The Warwickshire Herald. — 1899-09-28 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

THE CHAIN OF OUR SINS.  BY MISS M. K BRADDOIS  Author of "Lady Andlev's Secret." "The Fatal Three." "The bay Will Come," "Lost for Love," "The Doctor's Wife." "Whose Was the Hand ? " "One Life. One Love," "Thou Art the Maa,• "Sous of Fire,"  SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOIts ourrEns:----Arnold Wentworth, who has taken the a.SSUM ell name of Alfred WiWeyer, a man thirty years of age, is returning to England from South Africa. Aboard the steamship he meets Mary Freeland, whom he had known as a child in the days before he ran away from his home in England. Ile has made' money at tie- diamond fields, and is returning. to England on a visit. She, too. has left home against the wish of her aunt, with whom she had lived, and gone upon the stage. Her aunt has since Mid, and bequeathed to Mary Freeland her fortune. Wildover has received a letter in South Africa from a woman for whom, before leaving England, he had formed a sincere attachment, she had heard of his good fortune in the new country, and beseeches him to return to her. The story of their relationship is a sad one. When quite a girl Lisa Rayner had been led astray and deserted by a man many years her senior. This man is now supposed to be 'living in Vienna. He is a man of great wealth and position. Lisa Rayner had lived through the period which followed her desertion without 'f tiling into a life of vice, and had managed to sumswt herself in a poor quarter of London. Whilst living tlaw, she bad made the acquaintance of Arnold Wentworth. He himself, having run away from home, had teen reduced to great poverty.. and it was Only the intervention of Lisa Rayner which bad saved him from a suicide's grave. From this there had sprung up a sincere affection between them, and they had lived together as man and wife. A life of poverty, however, had soon worn out Arnold's affection, and at length he had given Lhit what money he could obtain, and bade her good-bye. and gone out to seek his fortune in South Africa. This he had achieved, and he was now retuming to England with anything but pleasant anticipations of meeting the woman with whom he had at One time imagined himself to be in love. Aboard the ship, he falls in love with . Mary Freeland, but, being conseious of the stain upon his past life, he refrain.; from telling her of his love. On reaching England. Mary Freeland at once returns to their native village of Mereynhall. A day later Arnold follows her, and has a :went interview with his mother. Ile cannot mixt her openly, because of the minty of his father, who has never forgiven him the boyish extravagance which had been the Callie of dick early quarrel. Next morning Arnold visits Mary Freeland, and whilst in her company he is greatly shocked by reading in the paper an account of a murder in London, Tlie vim in. is no other than Lisa Rayner, the woman with Ihholll he bad at one time lived on terms of intimacy. She had been found dead in her London garret. having been shot through the heart by leOne person wile must hare followed her up the public stairway to her mom and escaped before an alarm was given. The detective officer (John Fanner I who has (htiri.re 14 the ea,e is led to believe that Wildover is the man who has committed the murder. He finds strong circumstantial evidence against him. and on his return to London arrests him on a charge of murder. An unknown friend retains an eminent lawver. Mr. Chilbrick, to defend him, and after a long bearing, in which a strung .'as' ~f suspicion against hito 6 made out, the ease is adjoumid turn weAt