The Human Vampire; Or, The Elixir of Life — page 5: what you’re looking at

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Vol. i. No. 31. THE LOG CABIN LIBRARY. 5 a — wealthy gipsy horse-dealer. She had married, when very young, an officer in the British army, Philip Warren. This man had spent her money, snd then heartlessly deserted her. Her father had died while Madge was in Puris, with her worthless hus- band, but the gipsy had leard so much about Wanren’s dissipa- tion that lhe left his money to a nephew. When Warren learned that Madge's hopes of a second fortune had fallen to the ground, he deserted her, leaving her alone and penniless in the strange city. Then it was that Madge found a position with a family who were retiring to Dngland. She lived with them five yours, nnd left because the children shoe attended were grown too old to need a nurse. After spending some time with her cousin, who had been en- riched by her father, she decided once more to look for a situ- ation as a nurse. » Deep in her heart the girl cherished a hope that she might yot meet with the scoundrel who had marred her lifo, and she found comfort in planning schemes of vengeance, She began to take a lively interest in the stories of the late husband of her mistress. She made many inquiries, and learned much to his disadvantage. “Tf this man had been forty, insteady of thirty, I should say ib must be my husband, but he is too young.” One day she showed Mrs, Milsom a photograph of her hus- band, taken in his uniform. “Why, Idid not know that Mr. Derwent ever was in the army?” said the lady, in astonishment. “Maybe he was not. ‘That is a photograph of my husband, Philip Warren.” “But it is certainly a photograph of Clifford Derwent. I ooultl swear to if.” Madge showed her the back of the pieture, which proved that it had been taken in Hastbourne, Nngland, ten years before, “Well, that is the most remarkable resemblance I ever saw, but this man looks older than Mr. Derwent, now that I examina the picture more closely.” ‘Yes; if my husband were living he would be nearly forty years of nge,”’ Mrs, Milsom spoko of the picture to Mrs. Derwont, who felt indignant that her nurse’s husband should resemble her idol. She was destined to meet with further annoyance. Soon after her return from abroad Mrs. Fred Vandercliff called upon her. That lady had just returned from Long Branch. “Have you been very gay this summer?" asked Mrs, Der- went, who wus beginning to take mn intexest in society, and the ‘exolusive four hundred,” once more. ‘“Middling. It has been a successful summer in one re- spect.” “Tndeed! What was that?” “ Quite a number of the girls are engaged.” “ Any one I know?” “Well, yes. Helen Shermanis going to be married. Onlya clergyman, but very high-chureh and fashionable. Then Nettie Carter is engaged to one of the French Legation, and Maud Liy- ingstone is to be married to Mr. Paget, who will be a lord some day. However, the match which excited most interest is the one between Lillian Armstead, the rich Southern widow, and Mr. Algernon Vivian.” ‘' Why did this create an interest?” *' Because thoy walked off and got married one morning with- out any fuss. No party, no bridesmaid, no reception, or any- thing,’’ “Why did they do that?” “Ah! Why? Some people are uncharitable enough to say it was because the bridegroom is a fortune-hunter whose ante- codents will not bear investigation. But, of course, I don’t know. Millian Armstend is very handstrong, ond she is also her own mistress," ‘What kind of a man is her new husband?” ‘Very handsome, and, bless my heart! Did I not tell you he is the exact image of your husband?” Mrs, Derwent looked startled and displeased. “Tt he were not some years younger than your late husband 1 should be willing to swear to his identity.” ‘He is a gontleoman if he resembles my husband,” said the widow, with dignity. “Why, certainly. like Mr. Derwent’s. saw.” Mrs. Derwent was seriously displensed. First her nurse had claimed that her husband, presumably some low common per- son, looked like Clifford Derwent. Now, Mrs. Vandercliff had Iiven his manner, his voice, are