The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-03

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and his voice showed that he was
greatly disquieted what h he iikeY''
"As well as can tell you. he's like
an odd but very engaging boy, with
something pathetic about him; quite
splendidly handsome"-
"Oh, he had good looks to spare
wAen first knew him. George said
bitterly.
mo. When he came here he did not
know Of her existence except in the
vaguest way. But, to go back to that,
I'd better tell you first that the woman
we saw with him one day on the
boulevard and who was in the acct
dent with him.
LA Mursiana, the dancer; 1 know"
"She had got him to go through a
marriage with her."
"What?" Wards eyes flashed as
he shouted the word.
ut seems inexplicable; but, as 1 I'M
derstand it. he was never quite sober
at that time. He had begun to use
drugs and was often in half stupe-
fed condition. AS matter of fact the
woman did what she pleased with
him. There's no doubt about the va
lidity Of the marriage"
George asked suddenly, ibid this
marriage take place in Francer'
"Yes; you'd better hear me through"
l demonstrated. "When he was taken
from the hospital he was placed in
charge Of Professor Keredec. mad
man Of whom you've probably heard"
"Madman? Why, no: he's a member
Of the institute. a psychologist or meta
physician, isn't he? At any rate, of
considerable celebrity"
Nevertheless" insisted grimly, "as
misty vaporer as l ever saw; poet
ic, self contradicting and inconsistent
orator. Harman's aunt put him in
Keredec's charge, and he was taken
up into the Tyrol and virtually hidden
for two years, the idea being literally
to give him something like an educa-
ton. keredec's phrase is. restore
mind to his soulv 1t was as vital to
get him out Of his horrible wife's
clutches. But she picked up that rat
In the garden out yonder-he'd been
some sort Of stable manager for Har-
man once-and set him on the track"
"She wants money, of course"
Eyes; more money. A fair allowance
has always been sent to her. Keredec
has interviewed her notary, and she
wants settlement, naming a sum ac-
tually larger than the whole estate
amounts to. She refuses to bulge I'M
til this impossible settlement is made
In the meantime Keredec's ward is in
so dreadful state of horror and grief
am afraid 1t is possible that his mind
may really give way"
when was it that Louise saw him?"
"Ah, that" said, sis where Keredec
has been poet and a dreamer indeed,
1t was his plan that they should meet"
"You mean he brought this wreck of
Hartman, these husks and shreds Of a
man, down here for Louise to see?"
Ward cried incredulously. "Oh, mon
strousv'
"There is something behind all this
that you don't know" he said slowly
"When did Keredec make you his con-
fdant?'
Last night. Most of what l learn.
ed was as much revelation to his vic
| tim as it was to me. Hartman did not
know till then that the lady he had
been meeting has been his wife or that
he had ever seen her before he came
here. He had mistaken her name and
she did not enlighten him."
"Meeting?" said Ward harshly.
"They have been meeting every day
George"
II won't believe it,"
ats true. He spoke to her in the
woods one day; 1 was there and saw
1t. l know now that she knew him
at once, and she ran away, but not in
anger. They've been together every
day since then, and I'm afraid-mis-
erably afraid, Ward-that her old feel
ing for him has been revived"
have heard Ward use an oath only
two or three times in my life, and this
was one of them.
"Oh, by - he cried. starting to
his feet. II should like to NEE. Pro
lessor Keredec."
II am at your service. my dear sir, y
said deep voice from the veranda
And. opening the door, the professor
walked into the room.
CHAPTER XII.
SAID cavalierly: "This is Mr..
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