t page.
Now, had he looked, he might have seen something sinister and malicious
in the curious eyes, but he was so dazed by the very first thing he saw
as to be for the moment oblivious to anything else. On the right of the
first page was the headline: "Strange dual life of a prominent physician
in Alton, New Jersey. Doctor Thomas B. Gordon has lived with his wife
for years, and called her his widowed sister, Mrs. Clara Ewing. Upon
her death, a few days since, he revealed the secret. Will give no
reasons for this strange conduct, simply states that he was justified,
even compelled, by circumstances." Then followed a caricature portrait
of Gordon, a photograph of the house, one of the village church, and the
cemetery and Gordon's wife's grave, with various surmises and comments,
enough to fill the column. James paled as he read. He had not known of
Gordon's action in telling that the dead woman was his wife. He looked
around in a bewildered fashion, and met the hungry eyes. One small, mean
face of a small man peered around his shoulder gloatingly. "Some news
this mornin'?" he observed, with a smack of the lips, as if he tasted
sweets.

Then James arose to the occasion. He faced them all and smiled coolly.
"Yes," he replied; "you mean about Doctor Gordon?"

There was a murmur of assent.

James read the article from beginning to end. "I suppose it is news to
you," he said, when he had finished. He looked at them all with a
superior air. He looked older and more manly than when he had first come
in their midst. He _was_ older and more manly, and he was superior. The
men recognized it, not sullenly nor defiantly, but with the
unquestioning attitude of the New Jerseyman when he is really below the
scale in birth and education. Still their faces all expressed malicious
cunning and cruel curiosity, which they hesitated to put into words.
They knew that Elliot was to marry Gordon's niece; they were overawed by
both men, but they were afraid of Gordon.

Still Jim Goodman found courage of his meanness and smallness and spoke.
"It seems a strange thing," he said, "that Doctor Gordon should hev came
and went here for years, and all of us thinkin' his wife were his sister
when she were not."

"Well, what of it?" asked James.

The men stared at one another.

"What of it?" repeated James. "I don't suppose there is anything
criminal in a man's calling his wife by his sister's name. Doctor Gordon
has a sister named Ewing."

Ag