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- rg neue menennevntnertend nti mir Rehtstr et A NMS Benen,
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| canine
A REBUFF, — Rl
**Let me see: if I should keep in the back-ground, that is, out of
sight, and get rid of this gallant colonel, that is, let hina meet with
gome accident to cause his death, why my wife would be his heiress,
of course.
“Then I could come in, and after half a year’s mourning } could
force her to marry me, for appearances’ sake, and ’d have all.
“T was a trifle too fast in appearing as I did, and not thinking of
this little game before.
‘* Now it may be too late, she may have told the colonel abot me,
2s she has not appeared, and he may simply back her up in getting a
divorce from me, which she can do.
** Well; here Iam, and there he is.
“ Now I must put a bold face upon the matter and survey ‘he fort
to see if I can take it.”
He had dressed himself up in his best style, and Colonel Ivey, seeing
a well-dressed stranger approaching, arose to meet him.
The colonel had that noon returned from the city, where he could
Gnd no clue to the where abonts of Ruby and her children; but he
had set.the best detectives on the track and was hopeful 3f goon
discovering them.
Bowing to the visitor, the colonel advanced to meet him.
Schuyler Cluctt bowed politely and asked:
Ts this the home of Colonel Ivey? ”’
‘Tt is, sir, and 1am Richard Ivey, at your service.
* Be seated, pray, or will you enter the house?” .
“Thank you, sir; my name is Cluett, sir, and Iam an old friezd of
your wife, and-have called to seo her, being in the neighbourhood.”
‘Indeed, sir; I'amreally glad tomecet you, Mr. Cluett, so be seated,
pray, for itis pleasanter here than indoors.”
Schuyler Cluett sat down. But he hardly knew what to say.
It seemed‘evident, from the colonel’s manner, he thought, that his
svife had kept her seeret, for he did not appear to be known.
‘*T hope Mrs. Ivey is well, sir?’’ he volunteered.
“Well, sir, as to that I cannot just say, as.she is not at home; but
E hope so.” .
‘* Indeed! she is absent then? ”
‘Yes, sir, she has gone far away, she and her children, and, as you
are an old friend of hers, I do not mind telling you that it is on
account of a grand scamp whom she once married.”
-
“Yes, Mr’ Cluett; she was infatuated in her. girlhood by some
wretch whom: she ran off with and married, and soon found him out
to be.a worthless vagabond, a gambler and all that was bad. °
**He robbed her, deserted her, and sent her word, through a con-
federate in-guilt, that he had been killed, and so believing him to be
dead, she married me.
‘* But he turned up during my absence West, tried to get her ta rob
me, to buy him off from telling the secret of his still being alive, and
che, too noble to do so, fled from my home, from me, and: has gone:
far away, while I am left alone.”
- “But you can find her, sir?” eagerly asked Cluctt.
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