THE DISTRACTED WIFE.
The next morning, as Senator Hamblin entered the bank, Sargent handed
him two letters. Receiving them in silence, he went directly to his
private office, closed and locked the door, and seating himself at the
desk, seemed much troubled.
"I am playing a dangerous game, and wish I were well out of it.
During the long, tedious night, sleep refused to relieve me of that
dreadful look of agony and despair that yesterday overshadowed Alden's
countenance. But can I do otherwise than try to prevent the crash that
would ruin me and disgrace those dependent upon me? It is a desperate
game, but I cannot retrace my steps. Let me look at these letters. Yes,
here is one addressed to my daughter and another to the Alden girl. I
cannot bear to open them, but must do so, for how else can I know his
destination?"
For a moment he was silent, then quickly opening the letter addressed to
Belle, and counting the sheets, he found there were six of them--just
twenty-four pages in all. Reading, he was soon interested in the
contents. Troubled thoughts running through his mind, he frequently
passed his hand across his brow as if hiding the words from view.
Before the letter was finished he was greatly agitated, and when all was
read, his head bowed upon the desk, sigh after sigh escaped him.
"What have I done? The writer of this letter would have made my daughter
a kind and true husband. I will recall him--I must, for I cannot go
farther in this deception. Poor Belle! God pity her! I--her father--have
basely conspired to destroy her happiness. God! what a villain I am!"
He arose and paced the floor in terrible agony of conscience.
"I have added crime to cruelty, and my hand is plotting against two
true and noble hearts. I will at once recall Alden, for Belle's letter
received last evening informs me of her return home to-morrow. What
sorrow awaits her! I must--I will make amends for all."
Resuming his seat, he was about to open the letter addressed to Fannie
Alden, when a rap at the door caused him to pause, and hastily slipping
the two letters into a private drawer, he arose, and opening the door,
to his surprise he found himself face to face with Walter Mannis.
"Ah, Senator, how do you do? Glad to see you. You look surprised. Didn't
expect to see me to-day, eh?"
"No, I did not expect you, Mannis, but I am glad to see you. Walk in,
and be seated."
Closing and locking the door, and resuming his chair, he said:
"Mannis, this is bad business. Yesterday I sent poor Alden away as if he
were a common thief. To-day I am a changed man and must give up this
business, for it is a damnable scheme."
"Pshaw! Senator, you are only doing your duty; beside it is too late to
turn back now. Tut, tut, man, another day will calm your mind and all
will be well."
"I suppose I am weak, but the scene I passed through yesterday has quite
unmanned me; I will soon throw off this spell, realizing now that only
the successful development of our scheme will save us. But I was a fool
to ever begin it."
Mannis, with his keen eye, saw that the veteran politician was really
moved. He was astonished; what politician would not have been? But he
did not lose his wits; he said:
"The only thing necessary now is to prevent Alden's return. Of course
you have intercepted his letters, for Sargent told me as I entered the
bank that he handed you two this morning."
"Yes, I have them safe; but the counterfeiting and forging business must
follow. When will bloodshed be added?"
The words were spoken in a desperate voice, so Mannis quickly replied:
"Come, Senator, put on your hat and let us walk over to my room at the
hotel. You need fresh air and a glass of wine--then we will return here
and look further into this matter."
The Senator at first refused the invitation, but persuasion finally made
him yield, and the two men left the bank.
Returning an hour later, Senator Hamblin was in better spirits, the
fresh air, together with several glasses of wine, having changed his
whole demeanor. Despondency had given way to exuberance of spirits, and
both men were soon seated side by side, smoking cigars. Then George
Alden's letters were brought from their hiding-place and examined,
Mannis remarking:
"Well, he is a gushing youth if nothing else."
It being decided an answer must be sent Alden, Mannis, taking paper and
pen, wrote as follows:
"CLEVERDALE, 187-.
"SIR: On receipt of your letter I immediately returned to
Cleverdale. When I thought you an honest man, I respected and
loved you, but your crime has aroused me from this dream. Never
dare address me again, for I abhor a villain. BELLE HAMBLIN.
