Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-26

Then came a report that an Ameri-
can lady travelling in the Holy Land
had been robbed and murdered. The
report was confirmed, and the lady's
name was given as Marcia Egerton.
She had gone off on an excursion to a
lonely place with a single guide where
there was something curious TO see.
and he had returned TO report that
they had been set upon by thugs. the
lady murdered and her money, includ-
ing travellers checks, taken. He said
that he had buried the body at the
place of the murder.
Baxter cabled and wrote to United
States consuls nearest the scene of the
tragedy asking for information. Moth
ing was adduced except the statement
of Miss Egerton's guide, which was
taken down in writing and sworn TO.
After waiting six months for the girl
to turn up, nothing having been heard
from her, the will was admitted to
probate.
The evidence of the testator's death
being deficient, the case dragged. Ger
tain relatives who had hoped TO bene-
fit by the will opposed a settlement of
the estate under the plea that there
was not sufficient evidence that Miss
Egerton was dead. 1t was six months
after the reported death that the chan
Gerry court agreed to pay over to bene-
fciaries the three parts into which the
estate was divided by the will.
About this time the announcement
was made Of the engagement of Cecil
Baxter and Agnes Hart. A statement
went forth that Marcia Egerton had
had a preseniment that she would be
summarily cut of and had requested
in the event Of her being so that the
lover was to marry her friend With
angelic unselfishness she had provided
in her will for their comfort This
satisfied every one except certain per-
sons who had been watching Mr.. Bax-
ter and Miss Hart. They averred that
though they might state truly Miss Egg
erton's part of the transaction it left
much to be explained on the part Of
the two who were about to be mar
ried and inherit a fortune from her
who was to have been the bride.
Baxter and Miss Hart were finally
able to count on a date when their IN
heritance would be paid over to them,
and they arranged to be married the
day after receiving it. They agreed
that they would place a stained glass
window in the church they attended to
the memory Of the noble girl who had
left each of them a comfortable for.
tune. The plan was laid, but the order
for the work was not to be given until
their property had been turned over to
them. For a wedding trip they were
to go to the Holy Land to gather infor-
nation of the woman they loved and.
if possible, bring the body home for
burial.
One day they received a notice from
their attorney that the papers in the
case of their inheritance would be ex-
ecuted the next morning at IL O'Clock.
On the appointed morning they call
ed on their lawyer and were taken 10y
him to the office where the transfer
was to be made. While they were sit
ting there two persons entered, one of
whom especially they had not expected
to see. They were Edwin Bond and
Marcia Egerton, now Mrs. Bond.
There is no record of what was
said between the testator, who had re-
turned to life, and her expected heirs.
All that is known about the sequel to
the meeting is that Mr.. Baxter and
Miss Hart were never married. As to
the memorial window, it was not re-
CURED
Many blamed Mrs. Bond for her ac-
ton in deceiving her two friends. es-
pecially for going abroad and hiring
a native to report her murdered. How
she made it up with Bond she never
told. but it was known that he wen
abroad white she was there and they
were married there.
1t has been said at the beginning Of
this story that Miss EGerton was a i;e-
culiar girl. What she meant by her
performance. at what point she dis
covered the truth about Baxter and
Agnes, she never told any one. She
certainly went far out Of her way 10
punish them. and p-nished them very
severely. Whether they received NOR.
than thev deserved is n question.