The Washington herald., 1910-11-02
The House OF Ill-Luck
By BLANCHE EARDLEY.
By BLANCHE EARDLEY.

in the register" Dacre said: "he had a
house in Bloomsbury square. and il was
there that this marriage that has robbed
you OF fortune-Or part of one-took
placer'
1T seems right enough then, Sir
Douglas replied, YEARLY. There can be
nothing wrong about IT, Besides, Usher
has offered me compensation as ne
calls il: l think he has behaved very
decently,"
Il won't say that till I know a little
more. Mr.. Dacre said, slowly; "for all
you and / know, this offer 10 buy Luck
House may be a sprat 10 catch a mack
erel, and your mother may be the wlsest.
after all, to insist on refusing TO sell IL.
But I'd like to get AT the bottom OF
Usher's plans. The solicitor who is doing
his business IS very uncommunicative,
that's why 7 wanted you 10 try and see
Usher personally; I'm sorry it's fallen
through"
The solicitors eyes twinkled when he
was alone
Il wonder whether it is devotion to
Lady MalIaby or interest in her little
companion that is taking him back so
quickly Poor chap. He must feel that
he has no right 10 make love even TO his
mothers companion" Then he rang the
bell and when a clerk appeared he said.
curtly:
"Pullen, instruct Messrs. Hobbs and
Lane to find out ali they can about the
lady mentioned in this marriage certifi-
cate Say it is urgent" Then. when the
door had closed again he muttered, softly.
Il don't know why / am following the
affair Of Stephen Usher's marriage any
further. but somehow am interested for
poor old Douglas sake-he's had such
| hard luck a"
Two days later he received a call from
the head clerk from Messrs. Hobbs and
Lanes Inquiry Agency, who told him that
the girl mentioned IN the marriage certi-
/ ficate had come 10 London TO look for
work on the death Of her father, her only
relative, who had been a curate in the
country. and that she had gone regularly
10 an agency for governesses and secre-
tartes
And then" Mr.. Dacre said, what did
you find out about her marriage"
That's where we are puzzled. SIR
the man replied. I'VE traced her TO a
room in Bloomsbury. but the lsndlady
was In the hospital with smallpox. and no
one knew any thing except that she had
/ left just about the time Of the wedding
and then ] made the final discovery"
What was that2" Mr.. Dacre said
eagerly. II he could succeed IN finding out
some piece Of trickery In this marriage
OF Stephen Ushers 1t would mean every
thing 10 his friend.
THAT a body which was identified as
that Of Rosemary Fenchester was run
over and killed in the Gray's Inn road.
the clerk replied.
Run over-klHed"' Mr. Dacre started
10 his feet IN amazement. Are you
sure?"
quite sure, The body was Identified
by man who said he was her brother. %
Did you learn anything more?" the
solicitor asked.
NO; only that he took her body away
for burial"
Mr. Dacre frowned thoughtfully. Then
II there had been no mistake Stephen
Usher had married this girl only 10 be-
come a WidoWer a couple Of hours later
IL was strange that she had been identi-
fed By her brother, but that perhaps was
accounted Tor by the fact that she may
have had a letter in her pocket bearing
her maiden name But what puzzled him
was that in his letter 20 him as the solicit
tor and executor Of old Ralph Savage.
stephen Usher should have said nothing
10 him about the fatal accident 10 his
young bride Was the man then utterly
callOus 10 everything but money. or was
there something odd about This marriage
that had taken place ju time 20 helm
stephen Usher 10 inherit Ralph SAVAGE
money The more he thought about H.
the more he wondered, and somehow he
could not shake of the idea that all was
not quite straightforward though he did
not doubt that the marriage had taken
place.
Suddenly his eyes shown with excite
ment. and he gave a queer little chuckle.
"By jCve' If / can find out any hauky
panky tricks over this viii business, IL
will mean all the difference TO my friend
Mallaby-if / fail it won't be because I
haven't tried. III begin, as our American
cousins say, right away"
TO BIZ CONTINUED TOMORROW.
Copyright 1893. by The North American COMPANY