"To GEORGE ALDEN."
"There, Senator, have Sargent copy this--imitating your daughter's
handwriting--and mail it to the gusher. It will make him overflow with
rhapsody--or profanity. Gracious! how I would like to see him when he
runs his eyes over this _billet-doux_," and he ended his words with a
long, low whistle.
The interview was but a short one, and the two men shook hands. Mannis,
while leaving the private office and passing into the bank, whispered to
Sargent:
"Come to my room at the hotel at noon, I wish to see you privately."
Promptly at noon Sargent entered the Cleverdale Hotel, and hastily going
to Mannis's room rapped at the door. A voice within calling out, "Come
in," the teller entered the apartment, and Mannis rose to meet him.
"Sargent, the old man is faint-hearted, and if something is not done to
prevent, he will have Alden back here."
"Yes, I noticed he looked like a sick man when he came to the bank this
morning. If he should repent, what would you and I do?"
"We must not give him a chance. Will you stand by me in this matter,
Sargent? Remember, you are to be cashier."
"Stand by you? Yes, sir; I am with you and can take a hand in anything
you suggest."
"Well, let's shake hands over that. Now let me whisper a few words in
your ear."
For five minutes the two men whispered together; then Sargent said:
"By thunder! I never thought of that--but I am your man--that will check
things certain."
"Not a lisp of this," said Mannis; "but Saturday evening, at eight
o'clock, meet me near the hollow road, and be sure to bring along that
suit."
In another moment Mannis was alone, and an hour later, behind a span of
fleet horses, he was speeding over the road toward Havelock.
"The girl shall be mine," he said, "and the Senator's money will chip in
nicely to keep me afloat. But if he only knew I wanted his cash, even
more than his pretty daughter, he would shut down on me. Chicken-hearted
as a child, I am afraid he will repent, and try to undo the little
game. I always took him for a man of pluck; but we will arrange this
business, though. My eyes! how he will shake in his boots when Sargent
and I get through with our part of this affair--and won't all Cleverdale
be excited? Whew! There'll be a first-class rumpus!"
The following day Mrs. Hamblin and Belle arrived at the Hamblin mansion;
the husband and father was not there to receive them. Relieving
themselves of wraps, etc., they took their supper.
Belle with great impatience momentarily expected the arrival of George
Alden. Eight, half-past eight, nine o'clock came, still the young
husband failed to appear.
"It is strange, mamma," said she. "I wrote him I would be here this
evening. Can he be sick? I will send Jane to his house--possibly he is
there."
Seating herself, she hastily wrote:
"DEAR GEORGE:
"I am home. Come at once.
"BELLE."
Summoning Jane, instructions concerning the note were given; in twenty
minutes the faithful nurse returned and exclaimed:
"The house is dark, and no person there."
"No one there!" said Belle, in a trembling voice. "It is singular
enough. He came home three days since. Where is Papa?--he can tell us
whether George has been at the bank. There must be something wrong."
"Be calm, my child," said her mother; "he will come soon--there is some
good reason for his absence. Perhaps he is at the bank with your father."
"True; I never thought of that. It is getting late, and we had better
send James to the bank and ascertain. I must know his whereabouts before
I can sleep."
She immediately rang the bell, and Jane appeared.
"Tell James to go to the bank, and see if Papa is there. Also tell him
to inquire if Mr. Alden is there. If Papa is alone, ask him if he will
please come home at once."
Half an hour later, James returned with the information that Mr. Hamblin
was alone at his office, and would be up soon. Belle was much agitated;
her mother tried to quiet her, but without success. Shortly after,
Senator Hamblin entered the house; Belle ran to meet him, but by his
manner she was conscious that something terrible had happened. After
embracing his wife and daughter, the latter asked:
"Papa, where--is--is--George?"
Slow to answer, his hesitation only added to her agitation, for she
continued:
"Oh, speak! What has happened?"
"My daughter, he is unworthy of you, he has proven himself a villain."
"Proven himself a villain! why, what do you mean? Answer me!" Her face
became deathly pale, and she tottered as if about to fall.
