mpshire County, England She was looking
very sad and ill, and she confided to him that she had been deserted by
her husband in New York; he having been called to his home by a cablegram,
ostensibly because of his mother's illness, but that she had learned of
his marriage with another lady in England, and she feared that his union
with her might have been a farce. She had, however, learned to the
contrary, and she was determined to gather all the proofs possible, for
the purpose of securing the future rights and position of her child.

Sir William Heath listened in painful silence to this recital, and then in
turn related all that he knew regarding the terrible misunderstanding and
the mystery attending it.

"It looks to me very much as if there was a conspiracy in the matter, and
a desire on the part of some one to separate you and your wife," Dr.
Thornton remarked thoughtfully, when the young husband concluded.

"A conspiracy!" repeated Sir William.

"Yes; the fact that all letters, on both sides, have been intercepted,
seems to point to such a suspicion. Have you any enemies who, from
interested motives, would try to create trouble between you and your
wife?"

"Not that I am aware of," the young man replied, but looking deeply
perplexed. "My family, to be sure, were not very well pleased with the
idea of my marrying an American; but I can think of no one person who
could have accomplished anything like what has occurred. It seems to me
that in order to intercept our letters there would need to be conspirators
on both sides of the Atlantic who were interested in the project."

"Not necessarily. Any one determined to separate you might have robbed
the mail of all letters at either end of the route. It is certainly very
mysterious, and, mark my words, you will some day learn that an enemy has
been at work. But, Sir William," the clergyman continued smiling genially,
"you have relieved my mind and established my faith in you by this
explanation. I confess I had set you down as a miserable scamp, and I have
suffered a good deal on that beautiful young woman's account."

"I cannot blame you for thinking the very worst of me," returned Sir
William, with emotion; "but I have loved--I do love my wife with a love
that can never die."

"I do not doubt it now. Of course I gave her the paper she desired, and
also a copy of the certificate which I presented you on your marriage day,
and told her to command me at any time an