Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1908-03-07 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

JOMM H.0U05.  Elie fell back in her chair, pale, trembling, and vanquished. The shot had told. Her worst fears were realised. This man knew the truth., the whole  truth, concerning her. "You see, my lady," Carfax went on, "I know everything. You were young and presumably foolish when you married James Ogden. You were beautiful—as you are now—as you always will be, I suppose. And you believed yourself to be in love with Ogden. He was handsome also, in those days—he must have been, or you waiild never have married him. He had a fairly good position in the City. But he was not satisfied. It is the old sordid story—first speculation and then embezzlement He .got five years in the end, and you went out as governess to Sir Wilfrid Davenant'e datighter. Then came the report—a false one—that your husband was dead. It was in all the papers. Possibly you still keep a cutting or two by you. Sir Wilfrid fell in love with your pretty face, and asked you to marry him. You consented, on the strength of the newspaper reports, without taking the trouble to verify them. I am telling you this that you may understand the extent of my acquaintance with your affairs. Am I right or wrong?" She did not answer him. His words were like so many hot irons which scorched and seared her soul. "Am I right or wrong?" the artist continued. after a moment. "You can't deny it. I defy you to. When Ogden came out of prison his old business as a clerk was closed to him, of course. There was only one course open to him—to live on his wits. All the time you supposed him dead he was living on the proceeds of begging letters. Then one day, by the merest chance, he addressed one of his epistles to your husband—to Sir Wilfrid, that is. Fortunately that gentleman was out of town, and you, by great good luck, happened to remember Ogden's handwriting. The letter, naturally, you intercepted, and you wrote to Ogden, enclosing a bank note for immediate necessities, offering to assist him out of the country, and to maintain him so long as he kept silence. Then Ogden did about the only honourable thing he ever did." " What do you mean,' she asked, in a low, strained voice. "He committed suicide." "I was with him last evening," Carfax continued. "I have your letter in my possession." "He gave you that?" "No—l stole it." "And you left him knowing—knowing that he was going to—to—" "I had no such knowledge; I had not the slightest idea that he was going to make away with himself. But even if I had, I don't think I should have tried to prevent him. After all, it was the best thing he could have done." "You do not know for certain that he took his life?" There was a note of relief in her voice. "His death might have been due to natural causes? The doctor seems to think so." "Possibly," Carfax concurred; "but I don't see that it matters very much either way, does it?" Lady Mona made no answer to this. She lay back in her chair, her face white and drawn. If it had not been for Sir Wilfrid, who, of all things in the world, dreaded scandal, she would have defied Carfax to do his worst. But she loved Sir Wilfrid., and at all costs to herself she must spare him pain. "What is it you want of xri:? she demanded at length. "Money?" "That's better, my lady. I like you for one thing, you understand when you are beaten. That is more than most women do. Do I want money I Yes, I do." "How much? Name your price."  ' liillla/P.:'_-i 4 _-1 „1 ____ r 2,11r....41.3...i1l • .. . 14 I 'li or, ..,,e, ,- • ' Illhit i il 1 ___-_,,,,,,,,q,.."77-70z;::.:P.....-,,,..it 41., , ..• . -?..,--. ..,,.... , . , .......„. •_. .. ..„ . ,„,.. . i. k`'., 4., k ,'•''', .-..A. ' ...•"' ',; , fa' '.ar''.' '' •• ." 'or ' 4-$. ' Ts. ' ifj, .' ' ~-'.....1"-'1- 4. , 1' ' , '` : • ,::. '' ''' 1..' ' ',;,'' .:, -.-'1" , , - 4* 9 ~4.: F•ri.r,. ' ,c,.. . '.• ;. ' y 'iit 10 'llp..":' : '1.Ti74.7-4.* _..-.•:;="-- 4 VI - .t...; ,i ' ' if' bi.i.`e,X2'-iXT • '•-:?.?o'.l;''P i it -1,14,'-,/•;.',, -;V;:',.;,4 '," .:" 11 .:if,,,V... / / .., • , ' Nt 0',.. ,41. •11.11. 4 • • ' :7' ' ~'; ';,14 • , .f!'s'..,,•;, . . 11.'',.. ', -h *v - ..- i• :- . 1 1: il - * ••••••±4P •'. 4' lii/* -•' ,' f . . . - '•,' • , - --: ,-. •.: , ~ ;k,,, •,; ~ .1 .: '44\ , i a • . 4-(AO, 4, , ~., 4. , / .. , . '''"6"..''':"S7‘l- '4:l'; •1':,;,./' ..' ' f'.; 11%, .11 k. -..-...m........__ ( -,-4 04.' V ; '•• •: ' ' -*'' 7. ;T. • ..",,, ~,,,.4 i, ku,,•,,,,, 4, --- • ~,,,,,.• - ~• -1, -,,,. . ''!'-'-.'•'•0•.11,\VA,,..'t ,k, V.7-as•mle hi . ..,,4,., ~.:..--71,,,,:.`i„.'t`-_7110......, _ z ' ,W,......'‘ • '''' . , 'ty N,,;,- ;.w,s,,', - it.•,. i _,...-;70,/, v 1014.,,, - ~- • - .•,-,,.. -• , ~.... , . . • ~....• , , ......,4 ~/1---t •..0., , -Air...,;; • ~,•,.."'?„,:tt !..:•44.,,, .-t4.. .;,..,,,,,,t;&x: to/ • -N‘.,..,...,:, ' !st.:-.. ,li., , -s••, : ~ --, • ,-,....-_,7- , .' ' ''' -sMv -4k.s‘N.'" ' - ''• • • ';'. • ' 'l' . ,".;,, - • ',-.,-;;i4 -,•,.. . ..... - )-".• \ 4., •-•-•-•-v,- ' - - '';'-e,W., ' -4 . •• . k ; '4,1,,1 :1.,,, - • %.,S„. . . ..f.' , ..,: '-!;.. 4,4';'t -NI - ' '', .%....% ' :...,..r......,A% • ‘,...r., .... t., ..4*,-, 0;4 :, ~v . ~.% ~ArNk.4,--;,,;;;ke:,. . ~,...., ' 1.e.•!ek.1 -4,••.- .. •-•:4,4-i,., 4., e., • , ...,..,.... ~:,,r,,,,,..,..._.;,:-...vri>g„,,,,, „4-.---,..., ..... . ;.,,,..„,,,,;c:. ~,, ,h&-.. . t... `i:. V..-