The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-09-27
Her Husbands Widow

uOA AAO" WAdI LAdI udS AOL u
do with you, Mrs. Varney," retorted
Mrs. Melas fiercely, unless you are
in love, as / believe you are, with
choose to avow our marriage that g
our business and nobody else's"
Pardon me-" objected Leslie
"Oh, know what you are going to
say. Well. I'm not going to betray
your young and innocent cousin, Sir
Ralph, assure you / would be
rather lark, though, at this time OF
life! II you knew as much about that
elderly buck as do, you wouldn't
waste sympathy on him. AS for Vic
and well. we never hit it, so we
agreed each to go our own way. He ia
the best and truest man l know, so
there"
Mrs. Melas snapped her thin fingers
in Leslie's face.
Really! Your experience must have
been unfortunate. But spare me these
raptures.'"
They walked in silence to the re.
freshment room, where Leslie ordered
two cups of coffee in a matter-of-fact
tone. She had a curious feeling that
she might suddenly faint. The coffee
seemed to steady her nerves.
hi las farsas hSesis cdnea1hed therA Is
nothing disgusting, I tell you," said
Mrs. Melas, her smile freezing on her
about this Hastings girl. You say she
In - rAtv - "a
ought to be jolly glad when you tell
her this. Did he do her any HARM"
only by deluding her into the be-
quiescing in the report of his own
death. That's ALL
Mrs. Melas crossed her knees and
contemplated the tip OF her neat boot.
This affair has just as much import
ance as you choose to attribute to 1t, p"
she remarked sulkily. Victor and I
have no wish to claim each other just
yet-if we do, we shall 60 through an
other form of marriage just to quiet
the gossips. There's no occasion for
you to let him know that l told you,
mind" -...
Mrs. Melas Wants - 4
to Stop All Gossip.
She looked anxiously at her compan-
ion. ,-....-. .....-. =
Leslie shrugged her shoulders, ana
then shook her head. Il really can t
promise you that" she said. II may
meet him. You cannot expect me to
receive him on the old footing. I shall
respect your secret so long as neither
OF you tries any other matrimonia
ventures. l should advise you to pre-
pare him by letting him know your
self that you have told me-
He will be awfully wild with me-"
said Mrs. Melas doubtful1y.
Il can imagine that. You can tell
him that the girl he deceived will be
very wild with him, also, and will most
certainly never wish to see his face or
to hear his name again" -.> -r
Leslie checked herself. Her pas
sionate vehemence might betray the
secret which by the merest fluke this
woman had not penetrated.
oh" She rose abruptly and flung
out her hands. Its horrible. Inever
wish to hear anything more about it,
She was aware OF Mrs Melas' down
cast face. I've no right to blame you,
of course. You have acted very gen
erously in defending him, and your
Egyptian marriage l must leave to
your own conscience"
Her voice sank little Unable to
endure the cold glitter of those unhu-
man eyes moment longer she swung
around on her heel and walked swiftly
into the Assyrian Gallery toward the
entrance. Half an hour later she was
at Euston eagerly inquiring when the
next train left for Scotland. 1t was
sitting to breathe the same air as
these people. She craved for the touch
and sight of her child.
No need to stint herself now! She
had a right to spend Oswald's money.
AS she leaned back against the cush-
ions of her first class carriage she
told herself that she ought to be un-
speakably relieved at this wholly I'M
toreseen conclusion.
Mrs. Melas had cut the Gordian knot
of her difficulties, but had cut it with
a sword that pierced her heart.
What a hypocrite the man had been!
He had seemedto her as honest as the
day, so generous, SO chivalrous: No
doubt he had hundred excuses. She
could easily believe that his Egyptian
had been more of the wom-
ans making than his-he was several
years younger than she and must have
been q mere lad at the time; she could
credit her story that it had taken place
under strange conditions.
Well. she had every reason to be
grateful for what that half Oriental
woman had told her. Her own and
best OF all Jimmy's position we're as
sured. Yet oddly enough her legal
status Of wife, which had seemed to
her SO precious twenty four hours be-
fore, she now but tightly priced
ITO Be continued.l