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\:‘:3;% r:".‘ i ?4 tik e _â€" h4 2‘?»:% o 1‘;@'; ts Ti Retoneen 2s ars % e fls beas aln P & e . ‘"Youâ€"you don‘t believe â€"?" she faltered at last. _ Jess went behind Lady Marvelle‘s chair, and laid her hand on the trembling shoulders. But Deborah heard her; and her face flamed and her eyes grew defiâ€" ant. She looked from one to the other with a halfâ€"fearful, halfâ€"cunning glance. $ He approached the bell, and as he stretohed out his hand to ring it, the door opened and Jess came back. She had heard someone passing through the hall,and had thought that the visitor had gone. She drew back, and would have left the room again; but Deborah rose and stretched out her hand. k UStay, young lady," she said. "There is no. need for you to go! Don‘t ring that bell, my lord;: or, yes, you can if you like! I‘ve no objection to the servants hearing what I‘ve got to say; indeed"â€" with a toss of her headâ€"‘"all the world will hear it before long!" & ‘"No, Miss Newtonâ€"for I suppose you are Miss Newtonâ€"I am,.not mad. I‘m in possession of my sensesâ€"" _7;i‘h’e Earl stretched out his hand toward the bell again; but this time it was Lady Marvelle who . stopped him Deborah gazed at him with astonâ€" ishment and something like fear. This way of taking her explosive bomb was perplexing and confusing. It ought to have shattered them all to piecesâ€"have broken â€" and . scattered their haughty pride, and brought them to their feet. J + ;,‘Don’t‘be frightened, dear!l Is she mad?"‘ she asked in a whisper. "Patient!" echoed Deborah, pasâ€" sionately. "It ought to be me who wants patience. How much longer are you going to insult me?" Instead of this, they sat and lookâ€" ed, and spoke to her quietly, pityingâ€" ly. Could it be possible that they had detected her, and discovered the intended imposture? "There can be no scandal that would blacken Lord Ravenhurst‘s name," he said. "Wait, if, you please, madam!. I can only gatherâ€" you force me to the conjecture by your words and mannerâ€"that your connection with Lord Ravenhurst was an illegal one. Pardon me, but I will ask you to hear me," he said in parâ€" enthesis, as she flushed angrily and opened her lips, as if about to inâ€" terrupt him. ‘"If that be so, and you have any real or fancied claim, I must refer you to my solicitors." C "‘No, no, Edmundâ€"be patient with her," she said in a low voice. _ "Madam, there is no desire to insult you," said the Earl, sternly. "I only beg of you to bring this interview to a close, and to make any further comâ€" munication you desire to my solicitors. My son is but recently deadâ€"*" His voice broke slightly. ‘"Any reference to him isâ€"is painful to us. Oh!. I must beg you to withdraw!" Deborah eyed him angrily. **You‘ll be begging me to stay presently," she said, between her teeth. ‘"You don‘t know who you are talking toâ€"with your ‘apply to my solicitors!‘ You insult me by callâ€" ing me Bruce‘s mistressâ€"" "By what right do you dare use my son‘s Christian name?" demanded the Earl; and for the first time Jess saw him roused to anger. Should he summon the servants,and send post haste for the doctor? What was the best thing to do with and fox this poor creature? j T'he Earl’s pale face grew red, and his eyes flashed. C‘ "Byâ€"â€"by.° every right!" she re: torted, sobbing. "I am his wife!" Not one of the three started or uttered an exclamation. They simply stood, or sat, quite still, and stared at her. In the minds of all three was the firm conviction that this extraâ€" ordinary woman was mad. In fact, not one of them quite realized for a moment the full significance of the assertion. When he did, the Earl looked at her almost pityingly. "Pray be seated," he said quietly, courteously. "I beg you will be seated." Deborah winced, and shrank before the stern voice, the indignation that flashed in the clear, keen eyes,and she began to cry in real earnest. _ "Â¥es, I suppose I ought," she said, kumbly; "but I thought it best for all of usâ€"for you,as well as meâ€"to come to you, and so avoid the scandal." "You can have no legal claim upon kim," continued the Earl; ‘"but if you imagine you have, you should make application to my lawyer." She was silent, struggling for courâ€" age to play the trump card, deal the ®low which should bring these proud and haughty aristocrats at her feet. She was, in simple truth, still afraid. 