Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1917-08-08

/ almost suicidal in its haste.
He rushed into hy and was driven
7 TO the hotel The hal porter smiled
ar him and touched his cap
Afternoon. sir" ne said, cordially
Luggage coming onT"
NO. no; I'm not stopping" snapped
Mr.. Bolam. I've only come down for
an hour or two" Then. lowering his
voice a little. he said: There was a
Mr.. bruce staying here. Can You tell
4 me where he's goneg'
The porter smiled knowingly. Hes
gone on his wedding trip. sir" he re-
piled.
Married they was ar Saint Nicholas
yesterday, sir. The brides father give
the lady away, and they've gone OF
abroad for the honeymoon
Bolam looked up eagerly, and slipped
into the mans hand half q crown.
Look here - ne said, hurriedly. DO
me a favor. Here is my card. Let
me know directly they return
At the beginning of. the fifth week
the postman brought him letter
which bore at the back the crest OF
the Hotel Ventnor. He tore it open
with trembling fingers. An ill-written
note lay within. The hall porter pre-
scented his compliments, and begged TO
inform Mr.. Bolam that Mr.. and Mrs.
Denham Druce'' had just arrived ar
the hotel.
Now for it." muttered Mr.. Bolam,
and once again he set out for the
south coast, "and I wish to goodness
I'd never had anything 70 do with the
wretched business at all"
When he entered the private sitting
room of the hotel he saw the tramp
seated st q table writing something.
Near the window the bride, looking ex-
ceedingly brown and happy, was en-
gagged in sewing. She smiled as Mr..
Bolam entered
I'VE have been expecting you-my
husband and t. she said, sweetly. and
the strange gentleness of her tone
caused Mr.. Bolam TO feel more nervous
than ever. Won't you sit DOWN.
"No,~ he cried. IT won't. I haven't
come here TO congratulate you or TO
beat about the bush. I've come here
to tell you that you've been and done
the most mad thing a woman could do.
You've married an impOstor. That
man is not Denham bruce. He is a
tramp whom I picked up outside a
common lodging house in Drury Lane.
His likeness TO bruce gave me an idea.
an idea by which I believed might
punish you for not accepting me. You
understand. helped him to imperson-
ate bruce. but / swear that 7 never
dreamed the scoundrel would go so
far as actually to marry you. I put
this statement on record here and now,
in the hearing of you both. and I shall
repeat it in the witness box If the
occasion arises. Let that man deny
it if he can"
The tramp advanced toward Mr. Bo-
lam with a smile.
II certainly shall not deny it." he
said 1T is al perfectly true More
over. my wife was aware Of the whole
truth when she did me the honor 70
accept me-
"What?- gasped Mr.. Bolam. as his
knees began TO shake. what? You
actually had the assurance to tell her
the truth
ssThe uuth-the whole truth-and
nothing but the truth replied the !
tramp, with a curious smile. ST told |
her of your scheme, I told her Of my
part in it, and I told her something
else which you did not know told /
her that I was, in reality, Denham |
bruce himself, and not his doublei"
sYou-Dunham DruceIr muttered /
Mr.. Bolam. catching at the table for
support
foot OF this check which am going to /
present you with, and its subsequent
cashing at my bank. viii convince you
that I am speaking the truth You see
CHANGED TO be stunning on the night /
you met meslumming for the pur-
poses of my new novel, and I was
dressed for the part. Seeming an adj
venture, resolved TO aid you. but not /
in the manner you intended 1 came !
down hereI met a very charming /
lady-We became friends, and the rest
you know as well as I do. And now,
Mr.. Bolam, you wiz kindly accept this /
check, which VIII refund you the ex-
pense you have incurred for my ward
robe and hotel bills, and you VIII then
take your choice OF leaving this hotel
By the door or by the window"
a pause followed Mr.. Bolam tried
TO speak, but his rage was too terri