NEW EAGLE SERIES No. 989
HEART TO HEART
[Illustration]
BY IDA READE ALLEN
_Copyright Fiction by the Best Authors_
NEW EAGLE SERIES
ISSUED SEMI-MONTHLY
The books in this line comprise an unrivaled collection of copyrighted
novels by authors who have won fame wherever the English language is
spoken. Foremost among these is Mrs. Georgie Sheldon, whose works
are contained in this line exclusively. Every book in the New Eagle
Series is of generous length, of attractive appearance, and of
undoubted merit. No better literature can be had at any price. Beware
of imitations of the S. & S. novels, which are sold cheap because
their publishers were put to no expense in the matter of purchasing
manuscripts and making plates.
ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT
TO THE PUBLIC:--These books are sold by news dealers everywhere. If
your dealer does not keep them, and will not get them for you, send
direct to the publishers, in which case four cents must be added to
the price per copy to cover postage.
1--Queen Bess By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
2--Ruby’s Reward By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
7--Two Keys By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
12--Edrie’s Legacy By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
44--That Dowdy By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
55--Thrice Wedded By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
66--Witch Hazel By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
77--Tina By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
88--Virgie’s Inheritance By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
99--Audrey’s Recompense By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
111--Faithful Shirley By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
122--Grazia’s Mistake By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
133--Max By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
144--Dorothy’s Jewels By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
155--Nameless Dell By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
166--The Masked Bridal By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
177--A True Aristocrat By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
188--Dorothy Arnold’s Escape By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
199--Geoffrey’s Victory By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
210--Wild Oats By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
219--Lost, A Pearle By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
222--The Lily of Mordaunt By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
233--Nora By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
244--A Hoiden’s Conquest By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
255--The Little Marplot By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
266--The Welfleet Mystery By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
277--Brownie’s Triumph By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
282--The Forsaken Bride By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
288--Sibyl’s Influence By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
291--A Mysterious Wedding Ring By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
299--Little Miss Whirlwind By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
311--Wedded by Fate By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
339--His Heart’s Queen By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
351--The Churchyard Betrothal By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
362--Stella Rosevelt By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
372--A Girl in a Thousand By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
373--A Thorn Among Roses By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
Sequel to “A Girl in a Thousand”
382--Mona By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
391--Marguerite’s Heritage By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
399--Betsey’s Transformation By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
407--Esther, the Fright By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
415--Trixy By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
419--The Other Woman By Charles Garvice
433--Winifred’s Sacrifice By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
440--Edna’s Secret Marriage By Charles Garvice
451--Helen’s Victory By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
458--When Love Meets Love By Charles Garvice
476--Earle Wayne’s Nobility By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
511--The Golden Key By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
512--A Heritage of Love By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
Sequel to “The Golden Key”
519--The Magic Cameo By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
520--The Heatherford Fortune By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
Sequel to “The Magic Cameo”
531--Better Than Life By Charles Garvice
537--A Life’s Mistake By Charles Garvice
542--Once in a Life By Charles Garvice
548--’Twas Love’s Fault By Charles Garvice
553--Queen Kate By Charles Garvice
554--Step by Step By Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
555--Put to the Test By Ida Reade Allen
556--With Love’s Aid By Wenona Gilman
557--In Cupid’s Chains By Charles Garvice
558--A Plunge Into the Unknown By Richard Marsh
559--The Love That Was Cursed By Geraldine Fleming
560--The Thorns of Regret By Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller
561--The Outcast of the Family By Charles Garvice
562--A Forced Promise By Ida Reade Allen
563--The Old Homestead By Denman Thompson
564--Love’s First Kiss By Emma Garrison Jones
565--Just a Girl By Charles Garvice
566--In Love’s Springtime By Laura Jean Libbey
567--Trixie’s Honor By Geraldine Fleming
HEART TO HEART;
OR,
A Race for Love
_By IDA READE ALLEN_
Author of “At Another’s Bidding,” “Beyond His Reach,” “No
Man’s Wife,” “Put to the Test,” “Without
Name or Wealth,” and others.
[Illustration: S AND S NOVELS]
STREET & SMITH CORPORATION
PUBLISHERS
79-89 SEVENTH AVENUE
NEW YORK CITY
Copyright, 1896
By STREET & SMITH
Heart to Heart
All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages,
including the Scandinavian.
HEART TO HEART.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I. A STARTLING ANNOUNCEMENT.
CHAPTER II. A DAGGER WOUND.
CHAPTER III. THE CORONER’S INQUEST.
CHAPTER IV. “V. H.”
CHAPTER V. THE TORN LETTER.
CHAPTER VI. A MYSTERY WITHIN A MYSTERY.
CHAPTER VII. ON THE BLUFF.
CHAPTER VIII. A GUESS AT A TRUTH.
CHAPTER IX. THE NEW BOARDER.
CHAPTER X. AT THE PIANO.
