The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-09-22

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haven't been living with him since, and
you waited so many months before re-
Joining him."
The actress looked relieved at his
answer, disarmed by his caution in
not referring to the letters, about
which she seemed to have feared he
might know.
"Oh, that's easily explained" she
said quickly. I'VE were both afraid
our secret would be discovered if we
continued our double life out there.
was fairly well known and Stuart
had host of friends, so close to his
home and college. In this section Of
the country, however, it was different"
"But besides that, Mrs. Jordan"
Rankin misled her still further, Il
found no letters from you among his
effects in the dormitories. Your fail
ure to write suggests some strain in
your relations"
She had completely recovered her
poise. you didn't? Then he must
have destroyed his mall" she declared
glibly, ''for I wrote him almost weekly.
And he answered me just as often"
"He also sent you a check each
month, didn't he? His check-stubs list
a Observation-Disclosures outlay every
month, but don't state for whom it
was"
Eyes, that was for me. They were
always made out to my order as Laura
Du Monte. You have probably already
learned that until he was twenty two,
he had an income of ninety-five hun
bred a year."
$50 his uncle, Mr.. Merrick, told me.
Did you ever hear Jordan say any
thing that might supply clue to his
murder-speak of an enemy, for in
stancey
Mrs. Jordan was emphatic. "Never,
Mr. Rankin; it is as much mystery
to me as it Is to you.'
"Well, am determined to solve it,
Rankin stated grimly, before many
days have passed."
Before he finished his Interrogation,
he learned what her address in the
city would be-the Quaker hotel.
From there, she intended to notify Mr..
Merrick of her connection with his
nephew.
It was from Mrs. Jordan's letters
that he hoped to gather the facts she
had plainly concealed from him. She
was not at ease until assured that he
had not yet located them; evidently
then, they would contradict at least
some of her account. At the same
time, strangely enough, her manner
had suggested she expected them to be
missing that she was aware
they had vanished or that Mr.. Fetch
er removed them.
The lawyers chauffeur brought the
letters at nine o'clock; and immedi-
ately Rankin locked himself in Cap
tain Thomas Office to subject them to
an uninterrupted study and examina-
ton.
The contents bore out Mr.. Fletcher's
notion that their separation was due
to rift in their marital life. In one
letter, the detective read: "Even If /
was guilty of trif1ing indiscretion at
the most, that's all over with now: it
is unreasonable that we should con-
tinue to live apart like this" And in
another, Mrs. Jordan wrote: "You
surely can't be serious about getting
divorce; I refuse to allow you to
cast off your obligations SO easily"
When he remained Obdurate and I'M
forgiving, her insistence of her claims
was almost abusive.
Whatever caused their estrange-
ment, several references told Rankin
1t had occurred ten months ago, on
May sixth. That was Stuart's last
birthday, according to Mr.. Merrick.
and about three months after his
nuptials. That, Rankin realized, final
ly explained his exchange of schools;
for it was subsequently in May that
he first mentioned his decision to get
away from st. Louis to some eastern
college. Though resolved on a di-
vorce, his hands were tied until he
reached twenty-five; the publicity Of
the suit would apprize his guardian of
his unfortunate marriage. And the
secret had to be kept until Mr.. Mer-
rick had no further power TO act I'M
der the terms of the viii. But, while
bound to Laura Dumont for almost
another year, and maintaining her as
was his duty, the boy naturally sought
to avoid contact with her and forget
her as far as possible.
Apparently. though only three
months welded. the actress was al
ready faithless to Jordan. During his
absences at Aberdeen, she had lover
with whom she carried on a vulgar
clandestine affair. Her letters denied
1t, but 1t seemed this intrigue had be-
gun before her marriage, and despite
her vows. continued afterward. Stuart's
discovery of her infidelity was evil
IDENTIFY an accident; on May sixth, he
had surprised her by an unexpected
visit, in place of his customary vaca-
ton the previous weekend. But the
complete story Of that disclosure
where 1t took place and the succeeding
events-Rankin could not assemble.
Nor, searching each letter carefully
did he find the name of Mrs. Jordan's
paramount or any clue to his Identity
the man for whom she played fast and