The Story-Teller.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume X, Issue 947, 26 September 1891, Page 4

The Story-Teller.

MR« GREENE'S SLSTER-IN-LAW.

(Continied.)>

The next roosniijg ; -Mr Greene nat urally expected letters awaiting 4iim;.^vTo )>is sarpriae pn>l annhjahce^h'dweWi they had not urrivtil, ijpr wa^ th.erl» ey«*n a note from. Mrs Greene acrorifttirti; for their absence. ( 1 his is ridiculous,' saitl Mi* : J&repn> lo him.efllf. ' islie might (»i«her forward tl em or till mo thrt shp can't find them. J *iu asionisheii at her taking co little ii.terrpt ''n the n atter, r o nirmherinß that .•>ll M>is bother is her own brother's do ing,' .... .:: / As Mr Greni<» ate Ms breakfast, he rcflrctod angrily on ihp alserioe wf apy rnmmunication fiom bis wife. Buddon ly it ocourrpd to lim that perbl»p%..B.H!P, might rot t" 1 . to blame after sill vslq\ uufw the wa\s <>f«,pnilv»ny poH'etßj'^nd." ••; struck him as being witljin ' tli;^ bounJ? of possibility thi»t the one '.to< %vliom he gave the telegram roigfit 8 never- have sent it. Bo the moment he I ad finished hip breakfast, he walked off <o the nearest telegraph office ani wired io his wife, flaking her if she had recpived his fiist telegram,. apd, if so, wliy she boil not fwwnr leli- Rvpndplen's lpfcirrs. He di/ected^erjto send jrepiy to him at Queen's Bench Court, No.G^i Tl;en he marcbeil off to the Law Courts. Mr Greene sat m Coor*- all day waiting for his case to come on, and waiting for a reply ■■ io ' hifc tifostT&MA N^ilherj event happen* «V. At four o'clock the case immediately preceding rhis own. : was s^t down for bearing for 'the lieact meninif. At the same time the usher ■ informed him that no telegram bad that dny arrived for Mr firetiie or for any person bra; ing a name m the slightest degi ce I 'reselling it. Terturoed m mmd; "Mr Greene lurried to )>is solicitor's office m liopes that Mrs Greene might have sent the reply there. But there he found neither a reply nor ' the Svendfleri letters. Mr Morcraft, indeed, informed him that the absence of the' latter w r s not of the slightest imEorJt-; ance to bis cose — indeed, counsel had expressed bis opinion that it would be very 'leubtful policy to put tberd im< Thit asjurance had, however, : very little? effrct m consoling Mr Greene, for just then he cared very little where the letters were or what Vecame of his action. The only thought which occupied his mind was why did Mrs Green not reply to his telegram ? Was it possible that she was even then away from home ? If she wa3 „ a.way-.--,frqni '...home, for what purjose" wa# - : it%i JWhtyf should she take advantage! ;4>f, jhis.^abj-; sence to leave her house -% r Visions of military men came into his and ail his | reyiitus worrieaahd annoyanceg were as nothing to tu^J;orr^o|(gsjS^ff4 ions brought;, wi^lk T/D.make °a8 giirance doubly surp, Mr Greene Went straght to ft-tele^raphstatipn.and,; sent, off another message to his wife. In it he |ift|eatptl r hpr^t^ let him have an an swer bTsoißfi^fid Without delay jj; Then he.w^Ji hoiflfl^to hotel and waited there full of misery: and forebodings" He did not^stir, put the wKoie evening, but no angwer .came,. ; / , The next morning. .- Mr Greene rose haggard and weary. When he opened his '-bedroom door to take m his boots he found a letter awaiting him. With' feverish haste he snatched it up and looked at the superscription. It was a feminine band, but it was not his wife's. It was from bis half-sister Rose Briar. Full of terrible and unutterable forebodings Mr Greene opened 'the letter' • Hia worst fears were realised. . '' The letter rah as follows :— X , Snbbtori^ Tfiarfday; •M'y 'dear brother,— Something fjag come to n.y "knowledge which I -m think that m fairness you sbouldkndw?; -Yea tei'day morninqr I received a letter- from your wife putting off an engagement 1 1 had to take tea with her this afternoon. As she gave no reason for doing so, 1 thought I would call at the time fixed and just see what wa3 the matter ; i? she was afc home I could easily say that I hadn't received her letter. When I got to thejjouse the servant, who opened the door, arouseJlhy suspicions by the way she answered me^6 I made a few inquiries and fpumTf hat your wife had not been seen by one of her, acquaintances m Snobton sinee i the ; £sy, jou left librae Worse still, when I go.t" back I just noticed that, though. ikajfegts to *be; written at Snobton, the 'post mark, oa it is Kotten borough 1 You can driaw' yobr own conclusions. , , *-; I write this a» being your half-sister, and interested An. keeping up the respectability of the family .—Yours affectionately, - ' . . Rose Briar. Mr ' Greene tpok no breaikfast that morning. He reVftained 'in his bedroom till after teno'olock.. .Then he.went out and drove office. •In v«ry;niee.tiine,Mr. Greene,' ' s^idthat gentleman,-ch«erfully,'as he arranged his papers to go over -to Court. I ' I'm going home by the 11.30,' Was Mr Greene's reply. . . : The lawyer stared at him m amazement. -;;.'..•"■ 'cf ; ? ' : ■ ■ ' Well, if you do,' he saidj « it's all up with your 'case,' X- ..i ■ * Confound my case,' answered ;Mr i reene, with a weak vehemence, • is has been the plague and ruin of my life, ttettle it, pay the rascal his money, do anything you like, I'm going home,' (Qmti*tVtf iff ojiff mxt tiw.)