8 "My son is dead, and any conâ€" nection that may have existed between you has ceased." 1 Deborah wept softly, and hid her face. Her grief, or the affectation of it, hardened the Earl. "‘Where should I come but here, ‘and to you, his father?" said Deborâ€" ah. The Earl frowned. "Am I to understand that you have any claim upon me? My son, Lord Ravenhurst, is dead, as you must be aware, madam." "I will not ask for your evidence of this assertion, madam," he said, sternly, "I will not even question its truth; but I must ask you why you make it, and why you have demanded this interview ?" The Earl rose. He was calm, but the knit brows and tightly compressâ€" ed lips told of the disgust and indignaâ€" tion which her words, her manner, had caused. "Thisâ€"this is a very extraordinâ€" a@ry communication, madam," he said, at last. ‘"You sayâ€"forgive me â€" but are you sure of the correctness of this assertion ?" "Am I sure?" she retorted, with ar angry gleam in her bold eyes, as she forgot her part for a moment; then she sighed, and wiped her eyes again. ‘"I am not surprised at your astonishment, my lord. I knew that Lerd Ravenhurst wished it kept seâ€" eret." ‘"My ‘son engaged to you â€" seâ€" eretly," he said with amazement. Lady Marvelle trembled, and looked at the woman with a frightened incredulâ€" ity. ‘"Yes," said Deborah. "We were engaged for a long time." sys Continued from last week aeer e ie e ie "You say that you are â€" Lord Ravenhurst‘s wife?" she said. She could not pring herself to pronounce the "Bruce". "It was hard enough â€" painful enoughâ€"for me to come here in this way. But I thought it better, kinder, to do so, than to rouse all the talk and scandal by going to the . lawyers. You can go there, if you like. But it shan‘t be said that it was meâ€"â€"his wifeâ€"who . dragged Lord Bruce‘s name through the mud!" ‘YÂ¥es,"" she said, quictly now,. for she saw that, up to the present, she was undetected. ‘"Kve brought the papers with me. Here it is â€"the certificate of my marriage, I mean." held it out to them. ‘"I‘ve said soâ€"I say it again!‘ responded Deborah. "I can‘t help it if you think I‘m out of my mind. I‘m as sane as you areâ€"a precious deal less mad than you‘ll be presently." She forgot her part, and snapped this out. with a short vicious laugh. "I didn‘t expect you to believe me right awayâ€"that wasn‘t likely. But you don‘t suppose that I should come here without proofs?" She remembered her part again and brought her handkerchief into tye. The Earl breathed hard. His power of endurance was nearly exhausted. ‘"You speak ofâ€"of proofs," he said. ‘"May I ask you to give me some evidence of the truth of your extraâ€" ordinary statement?" In a moment or two he could. read it quite plainly; then the printed and written lines began to dance before his eyes, and his sight failed him. "It‘s the truth!" she said in a hard voice. "You say it‘s a lie. Prove it! She took the long slip of official paper from a neat pocket book, and The Earl, white to the lips now, took it and examined it. "Edmund! What is it?" gasped Lady Marvelle, as she watched the horror growing on his face. CHAPTER XXXIII Deborah quailed before Jess‘s slight figure, drawn to its full height, the eyes aflame with indignation and scorn, the low, clear voice ringing like a bell in its denunciation. Forâ€"a moment Deborah shrank, and looked from side to side, as if seeking some way of escape, as if she were actualâ€" ly terrified by the form and voice of her rival; then she made an effort, and drew herself up in cheap and tawâ€" dry imitation of Jess, and shot a glance of fury and hate at the white face. ‘"Not mad?" said the Earl in an undertone. ‘"My dear Ada, it is selfâ€" evident.. The poor woman is clearly demented. Pray let me summon assistance." But Lady Marvelle, with a woman‘s finer instinct, had judged imore corâ€" rectly. She went up to the tall, majestic figure standing defiantly in the centre of the reom, and locked at her. He held out the certificate to her, and it shook like a leaf, "My God!" he breathed. ‘‘What is it!" she asked again. "I cannot read it! Edmund, tell me!" "Itâ€"it is a certificate of marriage!" he gasped, as if he