Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-05-13

court have proved again and again
The next day at the house where
Hume had been staying l heard all
about it. They'd been married in the
farmhouse parlor in Scotch fashion !;
they had declared themselves man
and wife before several witnesses, and
they had entered their names, and
the witnesses had entered theirs at
testing the marriage, in the farmers
big old Bible. And there | saw the
names Frank Carr and Olive Van
stone. I was sufficiently curious to
make inquiries about the legality of
such marriage, entered into by the
woman, at any rate, in good faith.
Absolutely valid"
Bonholt Hume sat without speak
ing. Even Strangways felt suddenly
rather sorry for him.
THAT, of course, was in Phil's faith
er's time. When 1 next met Phil he
had succeeded to the property. l
asked him about the lady. He was
nervous, 1 could see. He told me he
had kept his marriage quiet because
of his father, knowing the old man
wouldn't approve; that since, unhap-
PLY, the lady had died suddenly
abroad, in Switzerland, to his great
grief, he had never made his mar
riage public, and asked me to keep
mum. l had no reason for doubling
him, especially as he spoke SO feeling
ly of her. Judge of my surprise at
seeing woman I believed dead in
Wildfell tonight. Then I understood.
Evidently Philip had tired of her
had discarded her; told her some
tale, no dOubt-either that the false
name invalidated the marriage, or
that they had been married on this
side of the border-not married at all,
in fact. And now she must have
traced him here in some way, evil
IDENTIFY not knowing she was legally
his wife, for one can only assume
that; of course, she'd have come for
ward otherwise. l don't think any the
better of the dead mamie was al
ways rather blackguard where
women were concerned. I'm no saint,
but draw the line at some things
Il don't believe it, said Bonholt,
suddenly. His voice seemed to have
quavered to shrillness.
We'll naturally you don't want to
believe it. Only don't have any illu-
sions. 1t strikes me that if any kind
friend were to open Miss Vanstone's
eyes you would find you hadn't so
much right to this Inheritance as you
imagine. If a kind friend told her,
BOnhOlt- You see, | could prove
who Carr was. Oh, there'd be no
difficulty, with my help, in proving
her the dead mans widow"
'Hush!' muttered BonhoIt sudden
ly leaning across the table and spas
medically clutching the other mans
wrist. The door opened and the
manseryant came in-the taciturn
manservant Bonholt had brought with
him from the house he had lived in
when Philip was alive. Matthew
Bland his name was
DO you know, Hume, I don't like
that man." said Strangways, after
Matthew Bland had gone out again.
Don't quite know why, but the feel
ing's there. I've noticed that he
watches you, when he's in the room,
as if
ooh, that's nonsense!" cried Hume
quickly. But there was look in his
eyes that, no less than a little ex-
element in his manner as he made
the disclaimer, impressed Strangways
curiously Was Bonholt Hume afraid
of this man, he found himself won.
dering.
Bonholt crumbled his bread ner-
vously for a moment: his lips moved
as if he were about to speak Then
suddenly he added
"And suppose it were true-I don't
say that | believe you-what do you
mean to do?''
Il was waiting for you to say that?
said Strangways, lighting a cigarette
| thoughtfully after all, she might
have difficulty in proving, her case
unless chose to go to lot of trouble
because | should be an important
witness; no end of trouble for me
Besides, just now it so happens that
you can be uncommonly useful to me
Hume"
''You mean about these old debts, >
said the older man, quickly. "Of
course, unless | remain in undisputed
| i,,1,
| this woman has any real claim
couldn't settle up with you. OF
course what | said just now about
the gaming act was merely a joker
you understood that?"
"Just SO; a fascinating joke" muir
INJURED his guest, dryly, who knew ex
actly how much value to attach tC
his friends explanation. only
wasn't thinking of that when | spoke
But that reminds me. If l decide
| that it is not incumbent on me to &C
quaint Mrs. Philip Hume of this fact
you'll have to do something for her.
And he looked hard at Bonholt.
| What do you mean?"
'"This-that I've got a bit of a con
science left. You will have to put up
say, a thousand pounds for her. She
needn't know where it come from
you can leave that to me. I'm coins
70 renew my acquaintance with her
and my solicitors will invent some
plausible story, so that she'll think
some relative she's never heard oil
has left her the money. That's 6
stipulation. If you don't agree-well
I shall risk not getting back what you
owe me, pretty stiff amount though