"He has--I cannot speak it, for I am affected as never before--but you
must know the worst--George Alden has stolen five thousand dollars from
the bank."
There was a wild shriek, and Belle fell sobbing into her mother's arms.
"It is--it is false! he never committed a crime." Rising quickly, with
excited voice she asked: "And--and where is he?"
"Alas, my child, he has absconded. I befriended him, making good the
amount, and the crime is known only to the teller and myself."
"Father," exclaimed Belle, "this awful crime is yours, not his; you have
conspired to defame as pure a man as ever lived,--and _you have killed
his wife_."
"His wife! My God, Belle, what do you mean?"
"I mean that I am the wedded wife of George Alden, whom an unnatural
father conspired to ruin, branding him as a criminal and sending him
away a fugitive. Oh, I see it all! Weak from his late illness, not able
to cope with villains, and left by me at the mercy of his persecutors,
he is ruined, and I am murdered by--oh, God!--my father!"
The sorrow-stricken wife sobbed with intense agony; her proud sire stood
trembling like a whipped cur. Approaching his wife, he said:
"Why was I not made aware of this marriage? I would have saved him from
flight, but now I am afraid it is too late. He--he--did not tell me of
this."
"No, pledged not to reveal the marriage until my return, his fine sense
of honor, together with his weak condition, made him keep the secret.
But what is manliness, honor, or love to you? You drove him away!"
replied Belle.
"I did not drive him away, the evidence of guilt caused his flight. I
not only made good the defalcation, but gave him money for necessary
expenses. He made a fatal mistake in not informing me of this marriage;
but I promise to recall him. I will do it at once. You must bear up
until his return."
"Then you will restore him to me, and when he returns you will proclaim
his innocence?"
"Hope for the best, my child. You did wrong in keeping your marriage
from me."
The family retired, but not to sleep. All the long night Belle lay upon
her sleepless pillow, unable to drive the thought from her mind that
her husband was suffering. In the bedchamber of her father there was no
repose, for even a politician cannot always stifle conscience at will.
The Senator ordered remorse to quit his presence, but as remorse was
not in his pay, it refused to obey his mandate. The wretched man would
willingly have welcomed financial destruction, if thereby he could have
restored George Alden to his daughter. Solemnly pledging himself to
make restitution for the wrong he had done, he resolved on the morrow
to write to George Alden, bidding him return. But he reckoned without
his host, for Mannis and Sargent had not yet been interviewed by their
consciences.
When, next morning, Senator Hamblin entered the breakfast-room, his face
showed plainly the struggle through which he had passed. Inquiring for
his daughter, he was told by Mrs. Hamblin that she was sleeping soundly.
"Poor child, let her sleep. Would that she could enjoy an unbroken
slumber until the return of her husband."
At nine o'clock he went to the bank and found Sargent alone.
"Have you mailed the forged letter to Alden?" he asked.
"Yes, sir; it left this morning."
"I am sorry, for I am convinced I have done a great wrong. I have been a
fool--yes, worse than that, a villain--but I will recall him at once."
Sargent, conscious that his companion's mind had undergone a radical
change, did not at first reply, but no other remark being made by the
president, he finally said:
"Will it not be dangerous for him to return here? he might make it warm
for us."
"I care not; although there would be no danger. There are reasons why I
desire his immediate return. To-day is Friday--I will write to him at
once, and he can be here by the middle of next week."
As he entered his private office and closed the door behind him, Sargent
laughingly said to himself:
"Just as I expected--but we will nip this little game; for he has men,
not a girl, to deal with now. We hold the trump cards and he will find
himself euchred."
One hour later Senator Hamblin passed into the banking room, and handed
Sargent a letter addressed, GEORGE HOWARD, CHICAGO, ILL., saying:
"Mail this at once. And do not be disappointed in this matter; if we can
get Alden back again, I will make you a handsome present--I will remain
here while you are absent."
Sargent, leaving the bank, slipped the letter into his pocket.
"Lucky he sent me! I will take care of this for the present."