exactly it is the most remarkable thing I ever compared this fortune-hunter to her beloved idol. As the ladies continued to speak of the matter, Mrs. Vander- cliff not observing her friend’s annoyance, Mrs. Milsom joined them. “Why,” she exclaimed, ‘‘that is very odd. Don’t you know, Louise, that Warren, your nurse, has a picture of her husband, and he is also the very image of Mr, Derwent.” ‘Call her and let us see it,” cried Mrs. Vandoroliff, eagerly, Perhaps she might have felt a slight touch of envy of her two friends who had been blessed with such handsome English hus- bands; at all events she was not averse to having a new subject of conversation to take with her to five or six afternoon teas that week, “Do let me see if he looks like Lillian Armstead’s husband." Mrs. Dorwent felt inclined to protest, but hesitated so long that ‘‘Warren,” o8 they called her, was in the room with the portrait before she had made up her mind how to act. “Why, I never saw anything like this!” exclaimed Mrs. Vuan- dercliff. “Does Lillian Armstead’s husband look like that photo- graph?” asked Mys, Milsom, who had once been ‘in the swim” herself, but wos now reduced to gonteel poverty. ‘Look like it? Why, it is his very picture.” “ Who was your husband, Warren?” inquired Mrs. Dorwent, with unusual condéscension. “He was a captain in the him,” said Madge, calmly, ‘Dear me, quite a good position. so reduced?” “ Becanse that man spent my fortune and then deserted me,” pplicd the nurse, her gipsy blood showing in the fierce light in her eva. “What heartless wretch!” said Mrs. \Vandercliff. ‘I hope the man who so closely resembles him, Lillian's husband, will not follow his example.” Then there fell an awkward silence. Too late Mrs. Vandor- cliff remembered how Olifford Darwent had squandered his wife's fortune. ‘lo be sure, death had drawn a kindly vail over his misdeeds. Mrs. Derwent grew very pale and her hand trembled slightly, as she returned tho portrait to Madge, saying: ‘Bring baby in, Warren; Mrs. Vandercliff has never seen him,” The arrival of the child changed the conversation, and Mys, Vandercliff soon took her departure. She felt elated for she was provided with plenty of subjects of conversation for the rest of the day. ‘Such a strange circumstance! quite like a romance!’ ote, ote, Mrs. Derwent was distinetly annoyed. She hnd been intense. ly proud of her husband, of his manly beauty, of his agreeable manners and popularity. ‘What a disagreeable woman Fred Vandercliffs wife is!’’ said Mrs. Milsom, as soon as the visitor had taken her departure. ‘‘She is spiteful becuuse she had to marry a man who has nothing to recommend him but his money.” “Yes, heis utterly commonplace, my dear Louise, and see how she toadies to Lady Martinson, just becanse she married a lord.” ‘*T have no donbt she is intensely envious of Lillian Armstead. Lillian is rich, and if she prefers to marry a man she will be proud of, instead of a mere monoy-bag, like red Vandercliff, she surely has a right to do so,” Mrs, Milsom, knowing just how Mrs. Derwent felt, heartily agreed with her, Meanwhile, on that very day, Sidney Van Stretten made a strange discovery. Regiment when I married How did you happen to be OHAPTER V. A CONTENTED VALMT, Sidney Van Stretten was a student. He loved books for their own sake, and was never happicr anywhere than in 9 second- hand book-store. Before salling out Mrs. Derwent’s honso, he had made a col- lection of all the books and papors belonging to his lato brothar- in-law, and after carefully packing thom in boxos, had them sent to his honie on Madison avenne. He had not Jooked at any of these books or papers before his departure for Wurope. Olfford Derwent was not a business-like man, and none of them were of any importance or assistance in the closing up of his estate. *‘T shall go over the whole business myself,” said Sidney to his lawyer. ‘There may be letters and other memoranda which bear upon private matters. Iknow Derwent was grossly un- faithful to lis wife, but not for worlds would I have my _sister’s faith in her scoundrel of a husband disturbed. She knows he comicbooks.com