The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-04-16
He had been expected much earlier.

|
the family. AS soon as the young
couple were left alone he told his
bride to be the story of his arrest. She
listened eagerly and at bis conclusion
seemed much detected. Her parents
had not ceased to hold up to her the
risk she ran in marrying man she
knew so little about, who had no fam"
lily connections and whose childhood
! he had failed to account for. She
dreaded lest they would now refuse to
permit the wedding to come OF as had
been arranged.
The pair, after consultation, Joined
Mr.. and Mrs. Denton and made a clean
| breast Of what had occurred. 1t was
evident that both the father and moth.
! er regarded the matter as confirma-
ton Of their fears. MacKnight was
informed that the wedding day must
be put off indefinitely, by which he
understood that it would not take place
ut all with Mr.. and Mrs. Denton's con.
sent. After further consultation be-
tween the lovers, they agreed that the
wedding as arranged must be abandon.
ed. Leona was too distressed to talk
about the future, but she surely would
not go back on her lover without the
best of reasons.
The next morning mcknight went
to the Office Of his lawyer and was
much surprised and disheartened to
learn that it would be difficult to prove
that he was not the man he was sup
posed to be. True, if he were the
criminal, MacKnight must be account
ed for. But might not mcknight be
both himself and the criminal? Per-
sons had been known to lead double
lives before, and why not in this case?
At any rate, there must be trial,
which would attract a great deal of
attention, and, even if the prisoner
were acquitted, many persons would
believe him guilty.
Leona had an interview with her
parents, in which her father expressed
the opinion that there was something
wrong about her lover and that his
arrest was fortunate in that it had
saved her from union with GRIM
inal. The girl came from this inter-
view feeling that no matter what YER
dict jury might give with respect to
the charge against her lover her father
would believe him guilty.
Such was the situation Of this young
couple on the eve of the wedding day
that had been set, with all the attend
ant. expected happiness. But three
days interviewed before the intended
nuptials. A compromise had been ef-
fected between Leona and her parents
that the Invitations should be recalled
the next day. The lovers went for
final conference with the lawyer. He
advised his client to jump his bail, go
to foreign country under an assumed
name and begin life anew.
MacKnight. heartsick over the affair,
lreading trial and his inability to
account for his past childhood, decided
to act on this advice 1t therefore re-
manned with Leona whether she would
share his fate or endure a lifelong
separation from the man she loved.
It was question which suffered the.
more, MacKnight or the girl, whose
life would be wrecked If she stood by
him and would be blighted If she gave
him up A few hours Of deliberation
were sufficient for a decision. She
agreed to marry her lover secretly and
to 20 into oblivion with him.
MacKnight was leaving her home
after receiving this decision when he
met a man coming up the steps. The
conner said. he was looking for one
Arthur MacKnight. ~ am Arthur Mac
knight" III desire to confer with you"
The two went back into the house, and
the man said:
81 am John Eldredge Of Barker,
Smith & Eldredge, attorneys, of your
city. A few years ago a matter con-
corning you was left with us, you not
to be Informed of it till You came to be
twenty-five years old. But this charge
against you which we have seen print
ed in the newspapers has seemed to
warrant our communicating with you
earlier. You were born in wedlock.
but your father and mother are dead.
Circumstances stood in the way OF
your mother acknowledging you. Short
ly before she died she left a will in our
care leaving you her property, you to
be paid a part on reaching the age of
twenty-five and the rest at thirty. If
you need money for your defense Of
this charge against you think we can
enable you to borrow on your pros
poets"
Leona, who had heard her lover re-
turn to the house. at this juncture en-
tered the room. curious to know what
brought him back. MacKnight sprang
toward her, folded her in his arms and
covered her with kisses.
"The tide has turned" he cried. "All
will yet come out as we wish. This
gentleman has solved the mystery Of
my childhood"
It appeared that MacKnight was the
son Of persons Of refinement and that
he was heir to an estate Of some $780,
OOO The mystery Of his birth having
been solved, Mr.. Denton's suspicious
were allayed. and he sympathized sin
cerely with the young couple. Consid-
cradle money was spent on detectives
for the purpose Of hunting down the
A Bath a Month.