The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-05-17

that the little coterie of singers at last
began to connect her name with his In
a more tender connection than friend
ship. Then one day he saw a notice
in newspaper that the prima donna
was to marry an American gentleman
whom she had met in Russia shortly
before her visit to the United States
Hooper was naturally very angry at
the publication of this bit of Informal
ton, which had not been authorized.
He went to the Office of the paper con-
tanning it and complained. He was
shown the manuscript of the item,
which had come in from an unknown
person. He did not recognize the
name signed to 1t as belonging to any
one he knew. Nevertheless there
was something about the handwriting,
which was evidently a woman's, that
was familiar to him. 1t looked like an
unsuccessful attempt at disguise. He
could not divest himself of the feel
ing that he had known the writer or
had at least seen her handwriting.
When the opera season came to a
close Hooper went to his home. The
first thing he did after his return was
to visit his wife's grave. He did so
with mingled emotions, among which
was a desire to see If there was any
further evidence of the unknown friend
or lover.
He found the grave strewn with
fresh cut flowers. A cry escaped him.
Had the grave been desecrated he
would have been enraged. This token
of an unknown affection filed him
with agony.
The mystery, with its distressing at
tendant conditions. began to wear so
upon the widower that he feared they
might unbalance his brain. Could he
have found clew to work on his In
vestigations would have been relief.
As it was he could only brood.
One day he formed a resolution to
bury it all In a new interest. Nine.
Veltsvolsky had shown great partial
ity to him, but that she would marry
him he did not know. She had gone
to the country, and there he followed
her. He told her that through her, and
her alone, he could secure comfort
Would she receive a love that had
withered, but which she could warm
into a new life?
Then she confessed that she had
loved him during their meeting in Rus
sia and had loved him ever since.
"But. knowing that you had a wife,"
she added, whom you loved | gave
no sign. only feared that you might
hn drov MN from hor f0 mo Won moro
unconscious of your danger"
Then Hooper remembered the mem
ton he had made in his letters to his
wife Of his new found friend and won
dered If she had been jealous.
They were engaged. Veltsvolsky
soon after passed through the place
where Hooper lived, and he had per-
suaded her to stop over for a day
that he might show her the home In
which it was expected she would In
future live. After inspecting it she
expressed a desire to visit his dead
wife's grave. When he asked her why
she could not tell him.
1t was a bright morning in early
summer when they drove to the Gene
terry. AS they walked along one of
the avenues leading to the lot Hoop
er's quick eye d.,cerned a figure trim
ming rosebush that hung over the
grave of his wife His heart throbbed
with a sudden relief when he saw it
was a woman. They were about en-
tering the gate when the figure turned.
Hooper staggered and caught at the
iron fence.
He saw his wife in the flesh.
Clarence" she said. IT lie in that
grave. BY your letters 1 knew that
your heart had been given to another.
l took advantage of the disaster that
occurred at the time to die to you
Sarah Ingalls, helped me, and wen
to Europe with her before you re
turned. / did this to give you every
opportunity to win your new love. she
whom see with you. l have devoted
myself to bringing you together. To
suggest to you the fact that you loved
l wrote the item that prematurely an
nounced your engagement. l have
known of your every movement and
have calmly awaited this result. &c
and make your application for divorce.
and l viii aid you to get it."
Six months from that time Hooper
mad divorced his wife and roarried his
new love,