Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1916-11-25
can. | leave Marjorie in your care,

Holhg 10 leave your wife On-On
your wedding day" stammered the
astOnished Old man.
Business can't wait" said Henry.
briefly. Happiness can. Good-b
I've just time to catch my train"
He was out of the Office before
Turnhull could find his voice.
Next day, on the bank of a river
some miles away. a rural constable
found Hugh SCOTS hat In it was a
note that read.
~ am innocent. But cannot prove
my innocence. SO am going to end
everything"
From the spot where the hat was
found footsteps led down into the
water
Three months later an addressed fig
ure crept through the twilight streets.
! sticking close to the walls and In the
shadows. At turn in the bywav he
was treading he came face to face
with a policeman.
Hugh Scott" gasped the police
man, SelZlng him.
Well sighed Hugh. helplessly.
You've got me. Take me along I'm
sick OF hiding out couldn't keep
away any longer Arrest me. IL Won
i like. ! won't resist"
Arrest you" echoed the policeman.
with 4 big laugh. Your boss was
/ hayin some of the old furniture ripped
/ out of his Office last week. They
pulled desk away from the wall And
there was the package of bonds on
the ioor behind it. Turnhull notified
the chief and
Hugh Scott did not wait 10 hear
any more With the Joyous yell Of
/ schoolbOy newly let out from study
/ he bolted down the street at a dead
/ run
/ And he ran the harder as he drew
/ near the rurnbun house.
/ A prim and uninterrupted maid an
swered his summons At the Turnbun
/ door.
But he pushed his eager way past
her, into the house. CRYING.
hdt JbIle- MdTJOrle-
/ Mrs. Hardy had come out into the
| hall. In blank fear she gazed on the
returned wanderer But she was a
woman OF chilled-steel nerve. And on
the instant. she realized what had oc-
Cured.
Where's Marjorie?" demanded
Hugh. breathless. Where's my wife,"
Il don't know where your wife is"
returned Mrs. Hardy. puzzled at the
query. Il didn't even know you had
one. But Marjorie isn't living here
any more. She is at"
Not living here" he exclaimed
Why not? Where is she? If
She is at her husbands house OF
course 80 said Mrs Hardy. Where
else would she be? Though. for that
matter she might as well have stayed
here. for all the home life she has
He and she have suites of rooms al
opposite ends of the house, and
Married." said Hugh. dazedly
Married to whom"
Why. to Henry. Three months ago
Oh. forgot. 1t was after you'd gone
The same day, but"
She paused. stricken into momen
tary silence by the awful look thai
- istSSt I'd u Sect fea. ir1s e. Wi
der-stark murder-glared from hi
bloodshot eyes He tried to speak
choked, and. wheeling. staggered on
of the house. holding his hands IL
front of him as though he had beer
smitten with blindness.
Mrs. Hardy for once lost her COLI
poise. Trembling. she ran to Cyru
Turnbulls study and burst in upol
the doing old man.
Mr.. Turnbull," she called. shaking
her employer roughly by the shoulder
Wake up, Something terrible ha
happened Hugh Scott is alive. AM
he's started for his brothers hous
to kill him and Marjorie! Come. lie
us hurry and go to them"
Red rage in his heart, Hugh Scot
reeled out into the street. One grea
purpose obsessed his soul-revenge OIL
the man who had stolen his wife
In Henry SCOTS new home an hou
before Henry himself had sat writin,
at his library table. In earlier day
he had pictured a home like this ant
just such peacefully busy evenings
But in those visions Marjorie had al
ways been sitting beside him will
her book or her needlework ready t
smile back at him whenever his eye
should stray from his task to her deal
face.
In actually the strangely mated
husband and wife were even farthe
apart than they had been in the days
of Henry's futile courtship. Henri!
had kept his pledge not to force hi
love upon the girl he had claimed al
his wife.
Marjorie had her own suite of rooms
and he his. as Mrs. Hardy had said
And they seldom met except at mea
times. Patiently and tenderly Henry
had tried to soothe Marjorie's grie
and to make her life happier. Never
since the day of Hughs disappearance
had he spoken a word Of love to her
nor in any other way sought to draw