The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-03-11
CHAPTER LIV.
The wife.

CHAPTER IIvs !,
The wife. !:
Again three days elapsed; and ID
dith, returning from the double fu-
neral Of her father and sister, doffed
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 as he had been ever
since the falling of the thunderbolt-
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.
where they conversed in guarded
tones in spite of the fact that the
subject of their communications could
not possibly have heard them.
1--WE come to tell you something,
Barcus announced with characteristic
awkwardness, 1--WE known It for
three days-ever since the wedding,
in fact-and kept it to myself, not
knowing whether l ought to tell you
yet or not"
He paused. cycling her uncertainty,
unhappily.
Il am prepared" Judith assured
him calmly.
you're nothing of the Sort" he
countered. areumentative. "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 mean?"
~ mean," the man floundered mis-
erably, you see, he loved her SOL
thought-I'm sure it would be best
if you can bring yourself to ito let
him go on believing it wasn't Rose
who was killed, but Judith. And that's
skating so close to the truth that 1t
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 long pause, the girl asked
him quietly: Il understand. But il
it possible you don't understand that
if were to consent to this PROPOSE
ton, lend myself to a 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 off 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
Wright-and Marrophat broke in just
at the critical moment and busted ur
the party?" s ..... .E.
"Well?" she demanded breathlessly
Barcus produced a folded yellow pa
per from his coat pocket and prof
fered it.. s4t -
Read that It was handed to me
as lest ma.r. inst before the cere
mony. Seeing 1t was addressed to
Alan and knowing he was in no frame
of mind to be bothered by kilograms
slipped it into my pocket and forgot
all about 1t temporarily. When I
came to find it, took the liberty Of
reading it. But read 1t for yourself. +"
The typewriter 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 its meaning
WHY DIDN'T YOU WIRE Nh
SOONER" it ran: MARRIAGE TO
ROSE IMPOSSIBLE. REV. MR..
WRIGHT INFORMED ME YOUR
MARRIAGE TO JUDITH LAST
WEEK HAD GONE TOO FAR WHEN
MARROPHAT INTERRUPTED. JU.
D1TH 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. 8s
Slowly, almost fearfully, she crept
r. bis .kssc!.ide ard stood lockihg down