New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-06-14

u DC Wukeu IL u CATER Ut even u lclc-
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 a al inquiry
for him, from the Ritz. A lady stop.
| ping there was telephOning to know II
Monsieur Christopher Race were in,
and, If so, whether he would receive
her If 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 battle and dress
In a shorter space of time; but when
his visitor was announced, Christopher
was ready to receive her.
"Mr. Racer" she faltered.
"An 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 l was very tired after u 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 l waited, and now I've come
to see you here"
II am Mrs. FOrtescue. When I was
seventeen and my husband was twen-
ty-three, l 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.
l was a child. He was scarcely more
than a boy. We both had plenty of
money. 1 had been spoiled, and he
had a strong will. We Quarreled; /
was encouraged to thwart him. When
he wanted me to leave home and 60
with him to England l refused. Then
we Quarreled a good deal more, and
and, to make a long story short, we
separated. I said l never wanted to
see him again, as he was so cruel; and
he said l never should see him, unless
l asked him to come. l thought I
was glad when he vas gone, but oh,
1 wasn't Still, I was too proud to
call him back. l believed that he'd
tired of me.
"a year ago, when I was left alone
in the world, l came abroad for the
first time. l didn't even know where
my husband was, though once I'd
heard Of his being in India, and l 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 I felt! 1t
was my husband. Somehow, we man. |
aged to carry it off as If we were
strangers. He was handsOmer than
ever, and-he told me that 1 had i'm
proved. He told me, too, at that very
dinner, that he'd never ceased to Think
of me, had never cared for any ether
woman. He begged to call. l said he
might. Two days later he was implOr-
ing me to let everything between us be
as If we'd parted. I was tempted
to yield; but l feared to make another
mistake, and refused. Then he said
that, If he lost me again, he would
lose all interest in life; that he would
be utterly miserable, because he cared
far more for MI than he ever cared
In old days. I was so terrified of be-
ing over-persuaded that 1 at onc 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 l
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
was my husbands car, I'm sure.
That's why I've flown to this side
again. I'm afraid-oh, horribly afraid
dreadful has happened to
him. He'd just bought a red Hansard
car, exactly answering the description
Of the blue one you found in the sea,
at the time he was begging me to be
his wife again. He came in 1t to see
me and wanted me to 60 out with him,
rs he was very keen on motoring. A
friend had sold the car to him-a man
| met ut the same dinner l told you
Of. l didn't like the creature. IL
think he rather admired me and would
been glad to 1irt, although my
husband had told him our story. I be-
ieve that my husband may have-as
ne threatened to do-lost all interest
n life and committed suicide. Or else
'ome other awful thing has happened"
Christopher had begun to stammer,
when there came an imperative knock
It the door.
Mrs. FOrtescue, trembling, checked
Ter sObs. Il mustn't be seen like this"
he faltered. "Who can it be?"
Probably a detective I have en-
said Christopher.
"Oh, then," she implored, 'let me
top till he is gone. Let me wait be-
lind that tall screen" /
Without waiting for permission, she
an across the room and hid herself.
1t the same moment the knock was re-