Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1914-11-20
CHAPTER Liv.
The Wife.

Again tIIto udy5 elapsed, anu Ju-
dith, returning from the double tl-
neral vi her father and sister, dotted
her mourning for gown less somber
and more suited TO the atmosphere OF
d siekroom, then relieved the nurse
In charge Of Alan
He remained as he had been ever
since the falling OF the thunderbolt-
III absolute coma
But he lived, and or the physicians
lied must soon regain consciousness.
kne4ling beside his bedside Judith
PRAYED long and earnestly
When she arose II was 10 answer
a tap upon the door She admitted
Tom Barcus and suffered him TO lead
her into the recess OF the window.
where they conyersed IN guarded
tones III spite OF the fact that the
subject of their communications could
not possibly have heard them.
I've come to tell you something"
Barcus announced with characteristic
aWkwardness. I've known 1t for
three days-ever since the wedding
IN fact-and kept It TO myself, not
knowing whether ought to tell you
yet OF not"
He paused, cycling her uncertainty
unhappily
81 am prepared" Judith assured
him calmly
You're nothlne Of the sort" he
countered. arguIncntative You
couldn't be. It's the most amazing
thing imafinabe See here :"
Well"
You understand, don't you, that
Alan must never know that Rose was
killed by that lightning stroke?
What do you mean"
81 mean" the man 6oundered mis-
erably, you see, he loved her SOL
thought-lm sure it would be best
II you can bring yourself to ito let
him 90 on believing 1t wasn't Rose
who was killed, but Judith And that's
skating so close to the truth that It
makes no difference the Judith Alan
knew and the Judith knew In the
beginning is gone as completely as
though she and not Rose had been
killed
After long pause. the girl asked
him quietly: Il understand But Is
1t possible YOU don't understand that,
II were to consent to this proposi.
ton, lend myself to deception which
must maintain through all my life
to COMEDIAN would consider me his
wife,"
Well, but--you see-you are his
wife Oh. don't think I'm of my
bat I'm telling you the plain. unvar.
nished truth You are Alan's wife.
No. listen to me You remem-
Der that day In New York when you
substituted for Rose, when Alan tried
to elope with her. and you went with
him to Jersey City, and stood up to be
married by preacher.guy named
Marrophat broke In Just
at the critical moment and busted up
the party?"
"Well?" she demanded breathlessly. I
Barcus produced a folded yellow past
per from his coat pocket and prof.
fered It.
Read that 1t was handed to me
rs best man, just before the cere.
mony. Seeing II was addressed to
Alan and knowing he was In no frame
of mind to be bothered BY kilograms,
slipped 1t into my pocket and forgot
all about II temporarily. When
came to find It, took the liberty of
It, But read 1t for yourself"
The typewriter lines Of the long
message blurred and ran together al.
most indeoipherably In Judlth's vision.
None the less. she contrived to grasp
he substance Of Its meaning
WHY nIDN'T YOU WIRE ME-
SOONER II ran: MARRIAGE TO
ROSE IMPOSSIBLE. REV, MR..
WRIGHT INFORMED ME YOUR
MARRIAGE TO JUDITH LAST
WEEK HAD GONE TOO FAR WHEN
dARRoPHAT INTERRUPTED. JU.
9TH LEGALLY YOUR WIFE.
WOULD HAVE ADVISED YOU
SOONER HAD YOU LET ME KNOW
WHERE TO ADDRESS You. HOPE