Wife in Name Only

for him, but at the trial he was acquitted for want of evidence. Every one knew he was guilty. He made no great effort to conceal it. But he defied the whole legal power of England to

if ever I Bee by any lucky hit I can make myself a rich man, I shall not mind a few years in jail as the price. A for

and prayed him for Heaven's sa

not indeed, Maggie. My fellow-men must ke

ord; he would look upon crime as a source of profit; he would w

fair young life--not there, where people had warned her not to marry the handsome reckless, ne'er-do-well, and had prophesied such terrible evil for her if she did marry

ced her was her passionate love for the child; that was her one hope in life, her one

would lose her. When she thought of that, Margaret Dornham clung to the little one in a passion of despair. She would go away and take Madaline with her--keep her where she could love her--where she could bring her up as her own child, and la

or, mistaken Margaret, "but he cannot love her s

that with the doctor's death her income had ceased, and that she herself not only was perfectly ignorant of the child's real name, but did not even know to whom to write. It was true, but she knew at the same time that, if she wo

should not be left a burden and drag on his ha

uld be a gold-mine to them in the future--only let them get away from Ashwood, and go to London, where she could be well t

work to keep us. I, myself, do not care where we

hing to his old friends and neighbors of their intentions. Margaret knew well that so many were

thing was seen or known of its inhabitants. Henry Dornham was missed from his haunts. His friends and comrades wondered f

olved to go and see her. His astonishment was great when he found the cottage closed and the Dornhams gone--the place had evidently been empty for some weeks. On inquiry he found that the time of their departure and the place of their destination was e

He never dreamed that the cause of the mystery

ery one seemed to be more or less responsible for her; but neither wonder nor anything else gave them the least clew as to whither or why she had gone. After a few day's earnes

Arms," and from there went at once to the doctor's house. He found it closed and empty. T

incredible. And why had no one written to him? Still he remembered the address of his child's foster-mother. It was Ashwood Cottag

ase of removal, he decided upon going to the rector of the parish, whom

ement of his visitor's name--the Earl of Mount

tranger at the burial of whose fair young wife he had

e me, Dr. Darnley? You r

hing about his surprise, but Lord

ng the last three years. My father has just died, and I am here in search of my child. My child," continued the earl, seeing the rector's blank face--"w

grown quite white, his lips were dry and hot, his

--my Madaline's child? I have a strange feel

n on the rector's face,

t through all these weary years of exile. My whole soul has hungered and thirsted for her. By night and by day I have dreamed of her, always with Madaline's face. She h

r two months since, and she was then living--well, b

e, where she is!" cried the e

s I looked at her, that I had never seen such a lovely face. Then I saw no more of her; and my wonder was aroused on hearing some of the tradespeople say that Mrs. Dornham had not been in town for some weeks. I be

words. The young earl fell back in his chair, looki