"I remember exactly. It was sim-
ply: 'FORGIVE ME. I LOVED HIM SO. I AM HAPPY.
I KNOW IT IS WRONG, BUT I LOVE HIM SO YOU MUST
FORGIVE ME.'"
"But couldn't you tell from THAT we were married?"
cries out the doctor.
"She didn't mention it," says Colonel Tom.
"She supposed that her own family had enough
faith in her to take it for granted," says the doctor,
very scornful, his face getting red.
"But wait, Dave," says Colonel Tom, quiet and
cool. "Don't bluster with me. There are still a
lot of things to be explained. And that marriage
is one of them.
"To go back a bit. You say you got to the house
somewhere around ten o'clock that evening and
found Lucy gone. Do you remember the day of
the month?"
"It was November 14, 1888."
"Exactly," says Colonel Tom. "I got to Chicago
at six o'clock of that very day. And I went at
once to the address in Lucy's letter. I got there
between seven and eight o'clock. She was gone.
My thought was that you must have got wind of
my coming and persuaded her to leave with you in
order to avoid me--although I didn't see how you
could know when I would get there, either, when
I thought it over."
"And you have never seen her since," says Arm-
strong, pondering.
"I HAVE seen her since," says Colonel Tom, "and
that is one thing that makes me say your story needs
further explanation.
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