were choking. "A certificate of marriage! This woman is Bruce‘s wife!" ‘‘Yes," she said, with a note of triumph in her. hard voice; "it is quite trueâ€"I am poor Bruce‘s wife!" A slim figure glided from behind Lady Marvelle‘s chair, and came out into the middle of the room, and confronted her. ‘"‘No, no!" said Deborah, sharply. "Let her stay. I‘ve no secrets from her, or any of you now. Let her stay, and hear what I‘ve got to say. I tell you once moreâ€"I am Bruce‘s wife!" Now, Jess had been regarding the scene as one regards a scene on the stageâ€"a painful representation, but with nothing real or of consequence in it. A thrill of horror had run through her as she heard the woâ€" man‘s assertion; but it did not alarm her or carry any conviction. It was well forâ€" her, indeed, that her illness had weakened her capacity for sufâ€" fering, otherwise she might have screamed or fainted, as Deborah had expected. Deborah ‘drew a deep breath of relief. f ‘"It is a lie!" she said in her clear voice, and with not a tremor or a note of weakness or doubt in it. ‘"It is a lie!" ‘"Wait, Edmund," she panted. "Sheâ€"she is not mad! Wait â€" Jess, leave the room, dear!" It was Jessâ€"Jess with her face upheld firmly, her eyes flashing with indignation and scorn. Lady Marvelle rose and stopped him once more. "Great heaven! I see! You think I‘m mad!" she said, indignantly, scornfully. "I couldn‘t think what you were driving at! â€"Mad?" she repeated, with another laugh. ‘"I‘m as sane as you are! I tell you I am your ‘son‘s widowâ€"I am Bruce‘s wife!" The Earl reddened and put his hand on the bell. A light sprang toâ€" them, and her. "I am sorry for that," said the Earl. "It is a long way for a lady to travel unaccompanied.. I take it that you have come from London?" The Earl winced. She was insane, and of course not accountable for her words.. But he did. wish that she would not harrow his soul by the use of the dear, sacred name of his beâ€" loved dead. ‘"YÂ¥es â€" yes," he said, soothingly. "You will permit me to offer you some refreshment, and send some one back with you to the innâ€"‘" A light broke in upon her. She sprang to: her feet, and confronted them, and an angry laugh burst from ‘"Yes,"â€" said Deborah, ‘"Bruce wished me to remain in London." ‘"And are you alone, or have you brought some friend with you?" he asked. "I am alone," she said. What were they about? Why didn‘t they get up and scream and rave, or faint, or show their horror and dismay in the proper ‘and usual manner ? dam The Earl actually smiled, ‘*You must give us time «to realise so startling a piece of information," he said, quite gently, all the anger gone out of his face. "Meanwhile, may I ask where you are staying, maâ€" "At the .inn," â€" replied Deborah, staring at him, still puzzled and conâ€" fused by his inexplicable gentleness. or? "At my lawyer‘s," said Deborah promptly. "‘I shouldn‘t bring it here, for the best of reasons. I expected you‘d call that a forgery, and it‘s best to. have that in safe keeping. I can get a copy of this any day"; and she jerked her head at the certificate. Jess alone remained calm and unâ€" afraid. She knew that the woman was lying. How could it be possible that Bruceâ€"Bruce, of all menâ€"the man who had cheerfully laid down his life for helpless women and children!â€" should be guilty of such a crime, a crime so mean and base as this? No man with a spark of humanity in him could mary two women within the space of a few daysâ€"commit bigamy of the most horrible and vulgar type. â€" ‘‘That one"â€"she flicked one of the heap with her fingerâ€"‘"is the one he wrote saying he‘d come to my place and sign the marriage settlement." The Earl dropped the letter. ‘"Marriage settlement!" he exâ€" claimed aghast. ‘"Where â€" where is 1t?"" "What can I do? What can I say said the Earl almost to himself. . He seemedâ€"crushed â€"and confused and well nign overwhelmed by the woman‘s confidence and the evidence she had produced. Lady Marvelle too looked less certain and more terrified. Jess and Lady Marvelle shuddered. Bruce write love letters to this woâ€" man ! The Earl looked at her in a dazed fashion. It all began to seem like a hideous. dream, of which, perhaps, the worst part was the woman herself. Her very beautyâ€"for she was handâ€" Deborah would have flung the paâ€" per at her feet; but the Earl came forward and took it, and handed it to Jess. & "It is forgery!" she said quietly, as she handed the certificate back to the Earl. Deborah laughed. "Of course, you say it! