The Chief Legatee | Page 3

abandoning me so soon after the words which made us one were
spoken. Some influence was brought to bear on her which she felt
unable to resist. I have confidence enough in her to believe that. The
rest is mystery--a mystery which I am forced to ask you to untangle. I
have neither the necessary calmness nor experience myself."
"But you surely have done something," protested Gerridge.
"Telephoned to her late home or--"
"Oh yes, I have done all that, but with no result. She has not returned to
her old home. Her uncle has just been here and he is as much mystified
by the whole occurrence as I am. He could tell me nothing, absolutely
nothing."
"Indeed! and the man, the one who whispered to her during the
reception, couldn't you learn anything about him?"

Mr. Ransom's face took on an expression almost ferocious.
"No. He's a stranger to Mr. Fulton; yet Mr. Fulton's niece introduced
him to me as a relative."
"A relative? When was that?"
"At the reception. He was introduced as Mr. Hazen (my wife's maiden
name, you know), and when I saw how his presence disturbed her, I
said to her, 'A cousin of yours?' and she answered with very evident
embarrassment, 'A relative';--which you must acknowledge didn't
locate him very definitely. Mr. Fulton doesn't know of any such relative.
And I don't believe he is a relative. He didn't sit with the rest of the
family in the church."
"Ah! you saw him in the church."
"Yes. I noticed him for two reasons. First, because he occupied an end
seat and so came directly under my eye in our passage down the aisle.
Secondly, because his face of all those which confronted me when I
looked for the cause of her sudden agitation, was the only one not
turned towards her in curiosity or interest. His eyes were fixed and
vacant; his only. That made him conspicuous and when I saw him
again I knew him."
"Describe the man."
Mr. Ransom's face lightened up with an expression of strong
satisfaction.
"I am going to astonish you," said he. "The fellow is so plain that
children must cry at him. He has suffered some injury and his mouth
and jaw have such a twist in them that the whole face is thrown out of
shape. So you see," continued the unhappy bridegroom, as his eyes
flashed from the detective's face to that of the manager's, "that the
influence he exerts over my wife is not that of love. No one could love
him. The secret's of another kind. What kind, what, what, what? Find
out and I'll pay you any amount you ask. She is too dear and of too

sensitive a temperament to be subject to a wretch of his appearance. I
cannot bear the thought. It stifles, it chokes me; and yet for three hours
I've had to endure it. Three hours! and with no prospect of release
unless you--"
"Oh, I'll do something," was Gerridge's bland reply. "But first I must
have a few more facts. A man such as you describe should be easy to
find; easier than the lady. Is he a tall man?"
"Unusually so."
"Dark or light?"
"Dark."
"Any beard?"
"None. That's why the injury to his jaw shows so plainly."
"I see. Is he what you would call a gentleman?"
"Yes, I must acknowledge that. He shows the manners of good society,
if he did whisper words into my wife's ear which were not meant for
mine."
"And Mr. Fulton knows nothing of him?"
"Nothing."
"Well, we'll drop him for the present. You have a photograph of your
wife?"
"Her picture was in all the papers to-night."
"I noticed. But can we go by it? Does it resemble her?"
"Only fairly. She is far prettier. My wife is something uncommon. No
picture ever does her justice."

"She looks like a dark beauty. Is her hair black or brown?"
"Black. So black it has purple shades in it."
"And her eyes? Black too?"
"No, gray. A deep gray, which look black owing to her long lashes."
"Very good. Now about her dress. Describe it as minutely as you can. It
was a bride's traveling costume, I suppose."
"Yes. That is, I presume so. I know that it was all right and suitable to
the occasion, but I don't remember much about it. I was thinking too
much of the woman in the gown to notice the gown itself."
"Cannot you tell the color?"
"It was a dark one. I'm sure it was a dark one, but colors are not much
in my line. I know she looked well--they can tell you about it at the
house. All that I distinctly remember is the veil she had wound so
tightly around