News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1916-10-04

Continued

deal more enlightenment to impart tt
Drummond than he had foreseen.
you've got an economical streak II
you when it comes to correspondence,
Drummond commented, offering Whit
aker a sheet of paper he had just
taken from q tin document-bOx. That's
Exhibit A."
Whitaker read aloud:
Dear D.: I'm not feeling we'll, so of
for a vacation. Burke has just been in
and paid $1,000 in settlement of our claim
I'm enclosing herewith my check for your
share Yours,
H. M. w.
Ear be it from me to cast up" said
Drummond; "but I'll like to know why
the deuce you couldn't let fellow
know how i'll you were
"1hat's So And you never heard-T"
"NEerely rumor ran round. More
than that nothng-until we heard that
the Adventures had been lost. half a
year later
I'm sorry" said Whitaker contritely.
"It was thoughtlesS -
"I'ut that isn't ALL" DrUmmond OBJ
.ac- d.-fourishing another paper. "See
here-Exhibit B-came in a day or so
later
''Yes.' Whitaker recognized the
document. 81 remember insisting on
writing to you before we turned in
that night"
He ran through the following COM
munication:
Dear Drummond: I married here, to-
night, Mary Ladislas. Please look out for
her while I'm away. Make her an allow
ance out of my money-five hundred
month ought to be enough. l shall die
intestate, and she'll get everything then,
of course. She has your address and will
communicate with you as soon as she
gets settled down in town Faithfully
Hugh Morten Whitaker.
eff it hadn't been so much in. char
acter," commented Drummond, "Td've
thought the thing a forgery--or poor
joke. Knowing you as well as 1 did,
however -. just sat back to wait
for word from Mrs. Whitaker"
"And you never heard, except that
ence." said Whitaker thoughtfully
Here's the sole and only evidence
I ever got to prove that you had told
the truth"
Drummond handed Whitaker sim
gle, folded sheet of note-paper stamped
with the name of the Waldorf-Astoria.
Dear Sir: I inclose herewith a bank
note for $500, which you will be kind
enough to credit to the estate of your
late partner and my late husband, Mr..
Hugh Morten Whitaker.
e. Very truly yours,
Mary Ladslas Whitaker.
Slated you see, the day after the
report of your death was published
here"
"But whyT" demanded Whitaker,
dumfounded. "Why?
"NIrs. Whitaker may have desired to
marry again Immediately. If I'm any
Judge of human nature, she argued
that repayment of the loan wiped out
every obligation. Feminine logic, per-
haps, but"
Whitaker nodded in somber abstrac-
ton.
"You may not" continued Drum
mond with light malice, "have been
so generous, so considerate and
ehivalric, after ALL"
'Oh, cut that!' growled Whitaker,
unhappily, 81 never meant to come
back" -
"Then why did your?
"Oh 1 don't know. Chiefly
Because l caught Anne Presbury's
sharp eyes on me in Melbourne-as 1
said while ago. At the worst-if
what you suggest has really happened
its an open-and-shut case; no ones
going to blame the woman; and it
ought to be easy enough to secure a
separation or divorce"
"You'd consent to that?" inquired
Drummond intently.
"It's the only decent thing 1 can
do"
Drummond laughed quietly. eff
that's how you feel" he said, 81 can
only give you one piece of professional
advice"
''What's that?'
'Find your wife,"
After a moment of puzzled thought,
Whitaker admitted ruefully: you're
right. There's the rub
'Tm afraid you won't find it an
easy job. 1 did my best without uncov-
ering a trace of her."
''Did you try old Thurlow?"
''Her father died within eight weeks
from the time you ran away. He left
everything to charity, by the way.
lUnforgiving Brighter"
swell. there's her sister, Mrs. Petit"
Address" observed Drummond,,
.dryly: "the American Embassy, Ber-
lin. Pettit's got some sort of a
minor diplomatic berth over there"
80 the DEVIL But, anyway,
4 can write"
He moved to a window and stared
Eudely at the Post Office Building for