordingly proceeded to the "Vivacity,' y
and were fortunate enough to find that
Mr.. Hemmingby had not left the theater.
al gave you a hint" he said, about
what / should do il | were in your place,
and I told you then that had nothing
now to do with it, and as they were
both friends Of mine, had excellent reasons
for not meddling with what does not con-
Germ me-"
"Yes," replied Ringwood, who had evil
IDENTIFY got up his brief with great care
''but you would not see the young lady
sacrificed fraudulently to Pegram when
it is within your power to prevent it,
ALLOW me TO remark that | know
nothing about any fraud; and as for the
lady, she is going to marry Bob Pegran
of her own free will, and it is most obvi-
ously no business of mine even If she
is only marrying him to please her rela-
TONS"
He took the letter that Ringwoo6
preferred. He read it carefully, and as
| he concluded. said:
"Well, the writer speaks her mind pref
| ~ plainly. She is the young lady's grand
mother, is she rot? 1t does seem rather
throwing herself away" continued the
manager, "a beautiful girl like Miss Phil
| limore marrying such a one-horse looking
concern as Bob Pegram. Still, though
| they won't match, Bob is good-tempereC
fellow; they will have plenty of GOLD
| dust, and l have no doubt will run 70
| gether pretty comfortably"
But STILL" burst in hot-headed Jacl
| Phillimore, you are an old friend of Lore
| Lakington's; you would surely not SEE
his daughter made miserable for life By
| being married to a man she cannot care
! about-a man like Pegram, whose account