Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1918-03-26
Whitaker read aloud:

Dear d.: I'm not feeling well. SO off
for vacation. Burke has just been in
and paid 81 500 in settlement of our claim
I'm enclosing herewith my check for your
share. Yours,
H. M. w.
Far be 1t from me to cast up" said
Drum,nond; "but I'd like to know why
the deuce you couldn't let a fellow
know how i'll you WERE"
That's so. And you never heard"
merely rumor ran round. More
than that nothing-until we heard that
the Adventures had been lost, half
year later"
I'm sorry" said Whitaker contritely.
ut was thoughtless :"
"But that isn't ALL" Drummond OBJ
| jected, flourishing another paper. "See
here-Exhibit B-came in a day or so
| later"
'Yes." Whitaker recognized the
| document. 81 remember insisting on
writing to you before we turned in
that night"
He ran through the following COM
nunication:
Dear Drummond: married here, to-
night. Mary Ladislas. Please look out for
her while I'm away. Make her an allow
ance out OF my money-five hundred q
month ought 20 be enough. 1 shall die
intestate. and she'll get everything then
| of course. She has your address and will
communicate with you as soon as sh,
gets settled down In town. Faithfully
| Hugh Morten Whitaker.
IF 1t hadn't been so much in char
acter," commented Drummond, "Pd've
thought the thing a forgery-or poor
joke. Knowing you as well as l did,
however just sat back to wat
| for word from Mrs. Whitaker"
"And you never heard. except tb t
oncel" said Whitaker thoughtfully.
Here's the sole and only evidence
1 ever got to prove that you had olc
the truth"
Drummond handed Whitaker a sim
gle, folded sheet of note-paper stamped
with the name of the Waldorf-Astoria.
Dear Sir: I inclose herewith a bank
note for $500, which you will be kind
enough to credit to the estate of your
| late partner and my late husband, Mr..
Hugh Morten- Whitaker.
Very truly yours,
Mary Ladislas Whitaker.
dated, you see, the day after the
report Of your death was published
here"
But why?' demanded Whitaker,
dumfounded. "Why?"
Mrs. Whitaker may have desired to
marry again Immediately. If I'm any
| judge of human nature, she argued
that repayment of the loan wiped out
every obligation. Feminine logic, per-
| haps, but"
Whitaker nodded in somber abstrac-
ton.
"You may not" continued Drum
mond with light malice, "have been
so generous, so considerable and
chivalric, after ALL
"Oh, cut thatv growled Whitaker,
unhappily, Il never meant TO come
| back"
'Then why did your"
"Oh / don't know. Chiefly
because l caught Anne Presbury's
sharp eyes on me in Melbourne-as l
said a while ago. At the worst-if
what you suggest has really happened
its an open-and-shut case; no ones
going to blame the woman; and 1t
ought to be easy enough to secure a
separation or divorce"
you'd consent to that?' inquired
| Drummond inteRtly.
tits the only decent thing I can
| do"
Drummond laughed quietly. IF
that's how you feel" he said, II can
only give you one piece of professional
advice"
whats that?"
Find your wife,"
After a moment of puzzled thought,
Whitaker admitted ruefully: You're
right. There's the rub"
I'm afraid you won't find it an
easy job. 1 did my best without uncov-
ering a trace of her"
did you try old Thurlow?"
"Her father died within eight weeks
from the time you ran away. He left
everything to charity, by the way.
Unforgiving Brighter"
swell, there's her sister, Mrs. Petit"
Address" observed Drummond,
dryly: "the American Embassy, ner-
lin. :. Pettit's got some sort of a
minor diplomatic berth over there"
20 the DEVIL -. But, anyway,
1 can write"
He moved to a window and stared
rudely at the Post Office Building for
a time. I'm going to find her just the
same-if she still lives" he announced.