Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-01-10

one subject connected with il caicu-
lated TO excite cUrioSity-the necessity
for keeping the marriage from his
wife's aunt and consequently from the
world-he said nothing
IN AinswoCrh's illness on the way
Gus ! recognized hereditary trouble
which believed would eventually
cause his death. on the return voyage r
it attacked him again. This time 1
was not rs fortunate rs before in ar
restnE it, and before We reached Homo
lulu had made NJ my mind that he Z
had hest remain there in Il hospital,
where he could get better attention
than aboard ship. But was unable to
remain with him, and he would not
leave the ship without me
shortly before reaching San Fran
cisco l was Obliged to tell my friend
and patient that he would not be likely
70 live through the voyage. aad if there
was anything ghat needed attention
before his death he had better attend
TO it. tIe was not surprised. but said
that there was nothing to he done ex-
cept thut he wished me TO insert
death notice in the San Francisco pa
pers To be copied In those OF New York.
His vie would thus he appraised Of his
death, which was all that was ueces-
sary. She was young aud would doubt
less marry again.
The day before his death he handed
me 4 note addressed to his wife. ask
ing me TO find her and give it to her. l
wished to. know if there was any need
for haste in the matter. and he said
there was not. any time within a 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 wifes 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 1 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 nj 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
mad the means with which to acquire
practice in some american city. The
only advance | made was in securing
a position as physician on an Atlantic
liner.
On Cpa OF nv vovau nS from TnDdpD
TO New York | was called upon to
attend lady who was i'll 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 l had been eating her for several
days. when the stewardess referred TO
her as Miss Bradley. Without dreaming
that had fallen in with one in whom
l had been Interested I 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. AinswCrth 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 50 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 do
so on impulse As to their future moth
ing had been decided when they part
ed If the wife left her aunt for her
husband she must give up fortune 1t
was possible that had Ainsworth lived
the couple might have lived apart till
the aunt died. She had mania for
travelling ana 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 a good
price
! hethought myself Of the note Aims
worth had given me for delivery, but
had long ceased to carry II with me at
sea. so | took the IaIv's address AMI
agreed to take it to her after reachint
port
When my ship sailed again | did not
sail with her. had delivered Aims
worth's note to his wife. who tore 1t
oDCn. read it and looked at me with a
singular expression on her face. lBvol-
UNFAIRLY ! reached for the paper. but
she declined to let NE have it: then,
suddenly changing her mind. she handed
it 10 me and turned away as ] read IT,
Ii contained a request that she should
marry the man who had been kind to
her husband and whom he so well
loved
Thus ii was, as / have said at the be-
ginning Of my story. that ! became a
participant In strange happening
/ which made me thn husband Of one
who expected 70 pass ncr life with an
other. man. | married her. and it was
! with means provided 10y her tina: was
I enabled to establish myself as a med.
/ zeal practitioner ashore.
/ IAN. 10 IN american