The Hayti herald. (Hayti, Mo.) 1908-1922, 1915-03-11
cHAprER L,v.
The wife.

/
/
The wife.
Again three days elapsed; and Ju-
dith, returning from the double n.
neral Of her father and sister, do6ed
her mourning for gown less somber
and more suited to the atmosphere OF
/ q sickroom, then relieved the nurse
in charge Of Alan.
He remained % he had been ever
since the falling OF the thunderbolt-N
in absolute coma.
But he lived, and-or the physicians
lied--must soon regain consciousness.
Kneeling beside his bedside Judith
prayed long and earnestly.
| When she arose It was to answer
Q tap upon the door. She admitted
Tom Barcus and suffered him to lead
her into the recess Of the window.
whore they conversed in guarded
tones in spite Of the fact that tho
subject Of their communications could
not possibly have heard them.
I've come to tell you something"
Barcus announced with characteristic
awkwardness. "rve known II for
three days-evsr since the wedding.
In fact-and kept It to myself. not
knowing whether I ought to tell you
yet or not"
He paused, eyeing her uncertainty.
unhappily.
II am prepared" Judith assured
him calmly. 4
you're nothing Of the Sort" hS
countered, argumentative. you
couldn't be. It's the most amazing
thing Imaginable. +. See here =
"Well?" :,
You understand, don't you, that
Alan must never know that Rose was
killed by that lightning stroke?"
What do you mean7"
I mean," the man doundered mis-
erably, you see, he loved her So
thought--I'm sure It would be best
II you can bring yourself to ito let
him go on believing It wasn't Rose
who was killed, but Judith. And that's
skating 30 close to the truth that it
makes no difference: the judith Alan
knew and the Judith knew In the
beginning is gone as completely az
though she and not Rose had been
killed.
After a long pause, the girl asked
him quietly: II understand. But is
1t possible you don't understand that.
II were to consent to this proposi-
tion. lend myself to a deception which
I must maintain through all my life,
to come-Alan 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.S.
=. 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 bs
married by preacher.guy named
Wright-and Marrophat broke In Just
at the critical moment and busted up
the party?"
"Well7" she demanded breathlessly.
Barcus produced folded yellow pa
per from his coat pocket and prof.
fered It.
Read that. II was handed to mo
as best man. Just before the cere.
mony. Seeing It was addressed to
Alan and knowing he was in no framo
OF mind to be bothered by telegrams,
I slipped It into my pocket and forgot
all about It temporarily. When I
came to find 1t, took the liberty Of
reading It. But read It for yourself"
The typewritten lines Of the long
message blurred and ran together al.
most indecipherably in Judith's vision.
None the less, she contrived to grasp
the substance Of it's meaning.
WHY DIDN'T YOU WIRE ME-
SOONER" It ran: MARRIAGE TO
ROSE IMPOSSIBLE. REV. MR..
WRIGHT INFORMED ME- YOUR
MARRIAGE TO JUDITH LASH
WEEK HAD GONE TOO FAR WHEN
MARRoPHAT INTERRUPTED. JU-
DITH LEGALLY YOUR WIFE.
WOULD HAVE ADVISED YOU
SOONER HAD YOU LET ME- KNOW
WHERE TO ADDRESS YOU. HOPE
TO HEAVEN THIS GETS TO YOU
BEFORE TOO LATE"
The message was signed with the
name of Alan's confidential man OF
business In New York.
When Judith looked up she was
alone in the room. but for the silent
patient on his couch.
Slowly, almost fearfully. she crept
to his bedside and stood looking down
into the face OF her husband.
And while she looked Alan's lashes
fluttered. his respiration quickened, .
faint color crept Into his pallid cheeks
and his eyes opened wide and
looked into hers.
His lips moved and breathsd word
of recognition:
Judith"
With . low cry of tenderness, the
girl sank to her knees and encircled !
his head with her arms.
aJudith - aha whisneped htdinv ha-