Show I 1 T 4 ir r THE T H MISSING MAN MAIN I 1 by MARY R P HATCH author of tho bank tragedy 1 1892 by ia md and shepard CHAPTER A deep dark mystery on the getum ie of mr carter and mr hamilton as I 1 shall continue to call him hating phonetic objections to mrs fry s expressive appellation of t other one constance met them with a face so fall full of tear fear dread conster nation or whatever the feeling was that had blanched her face to the col or of the white robe she wore that they both started back with affright bless my soul child what is ita constance are you 1117 1119 no no but I 1 must tell you both I 1 have sent the children away now listen and with a certain majestic sternness which robbed her words of all save the terrible significance of the manifestly truthful account she related what had taken place at the house of mrs fry bless my soul the mans man s stark raving crazy hell have to be car ried to concord did you ou know he was cravy to begin witha 1 I 1 don t know it now uncle carter bless my soul I 1 she dont don t know it now vane she says 1 I she is right it Is something worse than insanity it Is of the deepest darkest dye said mr air hamilton between his set teeth they all sat silent after that as if words were futile at such a crisis at such an astounding event mr ham liton was the first to recover himself and to their surprise he spoke much in his usual tones there Is no sense in allowing such a man to move us from our usual ways it Is worse for him than tor for us an attempt at blackmail so barefaced Is not to be considered a mo ment the fact of my having lost my sense of at personality while away no doubt him as a reason why he could put in the same plea of forget falness but in this he has over reached himself no one will give er take two weel s of every year in may the month ot of his loss to me and seek tor for him you will then have fit ty weeks left for yourself she said will you promise 9 I 1 promised then she tool too a ring from her finger and gave it to me in trust for him should I 1 ever find him I 1 found the words engraved inside the ring and I 1 always ala u carried it with me when I 1 went on my search you will see constance why I 1 hesitated to take you ou into my conal dence aou m would have considered it foolish tor for me to leave my business each year and go seeking about the country for a brother who it was believed had died in his infancy for four years ears I 1 could learn nothing about the matter the fifth I 1 fancied that I 1 had found a trace but it if so con stance roy my brother was not a good man for it was among desperate men that he was mas classed men who had violated the law many times the next year I 1 saw a description ot of this man in a newspaper he went usual ly by the name of ashley it was as stated and he had a wife a beautiful greenh green haired alred women her name was lenora I 1 learned what I 1 could about them and decided that at last I 1 was on the track of my longlott lon long lost twin brother last may I 1 was much excia ed I 1 could scarcely wait tor for the time to come I 1 meant fully to find my brother give him my mother s ring and message and appeal to him in the name of her love and our relation ship to become a different man you opposed my going you recollect but I 1 persevered for I 1 reasoned that very soon the quest would be ended As I 1 walked down the street a lady came out ot of the essex house and spoke to me as it if she knew me in a moment I 1 became convinced that she was lenora from the strange col or of her hair and that she mistook me for my brother I 1 could not talk with her there and I 1 asked her if I 1 could not speak with her in some ZIP 1 N 6 what does it all mean he repeated in a whispered tone the least credit to buch such a statement there was no more said between them about the matter and the dm din ner progressed in silence though it must be owned that neither ate heart ly but they arose to go to the office afterwards as it nothing unusual bad had occurred constance meant to see primus edes and ask him a few questions accordingly she went over about three clock and made her errand known to mrs fry who ushered her into the sickroom remaining there herself as constance le i eques quested ted constance he cried so you did come again I 1 did not hope to see you till tomorrow to morrow I 1 want to ask you a few questions I 1 came for that said she quietly you say you are vane hamilton tell me then why you went away every year in may 1 I will I 1 feel now that I 1 ought 0 have done so before but I 1 sheard from it fancy ing that 3 ou would think my quest a foolish one you remember my mother con stance a sad delicate woman who seldom smiled but you never knew the reason of her sadness nor did I 1 till a short time before she died then she told me she had three children a girl and two sons who were twins my sister died in childhood and my brother also as I 1 supposed but she it seems alwaes doubted it As you ou know constance I 1 N was as one of the twins and the other was vias stolen my parents who were very wealthy at that time lived in elmira new aorl the nurse who had charge of us tool our carriage which was a double one to the park one day as usual there she left us as servants will to gos gas sip with other girls and when she returned my brother was nowhere to be seen of course the woman was filled with grief and fear and she searched a long time herself before summoning aid fearing the di ure of her employers but the child could not be found my mother was nearly frantic for she had set hr heart on her two