Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1933-11-16

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. 1--WE were both afraid
our secret would be discovered If we
continued our double life out there
was fairly well known and Stuart
had a host of friends, SO close to his
home and college. In this section of
the country, however. 1t 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 MAIL" she declared
glibly, "for 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 1t
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-five.
he had an income of ninety five hun
dred 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.
stanceT
Mrs. Jordan was emphatic. "Never,
Mr.. Rankin; it is as much a mystery
to me as it is to yOu."
"Well, l 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.
1t 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-almost that she was aware
they had vanished or that Mr.. Fletch.
er removed them.
The lawyers chauffeur brought the
letters at nine o'clock; and immedi.
ately Rankin locked himself In Can.
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: seven II
was guilty Of trifling indiscretion at
the most, that's all over with now: II
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; refuse to allow you TO
cast on your obligations SO easily
Wnen ne remained obdurate and un
torgiving. her insistence OF her claims
was almost abusive.
Whatever caused their estrange
ment, several references told Rankin
nad occurred ten months ago. ON
May sixth. That was Stuart's las.
birthday, according to Mr.. Merrick
anu about three months after his
nuptials. That, Rankin realized. tinal
y explained his exchange of schools .
.or u was subsequently In May thar
ue hrst mentioned his decision to gel
away from St Louis to some eastern
coiiege. Though resolved on a di
Vorce, mis- hands were tied until he
reached twenty-five; the publicity of
tne suit would apprize his guardian of
mis- unfortunate marriage. And the
secret had to be kept until Mr.. Mer.
flick had no further power to act un-
der the terms of the will. But while
pound to Laura Dumont for almost
another year. and maintaining her ms
was his duty. the hoy naturally sought
10 avoid contact with her and forget
ner 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 a lover
with whom she carried on a vulgar
ciandestine affair. Her letters denied
II, but II seemed this intrigue had be
gun before her marriage. and despite
her VOWS. continued afterward. Stuart's
discovery Of her infidelity was evi.
IDENTITY an accident; on May sixth. he
had surprised her by an unexpected
visit, In place of his customary vaca.
lion the previous weekend. But the
complete story OF that disclosure
where II took place and the succeeding
events-IiankIn could not assemble.
Nor. searching each letter carefully
DID he find the name Of Mrs. Jordan's
parhmour or any clue to his Identify
the man for Nhoftl nkN MIA vad fos, ana