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Miss Newton. Who are you, to accuse a lady you don‘t know anything against of such a crime as forgery? But you will soon find yourself in the wrong. Perhaps you wili call these forgerâ€" ies also ?" As she spoke, she took some of Bruce‘s letters from her pocketâ€"book and laid them on a table beside her. ‘"You may read them all," said Deborah; "but perhaps one will satisâ€" fy you. It isn‘t pleasant to have one‘s love letters read." ‘"What have you to say now, Miss Newton?" demanded Deborah, stung by Jéss‘s calm, which, but for the indignation in her eyes, amounted almost to indifference. "I say that it is false. Lord Ravenâ€" hurst would not marry you,". She replied, not scornfully, but as if she were stating a matter of fact incapâ€" able of condradiction. t Deborah‘s eyes blazed. ; "Then what do you wish me to do?" she asked, turning to the Earl. "Remember you are driving me to go to law. I only demanded my rights. I don‘t ask for money." She rememberâ€" ed Glave‘s instructions, and sighed at this point. ‘"I don‘t want a penny. I only want the rights due to Bruce‘s widow. You can‘t blame me for that." "I didn‘t suppose you‘d take my word," _ continued Deborah, _ more quietly. ‘"I‘ imagined you‘d make inquiries. Well, make them! You‘ll find the address of the place where we were married, and the date, on the certificate. Oh, it‘s all correct!" * It was incredible, monstrous! _ No one but a fiend in human form could have acted as this paper attempted to prove Bruce had done. The Earl walked over to them, and took them up, like a man in a dream. As she said "date," Jess stretched out her hand. "Let me see it," she said. Not with misgiving, not with any doubt as yet. She read it slowly, carefully, with wonderful calmmess; then they saw her flush from neck toiface. The date was prior to that of her own marâ€" riage. This was on Tuesday, Septemâ€" ber the 28th; her‘s on a Wednesday, October 6th. P ed "I thought you‘d say that!" she exclaimed, â€" contemptously. It is the kind of thing you elegant, wellâ€" born people would say. A forgery! You must think me a fool! If it was a forgery, couldn‘t you go to the ofâ€" fice where we were married, and find it out directly ?" "It may be a forgery," he said, under his breath. The Earl started as if her question had suggested a doubtâ€"a loopâ€"hole of escape from the terrible situation. ‘"What mistake?" broke in Deâ€" borah, made too angry and furious by Jess‘s significant smile to care about playing any part or affecting any refinement. ‘There‘s the certificate. What‘s wrong with it?" The Earl winced and sighed heavily The report was effective. i ‘"No; it is impossible!". exclaimed the Earl, encouraged by her unbelief and righteous scorn. ‘"There is some mistakeâ€"*" him from this woman‘s falsehood. Bruce marry her!" A smile crossed her face for an instant; then her lips trembled. ‘"No; I must stay," . said Jess. "Itâ€"it concerns me as much as it does you. I have a right to protect him from this woman‘s falsehood. it As! Lady Marvelle came , forward tremblingly, and drew Jess back, as if Deborah‘s nearness were a conâ€" tamination. ‘"Say nothing, dear!‘"‘ she implored. ‘"Do not answer her. Leave her to Edmund. Oh, pray go, Jess!" and she tried to draw her towards the door. Prove it! . What about this?" and she pointed to the certificate, which had fallen from Lady Marvelle‘s hand to thefloor. ‘"You asked me for ev'ig&e{ and I‘ve brought it. Here She swooped at the certificate, and snatching it up, waved it almost in Jess‘s face. kno Deborah heard him, and she laughâ€" 1+ THE TIMES & GUIDE, WESTON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 9TH, 1917 99 "Youâ€"you forget that Bruce was not himself for weeks beforeâ€"before he left; that he was almost out of his mind, and just at this time the woâ€" man says the marriage took place. "I will consult my lawyer, and communicate with you,madam. Meanâ€" while â€"meanwhile, may I ask you to keep the matter secret for the presâ€" ent? I may be asking too muchâ€"‘" "No, thank