Should She Have Left Him? — page 183: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

170 SHOULD SHE HAVE LEFT HIM? “IT never saw deeper devotion.” Adams leaned back in his chair, balancing his cane on his forefinger, a trick he was very expert at, and which was always indicative of deep thinking. “ Suppose,” he asked, “I refuse to bring suit and that Elsie does, too, what is the result ?”’ “Matters must stand as they are, I suppose. S¢ long as you are separated from Mrs. Adams, mai taining the idea that the civil marriage was invalid, there must always be a doubt as to the regularity of the Trescotte marriage.” “Hum. But the separation took place before ! believed our marriage to be invalid, and Elsie knows nothing about it as yet.” “But she does.” “Who told her? You?” bluntly asked Adams. Mr. Magrane related the story of Mrs. Courtenay $ visit to Mrs. Adams, adding that it was done with- out his, Magrane’s, knowledge. The other had listened attentively. “So,” he cried quite excitedly, his eyes sparkling. “Tried to get Elsie to set up a claim to Trescotte, eh? The little woman refused? That's like her. Hearts are always trumps with Elsie. I would have bet in advance that that was just what she would do.” | ‘‘ She told Mrs. Courtenay she would do nothing to increase the misery of Mr. and Mrs. Trescotte, and that she loved you too well to think of anyone else than you as a husband.” * Well, what can I do?” COIN @ LOOO cS (GO)