ng she might
see in the newspapers. The letter was signed: "Ever your loving and
devoted husband,

ALONZO PATTMORE."

"Well, this is certainly strange," I meditated. "Her 'devoted
_husband_,' eh? How can that be? He has had no opportunity to marry her
since his wife died; hence, unless he committed bigamy, this title of
'husband' is only assumed in anticipation; yet Mrs. Thayer is,
undoubtedly, beautiful and winning, and she may have induced him to ease
her conscience by a form of marriage, even while his legal wife still
lived. I must look into this more closely on my return to Chicago."

I then re-sealed the letter and gave it back to Mr. Miller, with
instructions to return to the hotel and keep a general watch on all that
went on. He was not to mail the letter until early the next morning. As
Miller went out Knox came in.

"Well, Knox, what news?" I asked.

"Mr. Pattmore has gone away in a hack," replied Knox, breathlessly.

"What direction did he take?"

"He drove off at a rapid rate toward the southern part of the town, and
I could not keep up, nor get on behind. I took the number of the hack,
though," answered Knox.

"That was right," I remarked, as Knox paused to get his breath.

"It was number fifty-two, and the driver seemed to be an Irishman. He
looked like a genial, half-grown, young fellow, and I do not think I
shall have any difficulty in pumping him when he returns, as I know
where his stand is."

"Right again," I exclaimed. "Now you had better wait around there until
the hack returns; then get into conversation with the driver, and ask
him to take a drink in the nearest saloon; while you are talking with
him, you can easily learn where Pattmore went."

It was ten o'clock when Knox left me, and, as I was greatly fatigued, I
went to bed immediately. Shortly after midnight, Knox again awoke me.

"What news?" I asked, starting up. "Did you succeed in learning anything
from the hackman?"

"Yes," replied Knox; "he returned a little before eleven o'clock, and I
asked him whether he knew where there were any young ladies I could
visit. He said that he knew several places. I then asked him to take a
drink while we talked about it. I said, I judged, from his appearance,
that he was just the young fellow who could take me where I wanted to
go; that I was crossing the street to employ him in the early part of
the evening, when he was taken by another gentleman, who probably went
to the same kind of