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Who's Who?

Who's Who? image
Parent Issue
Day
4
Month
February
Year
1898
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

COPYKltMtj IBoPBVTHEMÍThOR (Contiaued.) CHAPTEE VIL THE SBSCUSD ONES. The second letter was dated "At Home" the evening before and thus ran: My Dearkst Hakotj)- How yon must havo been astonished this afternoan when yon discovered that tlie nmsway team was oursl Yon believed that mother and I werp. on the continent, where we expected to remain for a year more and whero yon were to join us in the autumn. lustend we are in the same city with your preeious sel f. And now that I am fairly caught I musí; tnakc a confession. Of eourso it was our intention to stay abroad fortbewhole time fized npon last autumn when we left home, directly after father's death. Mother's health seemed to require it, and, as you know, she was following the advine of her physiclan. Eut about a month ago sho begon to ieel homesick. She longed to be among the familiar scenefl in New York. She repressed her yearning for a timo, until it became eo strong that she was wholly miaerabie. Finally she declared sho could stand it no longor and telegraphed to Liverpool for a cabin. Is it unmaidenly to confesa that I was secretly pleased? No, for it wonld enable me to see you months sooner than either of us expected. In my heart I was glad, as I knew yon would 1)e. I deeided to surprise you. l would let you -knownothing of our changeof plan until after our arrival home. Then I would send you a I note iiiviting yon to cali. That was my schome, which was Epoiled by the afiair of this afternoon. Strange that you should appear at the critical moment. But it was so ordored of Providence. You were the means of saving mother's life, oud sho knows it, and would .have saved jnine but for the fall from your horse. My beart stood still when I eaw you go to the gronnd with such awful suddenness, but they said you were not badly hurt, and tho news we got from the hospital was that yon were doing even better than was expected. Oh, how glad and thankful I aro ! You rill soon be yourself, and of conrse wlll taku the first opportunity to cal] opon yonr impatient but devoted Jeanette. The emotions caused by the reading of this letter drove all thoughts of "Budd" of Chicago froni my ínind. In one sense the lady's missive was a revelation. Shewas devotedly attached 'to Harold. Probably the two were engaged. It was his impatience.to see her that had led him to sail for Europe six months sooner than had been his intention, and as was understood by the youug lady herself. Aud y et at the very hour that he was eailing down the bay sbe was coming up, if posgibly she had not already arrived. She had sought to surprise him, not dreaming that her lover would attetnpt the same thiiig. „But what was to be my role in this Btrange complieation? Having assumcd the character of ruy doublé, it was impossible to cast it aside. No one would believe me. It would be the height of dishonor to assume the place of Harold in the affectious of his beloved. And yet, in one seuse, how could I help it? I would have to cali upon her, for a failure to do so would be beyond explanation. I might staveoff the meeting for a day or two because of the accident, but only for a very brief while. Within the nest few days I must pay my respects to Jeanette. But confound it! What would she think of my behavior in her presence? Of necessity there would follow hundreds of trifliug referenccs whose meaniiig would be as hidrlcn from me as froru the man in the raoon. She would bc mystificd, puzzled, shocked. Ah, ha! I had it. Happy thoughtl My violent fall in the park had affected my brain most peculiarly. While everything else was clear, my memory had been so jarred that it was at fault. The wheels had slipped a cog. I found it impossible to recall many past occurrences. I hoped to recover in time, but the speciaJist whoru I consulted eaid the sirange affliction might remain for a year. Meanwhile my friepds must pity and ii ave patience. The refuge -which had so suddenly presented itself promised to open the way for escape from other disagreeable entanglements. It might enable me to shake off Mr. Budd of Chicago. Having hit upon this providential refuge, there was no reason why I should not cali upon Jeanette.at once. I would do so. But, holdl Whero was her home? What was her full name? Surely there should .be no difHculty in learning all that. She had datcd her lotter simply "At Home," for surely she had the right to assume that that was sufficient for her lover. No belp to be obtained there. Ah, wby did I not think oL i t bef ore? The newspapers must have an account of the accident yesterday in the park, with the names of all concerned. That would give ,the clew. Tbree of the leading dailies were delivered at the rooms of Harold, in addition to two afternoon jonrnals. It was hardly to be expected that the account of the accident would be in the afternoon papers of the same day. Nevertheless I searebed them carefully. Neither contained a word abont the ronaway in ' the park. "I shall flnd it in all of the morning papers." I went through each ono several times, bnt with no better success than with the others. Noperson having been killed, the incident was not considered worth record, especially as the political news just then was of a stirring ter. I sent ont later in the day and got all j the evening issnes. One of them spoke of a runaway in Central park in which the driver was badly injured and a yonng gentleman who attempted the part of the gallant rescuer was thrown from his horse and so badly shaken that hewas taken to the hospital. No namei were giveu, umi no mure was pnirceu. I