CHAPTER XI. A MYSTERY OF THE PAST.
CHAPTER XII. A REVELATION.
CHAPTER XIII. A SETBACK FOR DETECTIVE HULL.
CHAPTER XIV. A NEW THEORY.
CHAPTER XV. AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER.
CHAPTER XVI. SOMEBODY’S CHILD.
CHAPTER XVII. A NIGHTMARE, OR WHAT?
CHAPTER XVIII. WHAT JIMMIE REMEMBERED.
CHAPTER XIX. THE COLORED WOMAN’S STATEMENT.
CHAPTER XX. THE ARREST.
CHAPTER XXI. THE OPENING OF THE TRIAL.
CHAPTER XXII. A GHOST OF THE PAST.
CHAPTER XXIII. HUSBAND AND WIFE.
CHAPTER XXIV. A LIGHT UPON THE MYSTERY.
CHAPTER XXV. A MAN WITHOUT HONOR.
CHAPTER XXVI. CONFESSION AND EXPIATION.
CHAPTER XXVII. AFTERWARD.
CHAPTER I.
A STARTLING ANNOUNCEMENT.
There was nothing in the appearance of that wedding day to indicate the
tragedy so close at hand.
It was early springtime, with the glad sunshine filling the air, a warm
breeze blowing, the sky without a cloud, and the birds singing merrily
as they flitted among the trees before the door of the old, ivy-covered
church--in short, a perfect day, and one calculated to expand the heart
with good nature and hope.
All Lakeview was astir, that part especially which resolved itself
into the social element, for at ten o’clock the church was to be the
scene of the grandest wedding the neighborhood had ever witnessed--at
least so whispered those who had the affair in charge. By half past
nine the roadway about the church, which stood on a slight hill, became
crowded with people, girls, and young ladies, especially, eager to note
the arrival of guests, their costumes, their actions, and, in fact,
everything relating to the great event.
In rapid succession four motor cars dashed up the gravel way and
deposited six young men at the church doors. They were the ushers--Ned
Degroot, Ralph Gramercy, and four others, all well-known society
fellows. They lost no time in hurrying inside of the edifice, for
already was it time to look for the first arrivals.
“By Jove, Allen Chesterbrook is a lucky dog,” was Degroot’s remark to
Gramercy. “I wouldn’t mind being in his shoes myself.”
“I’ve heard before that you were somewhat enamored of the belle of
the set,” laughed Gramercy. “Well, certainly, Maud Willowby is a
fine catch,” he added meditatively. “A beauty in a thousand, as the
novelists might say. Yet she would not suit me.”
“And why?” questioned Degroot, in brusque tones. He did not fancy this
statement, coupled with the first his friend had made.
“Ah! that’s a hard one to answer, Ned. Briefly, let me say, I have
found her warmth rather artificial and her apparent interest in what
was afoot far from real. To me she appears to lead a double life--her
real self and the one she assumes for the occasion.”
“Oh, bosh!” retorted Degroot. “Really, Ralph, you are getting too
cynical altogether of late.”
“Perhaps I am,” returned Gramercy, without losing his composure. “But
you asked for an explanation, and that is the best I can give you.”
“Well, if what you say has any truth in it,” went on Degroot, as if to
change the subject, “certainly the man she is about to marry is even
less free from faults--in a way.”
“You do well to say ‘in a way,’ Ned. Taken as a whole, there is not a
more kind, generous-hearted fellow than Allen Chesterbrook in the whole
neighborhood of the lake.”
“And no fellow who is so given to moods, who changes his mind so often,
who moves in so many strata of society at once, who is so unstudied in
his actions, or, I might rather say, indifferent to what people may say
or think of his doings.”
“I take it he lives on the principle that as long as he does right, he
can do as he pleases. I prefer his openness to the style Maud adopts,
which I have just mentioned.”
“I differ with you; and, let me add, privately, that I cannot
understand how it is that Maud has accepted him.”
“Humph! Let me say, just as privately, Ned, I believe Maud is
responsible for the present state of affairs. She wanted him more than
he wanted her--or any one. Allen Chesterbrook is not altogether the
kind of man that marries and settles down.”
“Oh, pshaw, what nonsense! Why should she run after him, when she could
have the pick of the set? There is Langdon and Sivater and Henry Cross,
and----”
“Yourself,” finished Gramercy, and slapped his friend on the shoulder.
“But you are not Allen Chesterbrook, with his hundreds of thousands and
brilliant prospects.”
“I don’t believe she’s marrying for money!” and now Degroot was more
than half angry. “Colonel Willowby is well fixed.”
“To all outward appearances,” finished Gramercy, in a manner that
suggested he could say a good deal more on the subject if he chose.
“He is well fixed; I found that out over a year ago,” insisted Degroot.
“And he can place Maud as high as he pleases, and himself, too, as full
of pride as he is.”
