Omaha daily bee., 1916-11-20
!!

a rough voyage, and meant to leave
for London today; but l saw in the
foreign edition of the Daily Recorder
that you'd arrived in Paris, and would
be at this hotel, so waited, and now
I've come to see you here.
ut was the articles in the Daily
Recorder which brought me across the
ocean," his beautiful visitor went on,
before he had time to speak, land so
l made up my mind from what read
that you would be the man for me to
appeal to. But, Of course, you can't
understand what I'm talking about.
wouldn't send my name by telephone,
but 1 am Mrs Fortescue. When / was
II and my husband was 20, married
an Englishman who came to Canada,
in the diplomatic service. We fell in
love at first sight, and married against
my peoples wish, when we'd known
each other only a month. He had to
promise that we'd live in my mothers
house, otherwise she wouldn't have
consented at all, and-things didn't
go we'll with us. was a child. He
was scarcely more than a boy. We
both had plenty Of money. I had
been spoiled, and he had strong will.
l suppose, too, we had hot tempers,
and l see now, ten years after, that
as MY people never liked him. be-
cause they wanted me to marry a Ca
madam, they weren't exactly tactful.
We quarrelled; I was encouraged to
thwart him. When he wanted me to
leave home and go with him to Eng
land I refused. Then we quarrelled a
good deal more-and, to make a long
story short, we separated.
After that 1 spent all my time in
trying to think I'd been wise, until 1
saw the articles in the Daily Recorder
(Which I'd begun to take in, for Lon
don news) about the mystery of the
motor car. Mr.. Race, that Hansard
car was my husbands car. I'm sure.
That's why I've flown over to this side
again. I'm afraid-oh, horribly afraid
something dreadful has happened
to HIM. He'd just bought a red Han
sard car, exactly answering the de-
scription Of the blue one you found
in the sea, at the time he was beg
ging me to be his wife again. He came
in it to see me and wanted me to go
out with him, as he was very keen on
motoring. A friend had sold the car
to him-a man met at the same din
ner l told you Of. I didn't like the
creature. IL think he rather admir-
ed me and would have been glad to
flirt, although my husband had told
him our story. believe that my hus-
band may have as he threatened
to do-lost all interest in life and COM
mitted suicide. Or else some other
awful thing has happened. / can't
help feeling as If. in either case, I may
be to blame, SO / had to come. I
couldn't rest. Oh, if only he could be
found, how I would try to make up to
him for the past! I hoped you might
have solved the mystery by this time,
or, If not, that could help you. So
now you understand why I'm here,
and why, in way, have a right
to beg that you'll tell me everything
you've been doing, everything you
know. Do you believe my husband
has killed himself, or been muir
dered?"
Christopher hesitated. He did be-
lieve that the man had been muir
dered; but how could he strike this
lovely, impulsive woman terrible
blow and tell her what was in his
mind while still he might be mis-
taken?
She saw his hesitation and guessed
its meaning, however. With cry she
covered her face with her hands and
burst into tears. "Oh, have gone
through SO much!" she sobbed. How
can bear this-how can bear it,"
Don't, beg of you. He may be
safe; he Christopher had begun
to stammer, when there came an i'm
perative knock at the, door.
Mrs. Fortescue, trembling. checked
her sobs. IT mustn't be seen like this"
she faltered., who can it be-"
Probably a detective / have en-
ployed," said Christopher.
"Oh, then" she implored, "let me
stop till he is gone. Let me wait be-
hind that tall screen in front of the
fireplace"
without waiting for permission, she
ran across the room and hid herself.
At the same moment the knock was
repeated, and, rather than seem to
delay, with the lady in the room,
Christopher called, Come in"
Again he was surprised. Instead of
the little French detective, he saw the
man he had pursued to Paris.
The man, rather pale but composed.
walked quickly into the room and
closed the door.
IT saw in the Daily Recorder that
you would be here, so instead of wait
ing for you to run me down, I thought
it would be better to beard you in
your den, Mr.. Christopher Race" said
the newcomer.
For an instant Christopher did not
answer. The chauffeur had given his
masters name as Fortescue. But was
this man really Fortescue or the muir
derer Of Fortescue, who had stolen
his victims identity for some purpose
of his own? The doubt was gruesome,
since Fortescue's wife was in the room.
Christopher glanced fnvoluntarily to-
wards the screen, and thought that it
quivered.
"Well?" he questioned.
This chase has lasted long enough"
went on the other. I've been a dou-
ble-dyed idiot not to end it in this
way long ago; but hoped, until to-
day, that should be able to slip out
of the silly mess without notoriety
Now, rather than have the French
police on my back I've sought you out,
to be frank with you, as one gentle
man can be frank with another"
s"You mean you've come to-er-
explain the mystery" said Christie
pher automatically.
There is no mystery; there never
was any mystery, except what the
Daily Recorder made. l was an ass
that's ALL
I'm glad to hear that's ALL re-
torted Christopher. s
II suppose you take me for muir
derer? Certainly I've given you a
good deal of trouble, though I've
made myself more. 1t was amusing
at first; indeed I'm not sure it wasn't
more amusing than otherwise till I