The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-05-12
GU T OF T HE
NIGH T
Mrs. Baillie Reynolds
Author CT
"Broken Off," "The Supreme Test"
ga Phantom Wife, Etc.
Copyright, 1910
BY George H. Doran Company

as looking ILL.,"
She did not look we'll, certainly;
and I thought her depressed, too, as
notwithstanding was wearing to
health and spirits. She did not stay
long"
mo; she went straight on to Yeo-
stuff. The police are gone already
to find out what she bought, and
the chauffeur with them, to point out
the shop"
There is no suggestion-no sus-
picion-of suicide, is there?" asked
Mrs. Bardsley anxiously.
ooh, none at all. 1t was to all ap-
pearance quite unprecedented. She
left everything just as she expected
to put it on next day, she had her
usual book beside her bed, and her
reading-lamp. She had ordered the
car to drive her here today, and
spoke to her chauffeur of having
been unpunctual once or twice, say
ing she did not wish to arrive late
today. Had she meant to kill her
self, she would have left some sort
of note of farewell, one supposes, for
her husband, or have burned her
correspondence, or something of that
kind. But so far as one knows, there
was no reason at all why she should
kill herself. 1t seems clear case of
death by misadventure''
The terrible news was the one sub
ject of discussion. The whole neigh
borhood buzzed with it. Every one
bestowed upon Laura, dead, the SYM
pathy which they had so cold1y with
herd from her living. Since she could
never trouble them again, they could
afford to think of her kindly. The
deepest pity was expressed for her
husband, who had no doubt been de-
voted to her. He was said to be
carrying on like a mailman"
"Poor chap! he's brute, of
course, but honest, as dealers go. I
would as soon buy horse of him
as of any man I know" remarked
Lord Bunbury to Jem, as they stroll
ed together through the exhibits.
"He made fool of himself over this
woman, and I fancy she led him a
life of it. But you mark my words:
this FOSSIL break him down. He's an
older man than you think, for all
he's such a strong one; and he won't
get over this
Jem thought it very likely. He
was quite Supplied by the news. To
Laura's death had been intentional.
1t was easy to see that she would
wish to conceal the fact. But some
months ago, when he was in her con-
f1dence, he had gained an insight in
to the state of affairs at Barrow End;
and, though one could not have anti |
cipated this end, one could not feel
it unlikely.
His mind was plunged in dark |
abyrinths of gloomy Renaissance |
and disturbing thought; and he came |
back to the present with start, up
On hearing that his lordship was
making some kind of proposition to |
him.
When he grasped the nature of it, |
he was so surprised that he had no |
word to say. Lord Bun was offering !
him the agency of his Scottish prop
erty at Dunglen. It was a good ap-
oointment, and his lordship remark |
I'd that, as they lived there them |
selves for a great part of the year, |
t would be pleasant to have an |
agent of their own class, who could |
be an intimate friend of the family |
He went on to say that he had heard |
t pretty broadly limited in the neigh
Doriood that Jem's anxiety to leave
-arronlea was caused by a little |
at Wishfield, for which |
ne was responsible. He did not want |
% be thought lax, but it seemed to |
MIN people were too strait-laced in |
:hese matters. He heard that Jem
lad made proper provision, and as
Jar as he was concerned, there was
IN end. But it seemed a sensible |
hing to leave the neighborhood.
Jem was almost suffocated with |
surprise and rage. He stopped, turn
ID upon the poor old lord, and ad-
dressed him with a tone and manner
which struck terror into his heart.
He first of all insisted upon his
speaking out plainly-upon his say
ng exactly what he meant, and fur
FISHING the name of his informant.
And, when he had heard the accusa-
ion, and learned that this thing was
currently reported of him by those
whom he had called friends, his in
lignation, his resentment; almost
,aused him to lose his seif-control.
He said that this was the very first
ime he had heard of such a story.
There was not word of truth in
t. and he would track it to it's source
ind not leave the neighborhood until
lie had done so, if it took him six
months. He defied anybody to bring
,ne single shred of evidence against
lin. He would thank his lordship
o contradict it wherever he heard