The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-06-05
CHAPTER XIV.
Misfortune.


Naturally, my first impulse was 10
follow him. There We're many things
that should have liked 10 ask him,
man. questions he might have an
swersd. willingly or perhaps for
money. or. failing that, TO save his
stringy neck. That he was in reality
an oi dained minister with the right
10 perform the marriage ceremony.
had doubted from the very trst.
Nevertheless, there was always the
bare possibility that he was some
renegade of the cloth fallen from
what small grace he might once have
possessed, yet still in his debasement
rcta ming the power OF his ordination
TO misuse in any shady transaction
TO which fear or cupidity might lead
him Ana If he was a minister. the
probability was that our marriage
was not legal. that Nancy was really
mine. and the power o. law my right
| and dhle ally Above all things
should have liked 10 know whether
| | could claim her openly as was my
| right, or must take her back as she
| had been taken from me, by sheer
| force and by the right OF love alone.
! And yet | did not follow HIM There
was a chance-a bare chance-that
The had not recognized me, and that
! his presence in this low dive was sim
| ply lortuitous happening on his
weak and shameful road. III | follow
ed hin and questioned him. he must
% coarse recognize me, and, finding
me IL New York. instead of Marbury.
might guess Nancy's disappearance,
or at any rate. through my presence,
! have secret worth the selling. IL
was better. | thought, TO chance II.
and ii he had recognized Newell,
the harm was done: and Ephraim'
/ Bond Or the man In the brown derby,
or pei haps both OF them. could take
what profit they might from my pres
ence in New York.
As | sat waiting for my anonymous
correspondent, it seemed To me more
and more probable that this meeting
had not been a chance one; as time
passed and my correspondent did not
apuCSr. the thought took on a GER
ltainty But by whom, | wondered
had he been employed. 4 he had been
employed at all. | had met him as
I the creature OF Ephraim Bond, but II
that tricky old gentleman had sent
him here then Bond himself must
have been party TO Nancys disap-
pearanCG. which was sheer confusion,
for Stevens had not followed me into
the bar. but had been there upon my
arrival: which meant either that he
Mas there by chance, or could only
mean that my advertisement for Os-
car Slater had fallen into the hands
OF In man in the brown derby, who,
remembering the clues that he had
left n mine. had thought Of this pos
lsibi1ty in my search, and. on the
. chance. had arranged this pretended
meeting. The place and the incon-
eruous mystery OF il all lent color to
the idea for either my mere appear
ance had been all that my correspond
ent desired. or something had gone
fwrong with his plans, for, although
I waited for an hour. no one spoke to
me. Occasionally the doors would
swing. and some bleary derelict from
the world without would stumble Into
the bar. 70 lounge over drink for a
few minutes. and then stumble stupid
" OF again. From time TO time the
scarlet-faccd bartender would refill
} IL cir glasses with beer, but in all the
full hour | waited. the men who had
been stevens drinking companions
scarcely shifted their positions. nor
did either of them turn so that ] could
see his face They were men,
noticed. OF much the same pattern:
young men. | thought, whose monde
script old clothes covered bodies that
drink had not yet begun TO weaken.
! (ConiInuec.)