began to fcel vexed. It looked as if fate was trifling with ree. What ougbt to be a very simple mattei" was bccoming a clifficult one. Some baleful influence was intervening to vvork wy discomfltnre. ' Butbow absurd the thought! Evidently all I had to do was to inquire the narnes of the ladies in the carriage, and they would bc given to me. But to make inquirios of my acquaintance would exposé me to ridicule, for it was inconceivabie that any jar which a lover might receive would cause him to forget the name and home of his betrothcd. After perplexing thought I tclephoned to the central office to send me one of their best detectives. He arrivedwithin the following half hour - a small, wiry, sharp cycd fellow iu a business suit of gray, andwith the name of CovcyCone. "Mr. Cone, "said I, placing a $100 bilí in his hand, "the f act that yon have been sent in answer to my demand isevidence that you are the man Iwant and know how to keep a secret. " "I have never been accused of being any other sort of personage. " "Very well. Yesterday I received a shock - was thrown from rny horse in the park while atternpting to stop a runaway team. " "Dangerous business; better leave that for the policemen. They expect it. They 're trained to it and generally get there. " "See here, Mr. Cone, Iwant you to look at me closely. " "That's what I've been doing over since I carne into the room, thcmgh I've seen yon often enough to raake it unnecessary, but it's a habit of mine." "Do yon notice anything pccnliar in ray appearance?" "Why should I?" "Nothing different in my voice or looks f rom what you have always seen ?' ' "Nothing. What's up?" "A strange thirig has happened to me. That fall I got yesterday seems to have played the deuce with my head. " And I drew my hand across my wrinklcd forehead. ' 'I noticed that you hardly seemed to recogriize me as I eiitered. " "I am subject to the most unaccountable lapses of memory. I conldn't plact yon at flrst. I find it difficult even novv to see everythiiig as it is. That is my apology for whatever yon ' observe strange in iny behavior. " "It will soon come all right, " was his cheering response. ' ' Donbtless. Meamvhile I wish you to ascertaiu the name and residence of the two ladies vrho vvere in the carriage yesterday -when the team run away. " "That's dead easy, " replied Detective Cone, with a langh. "How soon do yon wish it?" "As soon as conveuient, though there is no pressing üeed. " "I have a little matter on band which may keep roe employed toniorrow, but if I flnd myself delained I will have the knowledge secured by anotfaer. " ' 'I prefer that it should bo by yon. " Gad, lut that detective was sbarp eyed ! While we were talking I saw hini glanee several times at the wastebasket, into which I had thrown the frwo envelopes containing the letters. Soinething in their appearance interested him. He took out his penknife and began clickiug the blade back and forth, as a person sometimes does, almost unconsciously. His arm was extended and i resting npon the desk in front of him so that his hand was directly over the basket. Suddenly he dropped his knife, as if accidentally. "Tliat was carelessl" he eselaimed, stoopiug ciowu and groping among the papers tor the implement. While doing so he picked up the Chicago cnvelope, as if to search under it for the knife. One glauce was enough to reveal the postmaik and the handWriting, wheu he dropped tljo paper, fcund the implement and began clicking it as aimlessly as before. It was cleverly done. But nothiug; was plainer than that the wholo incident had heer, arranged to give him a closer view of tlie envelope. If so, be succeeded, though I was at a loss to uuderstarid why he should dcsire to do that. The f act thathe was thus interested oaused me a vague nneasiness. While playing the part of a friend Mr. Covey Cone ruight be the enemy wbo was to bring about iny undoing. I was vexed that the nest day passed without bringing a cali or a line from Detective Cone. Even thongh I had tolJ him there was no special haste in the matter, yet it was so simple that he ought to have attended to it within the hour that the request was made of him. Meanwhile a dainty note arrived from Jeanette saying she would expect me that eveniug. So she did, but she was disappointed, as was I, for I no more knew where to look for her than if set down in the streets of London. On the day following tho all important intelligence carne in a brief note from Cone: The partiea In the carriage whose team ran Bway in the park the other day and whom yon attemptecl to reacue were Mre. Elizabeth '; reuoe and her daughter Jeanette. Their home 1b No. - Madisoii avenue. Most astonisbing that you sbnuld forget the name and resldence of the young laoy to wbom, if report is to be oredited, you are engxged in marriage. Others might not understand the reason, butyourexplanatioa mukes It citar to me. I immediately dispatched a brief note Wioa Lawrcwca savilr_,tat_I flt stront; enougn to cali and wouKi xio sziüat tvtó-.í'aAnd thnt opened up the all important question as to how I should conduct myself in her presence. There seemed really but one course to follow. It would be nnpardonable for nic to deceive her. She was the betrothed of Harold, uot of Harniou, Westcott! I must apprise her of mj persouality before our meeting reached an embarrassiug point for her. It was eontrary to the agrecment botween Harold arrl me, which was that j not a livi;g soul should becoinc quaintcd with the truth, but the most peculiar situation warranted this break j of my pledge to him, aud he would thaak me for it. (Uoutinued next week).

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Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Democrat