Tombstone epitaph. (Tombstone, Ariz.) 1887-current, 1918-07-21


gram should come; but the clock on
his mantelpiece pointed to noon and
he still slept on. Not many minutes
later, however. his telephone bell rang
violently. A clerk in the bureau OF
the hotel wished to advise monsieur
of the fact that there was an inquiry
for him, from the Ritz. A lady stop
ping there was telephoning to know II
Monsieur Christopher Race were In.
and. IL SO, whether he would receive
her II she called on urgent business.
Madame did not care to announce her
name. but she had a communication to
make concerning the affair which had
brought Monsieur Race to Paris.
Seldom did a man bathe and dress
In shorter space Of time; but when
his visitor was announced, Christopher
was ready to receive her.
"Mr. Racer" she faltered.
IAN American thought Christopher.
"No, a Canadian" as aloud he claimed
ownership of the name she mentioned.
You'll hardly believe it," she went
on, "but I've Travelled all the way from
Montreal to talk to you, Mr.. Race.
arrived at Cherbourg yesterday after
noon. came on to Paris, where l slept.
as was very tired after a rough voy-
age, and meant to leave for London
today: but l saw In the foreign edition
Of the Daily Recorder that you'd ar
rived in Paris. and would be at this
hotel, SO / waited, and now I've corle
to see you here"
81 am Mrs. Fortescue. When / was
seventeen and my husband was twen-
ty-three, / married an Englishinan who
came to Canada, in the diplomatic
service. We fell in love at first sight,
and married, against ny peoples wish,
when we'd known each other only
month. He had to promise that we'd
live In my mothers house, otherwise
sine wouldn't have consented at ali,
and-things didn't go well with us.
l was child. He was scarcely more
than a boy. We both had plenty of
money. l had been spoiled, and he
had a strong will. We Quarreled;
was encouraged to thwart him. When
he wanted me to leave home and go
with him to England refused. Then
we quarreled a good deal more, and
and, to make long story short, we
separated. said never wanted to
see him again, as he was SO cruel and
he said never should see him, unless
1 asked hin to come. l thought l
was glad when he was gone, but oh,
l wasn't! Still, i was too proud to
call him back. 1 believed that he'd
tired Of me.
"A year ago, when I was left alone
In the world. / came abroad for the
first time. / didn't even know where
my husband was, though once I'd
heard OF his being in India, and re-
membered that he was free to travel,
as he had given up his profession.
Well. at a dinner-party In London, my
English hostess said. Mrs. Fortescue,
I'm going to give a namesake of yours,
Mr.. Fortescue, the pleasure of taking
| you In. You may discover that you
| have relatives in common.
Can you imagine how felt! 1t
was my husband. Somehow, We man
aged to carry it OF as If We were
| strangers. He was handsomer than
ever, anG-he told ne that / had i'm
proved. He told me, too, at that very
| dinner. that he'd lever ceased to think
| of ne had never cared for any ether
woman. He begged to call. l said he
might. Two days later he was implor-
ing re to let everything between US be
as II we'd never parted. / was tempted
to yield but feared to make another
mistake. and refused. Then he said
that, II he lost me again, he would
lose all interest In life; that he would
be utterly miserable, because he cared
far more for me than he ever cared
in old days. 1 was so terrified Of be
ing over-persuaded that at once went
back home. though I'd meant to travel
for some time In Europe.
"After that I spent all my time In
trying to think I'd been wise, until
saw the articles In the Daily Recorder
(Which I'd begun to take in, for Lon
don news) about the mystery of tie
motor-car. Mr.. Race, that Hansard
car was my husbands car, I'm sure
That's why I've flown to this side
again. Tn afraid-oh, horribly afraid
something dreadful has happened tC
him. He'd just bought red Hansard
car, exactly answering the description
of the blue one you found in the sea
at the time he was begging me to b.
his wife again. He came in 1t to SET
me and wanted me to go out with him
as he was very keen on motoring.
friend had sold the car to hlm-a man
l met at the same dinner I told yOl
OF. didn't like the creature. +,
think he rather admired ne and woult
have been glad to firt, although N,
husband had told him our story. be
lieve that my husband may have-a.
he threatened to do-lost all interes
in life and committed suicide. Or else
some other awful thing has happened =
Christopher had begun to stammer
when there came an imperative knOcl
at the door.
Mrs. Fortescue. trembling. checked
her sobs. Il mustn't be seen like this,
she faltered. "Who can 1t beY'
Probably a detective I have EN-
ployed." said Christopher.
"Oh. then" she implored. 'let me