remaining children after her little daughter died and it seemed for a long time as if she would be insane when she was about to die she called me to ber bed and asked me it if I 1 would try to find my broth place that she would name I 1 was go ing on the train that morning I 1 told her she asked me which way and I 1 replied to portland she said she could see me on the train then I 1 saw her on the train and that is as far as my recollection goes my mind became eclipsed soon at af ter I 1 left grovedale Grov edale I 1 think for I 1 re member nothing that she said to me or that I 1 said to her but how or why I 1 came here I 1 know no more than you ou lo 10 doubtless it was through some dumb instinct that tool the place of active intelligence you say I 1 attracted toward you and the children and I 1 think that is no nonder vonder I 1 know noth ng about my existence as primus edes but constance I 1 recollect mrs fry saying yesterday esterday that she knew ot of a similar case and you too I 1 spoke of it yes and constance bowed her fair head in agitate on for a moment but she raised it proudly a moment later I 1 han hae e heard of a case which seems to be much like yours tell me about it who is it and how does the case compare with alth mined you saw the person the other day da yesterday 7 mr hammer constance tl at man looks exactly as I 1 used to look yes but his name is not ly mrs fry told iou you so to quiet you he says his name is hamilton then as sure as you ou live he Is my twin brother A minister and I 1 thought him a thief it if simulated his tone of intense re ilef was well done but he is not a minister he ile claims to be vane Ra hamilton milton my m husband your husband 7 what do yo i 1 meane I 1 mean that he came to grovedale Grov edale last february stated that he had been suffering from loss of identity and that was the reason he was absent so long he has taken his place at the mill where you 5 ou worked and all grove dale seems to be sure that he is the real vane hamilton all but me you did not receive him then you knew he was not the true vane hamil ton he cried I 1 did not feel sure that he was but he lives in the same house with i a f w dmd the children are at cached to him particularly clare what does it all mean une villain and he raised himself in bed and glared wildly about him then sank down exhausted but his ads worked convulsively and he c itin aed to gaze at constance with a look at 0 mingled horror and reproach I 1 im m t know I 1 don t know said constance stretching out her clasped hands in deep miser what can I 1 doa do but don t you know I 1 am your our hus band have you any doubty you do not look as much like my husband as he does I 1 grant it but there are other means of judging there is none none except this vague impression that he Is not aza and 2 bat 11 at I 1 urn am bless y you ou my dearest for those words with them I 1 can be brave I 1 will get bach back my home all he has stolen tolen s from me and you shall help me 19 ob oh I 1 can do nothing at least you shall not stay under the roof with him another day you shall not constance I 1 will do as you say in that re I 1 will leave the house with my children until the matter Is set tied I 1 and it shall be settled soon lust just as soon as I 1 can call leave this bed and I 1 am getting strong very fast now I 1 could almost rise now walk to the mill and confront that man heyday you are getting well fast mr edes ede said dr peck walking in and bowing courteously to mrs ham ilton whom would you confront at the mill that scoundrel who has taken my name and place well you must get a little strong er first and the worthy doctor looked at mrs hamilton with a sage nod as if there was nothing to be alarmed at in such ravings dr peck said his patient irnita bly I 1 am as sane as you are I 1 I 1 anew new you perfectly well too long ago have you forgotten giving me the wrong medicine and pumping it out of my stomach afterwards 7 9 the doctor looked bewildered I 1 recollect giving the wrong m edl cine clue to this lady s husband exactly and I 1 am her husband A burning blush stole over the face of constance and she arose to go without so much as a glance at either man dr peck stood staring until she was gone and for some time afterward then he said sternly you have driven her from the room alth ith your ravings mrs hamilton Is a most es lady I 1 ought to know as much about my wife as anybody dr peck there Is a most foul conspiracy afloat to rob me of my wife family and fortune such as it is but now I 1 am myself it shall go on no longer I 1 am vane hamilton Lu lilton and I 1 shall so declare my 1 self if and appeal to the courts to restore me my rights my man you forget we all knew mr hamilton and that he was a dif terent ferent looking man his ills hair was light and yours Is dark 1 I care not for that my hair was light once I 1 did not know it was dark until yesterday and then he explained each circumstance as he had done to mrs hamilton who listened with grave distrustful amazement at the close he said A madder scheme I 1 never knew or heard ot of let me advise you say no more about it for no will believe you and it will lead to nothing but trouble for vane hamilton returned long ago is re established reestablished among us firmly in the confidence of all there Is no doubt none whatever that he 1 the true vane hamilton you are w well ell known as primus edes a man ol 01 good character and a good workman ja jt t me advise you again not to jeopardize your interests by a mad act founded on your admiration for a married woman to be continued |