you, my jlord; 1‘d rather not accept any ‘favor from you until you have proved the truth of what I have stated. I came alone, and I can go back alone. I am used to taking care of myself." When he returned to the drawingâ€" room, he found Jess and Lady Marâ€" velle sitting hand in hand. Lady Marvelle was crying softly; but Jess though very white was not weeping, and was as calm as she had been all through the painful scene; and the Earl drew comfort and encourageâ€" ment from her face and resolute eyes. He sanlf into a chair, and gazed inâ€" to the fire for a moment or two; then he said: "She is not mad!" said Lady Marâ€" velle in a low voice. He raised his head, and looked at her fearfully. "But Bruce!" he said, with outâ€" stretched hands. ‘"Bruce marry such a woman! Oh! it is impossible! You knew bhim almost as well as I did. With all his faults\he had a keen sense of honor. Is it likely he could have made a clandestine marriage â€" and with such a woman as this?" ‘"God forbid!" he said. ‘"It is an honorable profession. But â€"" He could not say, "But we Clansmeres do not choose our wives from its memâ€" bers." Deborah understood. "Â¥es, [ can go back," she said. "I offered to before Bruce went away. He was short of money, and I could have helped him. I should have been only too happy to work for him. I would have starved for theâ€"the man I loved, my husband." "I understand," she said. ‘"Yes. I shan‘t say anything about it. C don‘t want a lot of scandal and newsâ€" paper paragraphs and sensation any more than you, my lord." "I will send a carriage with you," he said, remembering that it was late and that she was. alone. But she refused. Mr. Phillips was the senior partner of the well known firm of solicitors, Phillips, Good and Bligh, the family lawyers. "If it were not for the certificate, I should still believe that the woman was insane!" Lady Marvelle was silent. Neither of them saw the flush that dyed Jess‘s white face. "And why should he marry her? You will not tell me that heâ€" he had any serious affection for her? Think of her! Think of her! She is handâ€" some, I admit, butâ€"!" He broke off, and shuddered. Lady Marvelle sikhed back her Lady Marvelle sighed back her sobs The Earl could endure no more White to the lips, he said, huskily: The Earl conducted her through the hall. The door closed on her, and the Earl stood in the centre of the hall, like a man utterly confused and helpâ€" less, not knowing where to turn and searcely conscious of what he was doing. ) ‘"What is to be done? I can scarceâ€" ly thinkâ€"â€"realize. I will send for Phillips." The Earl groaned, and began to pace the room. "You will not say thatâ€"that you believe the woman‘s story, Ada?" he demanded. Lady Marvelle shook her head. "The certificate!" she said brokenâ€" ly. ‘"You are wiser than I, Edmund, and know more of the world; but â€" but would anyone dare to forge such "In what way?" asked the Earl, sadly. "I have been on the stage. I can return there. I can always get a good engagement, especially when it is known I‘m Lady Ravenhurst.". Glave had told her to threaten them with this; and he had not miscalculated the effect. "On the stage! Youâ€"you are an actress?" hesaid. ‘‘Yes. There‘s no shame or disgrace in that," she said. a paper? Would it not be discoverâ€" ed the moment enquiries were made?" some and graceful and maif(sticâ€"had something diabolical in it.~ "God forgive me, if it be so!"‘ he said, with deep emotion. "If Bruce has done this thing, and you are indeed his wife, then â€"" He could not go on; but Deborah was satisfied. "I don‘t want to force myself on you or any of the family," she said, with a sob. "I only want what is dueâ€" to be acknowledged as Bruce‘s wife. . I can support myself." The Earl and Lady Marvelle shudâ€" dered openly. "I don‘t know what to say," he said in a low voice, "If you are telling the truth, if thisâ€"this certificate is genâ€" uine, thenâ€"thenâ€" But I cannot beâ€" lieve it} Madam, I must consult my solicitor, â€" Heâ€"he will communicate with you." ‘"Very well," she said. "After all that‘s only what I might have exâ€" pected. I didn‘t expect you to receive me with open arms‘"‘â€"the Earl barely suppressed a groanâ€""though there‘s nothing against me. .I may not be as well born as you are, but, anyway‘"‘â€" she shot a glance at Jessâ€"‘"I‘m as good as that young lady there. Quite as good!" The Earl winced, and his face grew lined and wrinkled. He was the last man to resist such an appeal. "You will tell me your address?