Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-10-26

O@ taO hIAA1 8@@t ~ 80 ~
quite q company of mourncrs. But
Sylvia was not present. aid | could
not find her. My anxiety was ex
treme, for | knew that she had loved
Sidney with all her heart. but before
/ had taken any steps to trace her
through the usual public machinery |
received a rather curt message that
she had gone to her old home In Maine.
About three weeks later. however, I
met her on the street.
1t was near the place where she had
lived. and | accompanied her there.
"Sylvia," said l when we stood IN
her little sitting room, you say you
have just got back to town. l don't
believe you've ever been away"
81 haven't" she admitted.
l took her by the arm.
you are happy" said l, "feverishfy
happy. What does this mean? Not
very long ago I stood by the grave Of
a man l thought you loved
you didn't" she whispered. HE
isn't deadr'
1 recoiled as from a blow and stared
at her.
II have felt this In my bones,' said 1
slowly. 81 have dreamed 1t at night.
We buried Shenstonei"
Swear to me-" she cried, that you
will not tell"
"Give me the story" said I. you
have my word"
"Mr. Shenstone was taken ILL.," said
.
she, "just at the beginning of q great
fight. / don't fully understand
81 know all about that. He was man
aging a mighty big pool"
at was thought that If the news of
his serious illness got about" she con-
tinued, "the enterprise would fail"
'1The speculative public would have
swamped 1t In one day"
Eyes; that's IL. Now, Sidney had been
to see Mr.. Shenstone for you to ask him
for a photograph of himself, which Mr..
Shenstone refused. So they knew how
much be looked like Mr.. Shenstone.
Really the resemblance was very close,
and as both men had been i'll the decep-
ton was made easier. They offered
Sidney 500 a week merely to go to Mr..
Shenston's Office every day and sit In
the private room, but, of course, they
didn't let anybody In who knew Mr..
Shenstone well. And Sidney has been
living In Mr.. Shenstone's house. They
were both there together until Mr..
Shenstone became so i'll that 1t was
seen he must die. Then he was secretly
struggled into the hospital as Sidney
Colbert. They begged me to go to the
funeral, but l could not 1 should have
died at the sight of him"
you wouldn't have seen him." said
/. 'The coffin was sealed"
"They don't want Sidney any more"
she resumed after a shuddering pause.
ut will be announced that Mr.. Shen-
stone is going abroad. And his wife is
going secretly to Dakota, where she
will get a divorce for abandonment.
And he is dead! Won't 1t be dreadfulT'
"And Sidney"
HE and / shall be married very
quietly, and we shall go to Italy. They
are to give him $1,000"
"Whatr'
"a thousand dollars"
"My- dear young friend" said I, "if
this story comes out 1t will drive those
men up the tallest tree in the United
States. They'll have to run for their
lives. A thousand dollars, indeedl Just
let me drop a hint in certain quarters,
merely a hint, and you'll see what will
happen. You don't understand the
fraud and trickery of which Sidney has
been the mainstay. To you his act
even savored of virtue. 1t seemed I'M
just that Mr.. Shenstone's enemies
should triumph over him merely be-
cause be was i'll, and Sidney seemed to
be doing no harm in taking his place.