The Wagner post. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1912-current, 1912-06-28
The HEART OF A WOMAN
BY BARONESS ORGY.
Author Of "Ths Scarlet PimperneI" "Pettico.t Rule. Etc

SYNOPSIS.
The story opens in Brussels. Louisa
Harris. a charming English girl OF family,
friends AMI wealth, while absently walk
ing along the Boulevard Waterloo in a
November rain. runs into a tragedy.
A man is found murdered in a taxi
cab: his companion who had left the cab
some time before and told the chauffeur
TO drive to a certain address, has disap-
peared and is unknown.
The scene shifts to London. Luke de
MountfOrd. Louisa'S a~ffianced, the nephew
and heir of the eccentric and wealthy
Lord Radcliffe, is in trouble. An alleged
direct heir, the son OF another
brother. has notified Lord Radcliffe of his
claims. The old man. passionately fond
of Luke. claims that he has examined the
papers n that the Is an I'M
postor-
Suddenly the alleged Phillip de Mount
ford appears in London. After a short in
teryiew with Lord Radcliffe his claims
are recognized and he is Installed as heir.
Without explanation Luk Is practically
disowned. Phillip seems to exert unlimit-
ed influence over Lord Radcliffe wnlcn
puzzles his friends and defes investiga-
ton. Lord Radcliffe will explain to no
one.
A year has passed since the tragedy In
Brussels. Suddenly it is repeated in ev-
cry detail In Tendon. The victim Is PM,
lip de Mountford. Every circumstance and
a very apparent motive points to the DIS
placed nephew, Luke, as the murderer. In
vain, Louisa. in her blind faith, tried TO
prove Luke innocent. Every investigation
brightens the chains of evidence. At the
coroner's inquest the startling develop
ment that the murdered man is not Phillip
de Mountford but a common scoundrel de-
nounced by his father and mother, who
plicates the situation. 1t does not in the
least upset the appalling proofs of Luke
guilt. A warrant is issued for his arrest
but because of his station in life the police
secretly warn him to leave the country
before the warrant is served. This he pre-
pares 10 do. Louisa sees him and asks
him pointediy for the truth. He con-
fesseS his guilt.
CHAPTER XV-(Continued.)
He was certainly not going to tell
this man that he had made his way
through the fog as far as the residence
of the Danish minister, and that he had
walked up and down for over an aour
outside that house like a love sick fool,
like a doting idiot, because he knew
that If he waited patiently he would
presently hear the faint echo of a well
trainel contralto voice whose mellow
ness would come to him through the
closed windows of the brilliantly Hum
ment the wild longing of his heart.
What the man near him sal in an
swer to his retort he really could not
say. He had not heard, for in a mo-
ment his thoughts had flashed back to
that lonely vigil in the fog, to the
SOUND Of her voice, which came, oh! SO
family. to his ear and then to the first
breath of gossip that came from the
passersby, the coachmen and chauffers
who had drawn up in long rows along
the curb, the idlers who always hang
about outside in the cold and the damp
when a society function is in progress,
the piokersup of unconsidered trifies,
lost or willingly bestowed.
ron these he had first heard the
news; vaguely at first, for ne did not
could not-realize that the amazing
thing which was being commented on
and discussed had anything to do with
him. The talk was of murder, and
soon the name of de Mountford was
mentioned. The details he got were
very confused and the open illusions
as to seek whom the crime will bene-
fit" never really reached his brain,
which was almost numb with the vio-
lence of the shock.
His first thought after that was to
go and see Uncle Rad; he had, for the
moment, almost forgotten Louisa. Ev-
cry other interest in life sank to moth
ingness beside the one clear duty;
Uncle Rad would be alone; the awful
news must be broken very gradually
to Uncle Rad. He had hurried to
Grosvenor square, only to find that en-
issaries of the police had f%orestalled
him in his duty.
All this he could no explain to the
man Travers. 1t would have sounded
lame and hardly plausible. Nowadays
ncn 90 not walk outside houses where
In their liege lady dwells, and, if they
DO, they do not choose a foggy night
for the sentimental d~alliance. He was
thankful. therefore, that Travers put
no further questions to him, and mere
~ said, with a return to his original
politeness:
Il am greatly Obliged to you, sir. /
don't think l need detain you any long
er. You said you had an engagement
later on; won't you keep this cab?"
TT is close by" he said.
May / call on you tomorrow morn
ing, sir?"
If it is necessary"
Il am afraid so. You see, we don't
like to trouble Lord Radycliffe and we
must try and obtain knowledge of GER
tain facts and verify Others"
Quite SO. Well, tomorrow them"
Thank you, sir. Your address is-?'
Fairfax Mansions, Exhibition road
Such a nice neighborhood. No fog
there tonight, 1 think"
II hope o Good night"
fGood night, sir"
~ LUX made his escape from the cab.
He was afraid of missing Louisa and
her father. His thoughts were some
Mwhat in a whirl, and-being overbur-
Gehed with matters of paramount i'm
portance-were inclined to dwell on
s.trAyies. &
81 ought" he reflected, ito have TAX
eh that mans cab. 1t Epight be diff
cult to get another and Colonel Harris
hates waiting in a crowded hail."
CHAPTER XVI.