The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-03-24


a. Of Neergard, he had
meant to deal him crashing blow at
the breakaway which would settle him
forever and incidentally bring to a cri-
sis his own status in regard to his
wife.
Whether or not his wife was men,
tally competent he did not know. He
did not know anything about her. But
he meant to.
That she had been and probably now
was under Selwyn's protection he be-
lieved. What she and Selwyn intended
to do he did not know. But he wanted
to know. He dared not ask Selwyn-
dared not because he was horribly
afraid of Selwyn-dared not yet make
legal issue of their relations, Of her
sequestration or of her probable con-
tinued infirmity because of his phys
lcal fear of the man.
But there was, or he thought that
there had been, one way to begin the
matter, because the matter must SOON
er or later be begun, and that was to
pretend to assume Neergard RESPONSE
BILE and on the strength of his wife's
summer sojourn aboard the Niobrara
turn on Neergard and demand a reck-
oning which he believed Selwyn
would never hear of.
Ruthven was too deadly afraid Of
Selwyn to begin suit at that stage of
the proceedings. All he could do was
to start, through his attorneys, a
search for his wife and meanwhile try
to formulate some sort of definite plan
in regard to Gladys Orchil.
This. in brief, was Ruthven's general
scheme Of campaign, and the entire
affair had taken some sort of shape
and was slowly beginning to move
when Neergard's illness came as an
absolute check, just as the first pa
pers were about to he served on him.
There was nothing to do but wait
until Neergard got well, because his
attorneys simply scoffed at any sug-
gestion of settlement out of court, and
Ruthven didn't want suit involving
his wife's name while he and Selwyn
were in the same hemisphere.
But he could still continue an unob-
trusive search for the whereabouts of
his wife, which he did. And the
chances were that his attorneys would
find her without great difficulty, be-
cause Selwyn had not the slightest
suspicion that he was being followed.
In these days Selwyn's life was
methodical and colorless In its rou
, tine to the verge of dreariness.
: When he was not at the government
proving grounds on Sandy Hook h,
remained in his room at Lansing's
doggedly forcing himself into the only
alternate occupation sufficient to dul
the sadness of his mind-the prepara
ton of a history of British military
organization in India and its possible
application to present conditions in tn,
Philippines.
He had given up going out-made n,
further pretense-and Boots let hin
alone.
Once a week he called at the Ge
rards', spending most of his time Will,
there with the children. Sometimes h,
saw Nina and Eileen, usually just re
turned or about to depart for som,
function, and his visit, as a rule, endet
with a cup of tea alone with Austir
and quiet cigar in the library.
:
The elopement Of Gerald and Gladys
made splash in the social puddle
Eileen, loyal, but sorrowfully amaz
ed at her brothers exclusion Of her IL
such a crisis, became slowly over
whelmed with the realization of &c
loneliness and took to the seclusion o.
her own room, feeling fearful ant
abandoned and very much like q yer,
little girl whose heart was becoming
far too full of all sorts of sorrows.
Nina misunderstood her, finding he
lying on her bed, her pale face Pill
lowed in her hair.
"Only horribly ordinary people will
believe that Gerald wanted her mon
ey," said Nina, "as though an Enrol
considered such matters at all or need
ed to. Boots is a dear. Do you know
what he's done?"
"What?" asked Eileen listlessly, rails
ing the back of her slender hand from
hSh SJCS W pSSI Ut IN1ud through Iut
glimmer of tears.
"Well, he and Phil have moved ou
of Boots house, and Boots has wireC
Gerald and Gladys that the house Il
ready for them until they can find {
place of their own. OF course they'll
both come here. In fact, their luggag,
is upstairs now. Boots takes the blu'
room and Phil his old quarters. Blu
don't you think 1t is perfectly sweet o.
Boots? And isn't it good to have Philll
back again"
''Yes," said Eileen family.
Nina laid a cool, smooth hand across
her forehead. pushing back the hair, {
light caress sensitive as an unaskeC
question.
But there was no response, and pres
emily the elder woman rose and wen
.. out along the landing, and Eileel
.. heard her laughingly greeting Boots
who had arrived posthaste on learning
that Drina was indisposed.
"Don't be frightened. The littl,