Once Upon A Time

blizzard as though he had been sitting in front of a wood fire at his club, ordered hot gin for himself and the ship's doctor. The ship's doctor had gone below on another "hurry call" fr

f the widow did not concern him. Her life had not been spent upon ocean liners; she could not remember when state-rooms were named after the States

inst law and society as are perpetrated with nice intelligence. The murderer, the burglar, the strong-arm men who, in side streets, waylay respectable citizens did not appeal to him. The man he studied, pursued, and exposed was the cashier who evolved a new method of covering up his peculations, the dishonest president of an ins

similar to that of the dramatic critic. The dramatic critic warned the public against bad plays; Ford warned it ag

rd had protested that his work lay in New York; that of London and

rican girls who have married dukes; and which ones opened a bazaar, and which one opened a hat shop, and which is getting a divorce. Don't send us anything concerning suffragettes and Dreadnaughts. Just send us stuff about Americans. If you

y married duke

they have shut up the tracks here all the con men have gone to London. They say an American can't take a dr

tened in pleasur

, "and send us a special. Call it 'The Amer

first one I send

's elbow. For a few moments the older man sipped doubtfully at his gin and water, and, as though perp

quired Ford. "

hat," said Doctor Sparr

r smiled co

s at luncheon she kept turning over her wedding-ring as though she was not

ce things like that

t all sorts of junk under a newspaper, lifted the newspaper for five seconds, and then each man wrote down what he had seen. Out of twenty things I would remember seventeen. The next best guess would be about ni

ift," said

t people are wearing clothes that are not made for them. I see when women are lying to me. I can

snorted t

the widow was on the

he reporter. "Is

husband. He has disappeared. She thinks that he has been murdered, or that he is lying ill in some hospi

London?" repeated Ford.

he spends his time," pleaded the doctor. "He i

find him," said Ford. "Then

now," he murmured. "I thought of th

er thing I noti

or gave

e her courage. She is frightened. She's left a baby boy at home, and she's fearful that something will happen to him, and she's frightened a

doesn't want to tell the story

the doctor. "She asked me if you we

t!" he protested. His tone was that

persons. Her face lightened at once; it gave her hope. She will listen to you.

e lady now?"

rly to his feet. "She cannot

d when their entrance awoke her, her blue eyes regarded them uncomprehendingly. Ford, hidden from her by the doctor, observed that not only was she very pretty, but that she was absurdly young, and that the drowsy smile she turned upon the old man before she noted the presence of Ford wa

stammered, "he

oothingly. "He has had remarkable success. Why, he found a criminal once just because the man wore

s wide with wonder. "But my husband,

ant, if Mr. Ford can find men who don't wish to be found, how easy for him

e full benefit of his working smile. It was confiding, helpless, appealing. It showed a trustfulness in the pe

e lost your husband's address; that you will let me try

her to expect a man full of years and authority, a man upon whom she could lean; not a youth whose s

d me you could help me I

s, she did not keep them where she could always look at them. That she was n

ard the photographer. He was a good-looking young man of about thirty years of age, well fed, well dressed, and appar

t pulled down over his eyes

widow. Her tone sh

d himself; "they haven't raced at the Bay since then. This was taken in front

toward the photograph. "Does it say that there,"

octor exclaimed with enthusiasm: "

as that except around a race-track," he muttered. "And the b

he widow. "This is an owner's badge

man with sudden uneasiness. "They only owned one ho

sband is a bookmaker. But in Lond

rry, my husband, was always at the American bar in the Cecil or at the Salisbury or the Savoy." The girl

nce, but it happens that my own work takes me to these hotels, and i

etter keep on

-he turned his eyes toward the doctor and, as thou

was a

ed. Her lips pressed together as

continued, "have

ke, the tears would fall, the

Ford applied to the wound a soothing o

otested. "You will see him in

pily. She clasped her hand

ll find him for me"-she corrected h

her shoulders showing the white arms; the e

l find him," gro

the young mother and left the cabin. The docto

u said just the right thing. T

as swept away in a

. "To desert a wife as young a

e added gravely, "what is going to happen is that before I

for the next day, with a color not born of fever in her cheeks and courage in her eyes, she joined Ford and the doctor at the lun

ing-room, "as though she was afraid you were goi

you she's interested in. All she sees in you

ngs as I am," returned the repor

m, beating her way against the wind. Without a trace of coquetry or self

n I see you I know all will come right. Do you mind if I walk with you?" she asked. "A

t, Mrs. Ashton was constantly with Ford. She told him that when she sat in her cabin th

sted that he was

all the rest of the day becomes monotonous. On a closer acquaintance with Harry he seems to be a

timentally, "she is certainly

ngly. "I don't know her story,"

iendly lights told them they were nearing their journey's end; that the land was on every side. Seated on a

ng. If you did not know I would feel I had not been fair. You might thin

breath. "It's so

rd. "Is it going to

N

on't te

ard him and peered into his face. His eyes, as he

husband has deserted you. That if it were not for t

ed quickly and tur

whispered.

gain the fact that there was no longer a sec

it until when I go back to it my head aches. I have done nothing else but think, and I can't make it seem better. I can't find any exc

bly, "I want to believe; I want to forgive him. I want to think he loves m

nsciously had told Ford much about herself and her husband. What

ton. At that time he was one of a firm that was making book at the Aqueduct race-track. The girl had met very few men and with them was shy and frightened, but with Ashton she found herself at once at ease. That night he drove her and her friends home in his touring-car and the next day they teased her about her conquest. It ma

artly owing to his position in the bank, her father would object. Accordingly they agreed that in August, when the racing moved to Saratoga, they would run

Saratoga who consented to perform the ceremony. He had given her an engagement ring and two tho

Ashton. His fear of losing her, his complete subjection to her wishes, his happiness in her presence, all seemed to

complete happiness. No one, so the girl declared, could have been more kind, more unselfishly considerate than her husband. They returned to Saratoga and engaged a

wife had never seen

ced her to choose between her family and her husband, and that she chose her husband. In consequence, when she found herself deserted she felt she could not return to her people. She remained in Saratoga. There she moved into cheap lodgings, and in order that the two thousand dollars Ashton had left with her might be saved for his c

e is not crossing the ocean because she is worried about the future of her

hook h

incere. Then, again, when I swear I will find him she shows a delight that you might describe as savage, almo

eard there is a woman in the case. Maybe she is t

ry for his country's good? That's what it looks like to me. How can we tell what confronted him the day he went down to the hotel desk to change his rooms and, instead, got into his touring-car and beat the speed limit to Canada. Whom did he meet in the hotel corridor? A woman with a

c, sir," protes

a matrimonial bureau, and before I hear myself saying, 'Bless you, my children!' b