‘ said the Earl, with painful courtesy "I shall stay at the inn," she said. ‘"It will be better that I should be near at hand, if you want to ask any more questions or see any more proofs." Deborah felt that she had let her temper get the better hand of her, and had done badly and strove to reâ€" trieve herself somewhat. She put her handkerchief to her eyes and sobbed quietly. "I almost wish I hadn‘t come," she said. ‘"Perhaps it would have been better if I had held my tongue. After all, I‘m only claiming my rights, and I think you have behaved very cruâ€" elly to me." Lady Marvelle flushed indignantly; but Jess was not touched in the least, and continued to regard Deborah with the expression which maddened her more than any open look of scorn could have dene. door She added the last words with a sneer, which was completely wasted upon the three persons she faced. ‘"Very good," said the Earl. He rang the bell and opened the To Be Continued 95 FRANCIS W.@RUSSELL, land agent, C. P. R., Winnipeg, was born at Hastings, England, Dec. 19, 1864. He was educated at private schools in ber 1, 1886, as general travelling agent, with an office at Montreal, and the following year he was appointed district passenger agent at Boston, in charge of the New England States and Maritime provinces. On absorpâ€" tion of the New Brunswick Railway in 1890 by the Canadian Pacific Railâ€" way he was made assistant general passenger agent at St. Joan. He was transferred in the same position to Toronto in 1895. In 1899 he was appointed general passenger agent, Western Lines, at Winnipeg. In 1910 he was appointed assistant passenger traffic manager at Winnipeg. C. E. MePHERSON, assistant pasâ€" genger traffic manager, Western Lines of the C. P. R., was born at Chatham, Ontario, June 7, 1862, and was also educated there. He entered the service of the Grand Trunk at Toronto in 1876. He was with the company at various places until 1881, when he entered the service of the Chicago, Rock Isâ€" land and Pacific Railway as general agent for Canada. He joined the Canadian Pacific Railway, Septemâ€" AIWENTY VE YEARS on tmE JOB, R. PRESTON, asst. superintendent of motive power, Western Limes, C. P. R, was born at Toronto, July 28, 1863. He entered railway service in 1877. From 1878 to 1882 he was a machinist apprentice connected with Toronte, Grey and Bruce Railway, later absorbâ€" England. He came to Canada in 1885 and entered the land department of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Aug. 8, 1885.. He was general clerk in the land department from 1885 to 1899. He was chief clerk from 1899 to 1912. He was appointed land agent of the company in Winnipeg, Feb. 1, 1912, which position he still holds. JACOB L. DOUPE, chief surveyer, C. P. R. Western Lines, was born in Toronto, September, 1867. Educated in Winnipeg public schools and St. John‘s College, he graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1887. He entered the Canadian Pacific Railâ€" way service as assistant engineer on construction in June, 1890. He beâ€" came surveyer of the land department in May, 1891, and was appointed asâ€" sistant land commissioner in Septem:â€" ber, 1900. : He became general townsite agent in March, 1912, and chief surâ€" veyer of Western Lines in August, 1912 wiked y / [( 222 PL A NT |a 5ela\"A 2 12 4 ed by the C. P. R., 1882 to 1884, ma» chinist, C. P. R., Winnipeg, and Toâ€" ronto, Grey and Bruce Railway, Toâ€" ronto. 1884 to 1887 he was a machinâ€" ist in the employ of the C. P. R. at Toronto; 1887â€"1890 he held the posiâ€" tion of locomotive foreman at Havre lock, Ont. From 1890 to 1894 he was locomotive foreman at London, Ont. 1894 to 1897 locomotive foreman Smiths Falls, Ont. 1897 to 1898, locoâ€" motive foreman, Montreal; 1898 to 1901, locomotive foreman, Toronto; 1901 to 1903, master mechanic, Lake Superior Division, North Bay, Ont.; 1903 to 1909, master mechanic, Onâ€" tario Division, Toronto; 1909 to 1914, master mechanic, Manitoba Division, Winnipeg. Since 1914 he has been assistant superintendent of motivé power, Winnipeg. PAGE SEVEN ma