Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-06-17
CHAPTER "
HAVE ATONED AND

al II.
! THROUGH MY PUNISHMENT"
For Bertram Delmar and Mildred Gay
ford the winter dragged slowly on.
lie went down to Whitemere, and the
gossips there noticed that he was an
altered man.
They soon found out that something
had come between him and Mrs. Cay
ford, because Lady Broadhurst, in her
usual polite manner, had asked him
point blank all about his engagement,
and though she had got little out of him
as to the why and wherefore of the SEN
aration, yet her ladyship questioned so
mlnutely that entire evasion was out of
the question.
He grew morose and gloomy; people
still asked him to their houses, but.
whenever it was possible, he refused
their invitations, and when he sometimes
went to a card or dinner party. the
guests noticed how changed he was, and
missed the quiet fun and wit for which
he had, in the old days, been so distin-
guished.
Mrs. Gaylord still lived on in London.
This last cruel blow seemed to have
taken every bit of energy and love of
life out of her.
She was content to let the DAYS and
weeks slip by unaccounted for and I'M
enjoyed. She would sit whole DAYS in
her pretty drawing room, and with a bit
of fancy work in her half idle fingers,
would dream the hours away in a sad
reyerie.
Or she would 60 to her piano and
finger over the songs she knew Bertram
had loved, trying to fancy he was still
by her side, pretending that she could
hear him praise her or ask for one verse
over again.
Her brougham and horses were but
seldom in request, and so une time
passed on, until the snow melted, and
the crocuses and snowdrops showed their
heads.
One evening Mildred was sitting as
usual, thinking and idle, when she heard
a noise of hurried feet outside the room
and then the door was thrown open.
Mildred The police are after me
but they won't think to find me here; /
was warned of this yesterday by a
friend, and have lodged and doubled till
reached here"
what do you mean? What have you
done ?"
ooh, nothing, my dear, to tell O. WON.
an. VIII you let me stay here for a
night or two2"
abandoned wretch you are, but still
my husband! This is indeed a punish
ment greater than I can bear. I cannot
turn you out, though the sight of you
is hateful to me-"
"Then give me another room, and I
won't trouble you with my presence"
What was she to do? She rang for
her housekeeper, and they assigned the
unwelcome visitor room at the top of
the house.
Now GO" said Mildred. "and remem-
Der that if I see your face again I will
give you up to Justice"
After he had gone from the room she
sat down to think Why should she not
get rid of this man By giving him up to
the polce2
Her heart beat faster as she thought
of it, and then a softer influence came
over her. No! he was her husband; it
would be too unnatural, too unwomanly;
he must remain for little while till it
was safe for him to get away.
So she sat thinking for long time,
till she rose to 90 to her bedroom.
Hark! What was that outside 4?
Voices whispering. Then James threw
open the door, and without being an
nounced three tall men-police officers in
plain dress Enthusiastically the
room.
Every sorry to intrude upon a lady.
but business must be attended to. We
have reason to believe that man named
GAYLORD, with several aliases, is in this
house, and we hold a warrant for his
arrest"
"Whv should you think he is here?"
~Well. ma'am, with your permission
we will search the house; you see YOU
both bear the same name, and we hardly
know what to make of it. But we must
not stay talking or our bird may have
flown"
Mildred heard the officer give some or
ders to his men as they quilted the
apartment, and then she sat in a fever
Of suspense listening, hardly able to
analyze her own emotions, not knowing
whether good or evil was to come of
this
After time she heard the heavy
tramp Of feet coming downstairs; the
hall door slammed, and then one of the
officers came into the room where she
was sitting.
81 thought you might like TO know we
have arrested this man GAYLORD on a
charge OF forgery" he said. "Seven
years ago he was imprisoned for the
same offense, and has been under our
surveillance since he was released on
tick.t-of leave year ago"
Afiil-e5 chung TO 4 chair.
What ia it you are saying1" she
~ sped. This man Charles GAYLORD is
nv husband. He was never imprisoned"
This is rot Charles Gaylord. though