There was no time to say more, even had they wished to do so. Several
automobiles had driven up a few seconds before, and now a dozen or more
people appeared, and all of the ushers hurried off to escort the ladies
to their seats. Gradually at first, and then faster, as the time grew
shorter, the church began to fill up.
The sunshine, stealing through the tall, many-colored windows, never
lit up a brighter scene. The fairest and best of Lakeview’s society,
with a sprinkling from New York, Philadelphia, and Boston, were there;
rich dresses of silk and velvet and satin rustled everywhere, and
diamonds and other precious stones sparkled over all. Never had the old
house of worship gazed upon a grander picture--never had nature and art
so belied themselves in putting on this garb of joy, which was destined
to be drawn aside only to reveal a mocking tragedy full of bitterness
and long-lasting woe.
Presently an extra stir at the vestry door announced the arrival of
Stella Barry, the bridesmaid, and Walter Gardener, the best man. They
hurried into the room, and in a moment were ready for their momentous,
yet delightful, task of leading the procession up the main aisle of the
church.
“Five minutes to ten,” remarked Gardener. “I wonder if Allen has
arrived?”
“Ask Ned Degroot or Harry Longley,” requested Stella, who was more
nervous than she cared to acknowledge. “He ought to be here by this
time.”
Word was sent out by the sexton’s son. No, Allen Chesterbrook had not
arrived, but he would be there on time, never fear.
The two in the vestry peeped out slyly at the large assemblage in the
church. Stella made several remarks about this person and that, and
then another machine dashed up, and out came, first Colonel Willowby,
and then his only daughter, Maud.
True to his martial training, the colonel was exactly on time--not one
minute too early or one minute too late. He was tall, slim, stately;
evidently a gentleman of the old school. His hair was white, also his
beard, yet he carried himself as if he were but thirty years of age
instead of sixty-five.
The daughter, also tall and stately, looked much like her father. But
while his eyes were gray, hers were of the deepest blue, and her hair
was of fluffy gold. Her chin, too, was rounder than his, and her lips
fuller and more lovable, although just now they were drawn tighter than
usual.
“What a crowd, papa!” she whispered, as though she had but just noticed
it, although they had been driving for fully a minute through a sea of
upturned faces.
“Yes, Maud--all gathered to do us honor,” smiled the proud father. “My
arm, my dear,” and, leaning upon him, she walked up the steps.
It was Harry Longley who motioned them into the vestry room.
“We must wait a moment; the minister is not yet here,” he whispered.
“He went to call on old Mrs. Bidwell, who is seriously sick.”
“And Allen, is he here?” questioned the colonel, as he nodded
pleasantly to Stella Barry and Walter Gardener.
“Allen will be on time,” was Longley’s reply.
“It is time now,” returned the colonel curtly. Nothing provoked him so
much as a delay.
Maud listened to the brief conversation, but said not a word. Indeed,
when Longley attempted to utter some words of friendly assurance that
all would go well, she turned away and looked out of a window.
The long clock on the wall struck the hour in slow, measured tones;
struck it so sedately that she shivered, and pressed her lips together
more tightly than ever to control her feelings.
Ten o’clock--the hour set for the ceremony--and neither the minister
nor the bridegroom at hand. Surely something had gone wrong. But now a
gentleman, in clerical black with a light top-coat, came rushing in,
all out of breath. It was Doctor Parlington, the minister.
“So sorry for the delay, but I really couldn’t get away from poor Mrs.
Bidwell, who, I fear, is dying!” he exclaimed, as he rushed up to the
colonel and grasped his hand. “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. What
a delightful day for the marriage! I will be ready in half a minute,”
and he started for his private room.
“There is no need to hurry, doctor,” returned the colonel, a trifle
sharply. “Mr. Chesterbrook has not yet arrived.”
“Ah!” Doctor Parlington was about to say more, but suddenly stopped.
“No doubt he will be here by the time I am prepared,” he went on, after
an awkward pause.
He disappeared, closing a little door behind him. Hardly had he done so
when Ned Degroot rushed from the main church into the vestry room. His
face was ashen, and it was with difficulty that he brought himself to
speak.
“Maud--Colonel--Allen has been--that is----” He stopped short and gazed
helplessly at the crowd before him, then caught Walter Gardener by the
arm. “You tell them, Walter; I cannot!” he whispered hoarsely. “Tell
them Allen can’t come--he--he has been murdered!”
“Murdered!”
Who uttered the cry none of the others could afterward tell. In a
moment intense excitement prevailed, as the news spread like wildfire
throughout the vast assemblage of people. Men and women started from
their seats, and ran hither and thither to ascertain if such a horrible
calamity could be true.
And in the vestry room, like a marble statue, so set and grim, stood
Colonel Willowby, with Maud folded to his breast. Not a sound escaped
the young woman’s lips, nor did she move hand or foot. To those
standing around it was as if the seal of death had set itself on her
heart.