The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-01-28

cept that he wished me to insert a
death notice in the San Francisco pa
pers to be copied In those of New York.
His wife would thus be apprised of his
death, which was all that was neces
sary. She was young and would doubt
less marry again.
The day before his death he handed
me a note addressed to his wife, ask
ing me to find her and give 1t to her
wished to know If there was any need
for haste in the matter, and he said
there was not. any time within year
would suffice The note was sealed
but there was no address given Aims
worth In explanation of this said that
so long as his wife's aunt lived she
would be travelling, and this would
necessitate her niece being with her
Therefore l would have to find her on
the wing.
On reaching port l attended to what
ever my friend had charged me to do.
and 1t seemed to me that my connec
ton with him and his was ended. He
had attached so little Importance to
the note he had given me to deliver to
his wife that put off taking any
steps to accomplish its delivery from
time to time. till at last it seldom came
into my mind Seven years passed
during which | was constantly at sea
l regretted that / had doomed myself
to be a wanderer and wished that
had the means with which to acquire a
practice In some American city The
only advance | made was in securing
a position as physician on an Atlantic
liner.
On one of my voyages from London
to New York | was called upon to
attend lady who was Ill In her state
room. She was suffering from nervous
ness induced by long care of a relative
who had died abroad and was bringing
the body home on the same ship with
her. l didn't learn my patients name
till had been treating her for several
days, when the stewardess referred to
her as Miss Bradley. Without dreaming
that / had fallen in with one in whom
! had been Interested | made inquiries
and discovered that my patient was
none other than Mrs. Ainsworth
Naturally. after this discovery we
had much to interest US mutually
Mrs. AinswOrth kept me talking con
stantly about her husband, and before
the voyage ended explained the mys
terry that attended their marriage Her
aunt. who was quite wealthy, had made
her her heir provided she would stand
by the old lady so long as she lived
This, of course. precluded marriage
Ainsworth had joined them in Hong.
kong for the purpose of persuading her
to marry him. She had consented to dc
so on impulse. As to their future moth
ing had been decided when they part.
ed. II the wife left her aunt for heI
husband she must give up fortune. II
was possible that had Ainsworth lived
the couple might have lived apart till
the aunt died She had a mania for
travelling and had dragged her niece
all over the globe with her. The old
lady had finally died In London. and
her niece had at last acquired the for
tune for which she had paid good
price.
l bethought myself Of the note Aims
worth had given me for delivery. but !
had long ceased to carry it with me al
sea. so | took the lady's address and
agreed TO take it to her after reaching
port
When my ship sailed again | did moi
sail with her. ! had delivered Aims
worths note to his wife. who tore II
open. read 1t and looked at me with q
singular expression ON her face. Invol
unfairly | reached for the paper. but
abe declined to let me have it: then
suddenly changing her mind she handed
1t to me and turned away as | read il
1t contained a request that she should
marry the man who had been kind t.
her husband and whom he SO well
loved.
Thus it was, as | have said at the be
ginning of my story. that | became d
participant in strange happening
which made me the husband of one
who expected to pass her life with an
other man. married her and it was
with means provided by her that ! was
enabled to establish myself as med
tcal practitioner ashore