ould like to take Annie back to Springfield as
soon as possible; for I fear that she is again losing her health, and
for the last day or two, she has been quite ill. Yesterday she received
a letter from Pattmore, which I tried to snatch from her; but she was
too quick for me, and I obtained only a small part of it. Here it is,"
he continued, showing me the lower corner of a letter; "see how he signs
himself."

I took the fragment and saw the same signature as that which Pattmore
had used in his former letters: "Your affectionate husband." The Captain
went on:

"My blood got up when I read this, and I told her that if she ever saw
Pattmore again, I would shoot them both; that I would no longer permit
her to disgrace our family. Then she also flew into a violent passion,
and said that she loved Pattmore, and that he intended to marry her
when he next came to Chicago. As usual, she finally succeeded in
appeasing my anger, and she promised to leave Pattmore forever. I also
agreed to make my will in her favor, and we thus became friends again. I
may now be able to get her away, as she has promised to go as soon as
she is able; but I can easily destroy my will, if she refuses to keep
her promise. What do you think about it?"

"Well, it can't do much harm, I guess, for you are probably in no
particular danger just now."

"Then I will make my will to-day. By-the-by, there is a great
fortune-teller in town; have you seen her advertisement?"

"Yes," I replied; "but there is nothing unusual in that. You can find
such people here at all times."

"I know that," said the Captain; "but they are generally mere humbugs,
while this one appears to be of a different class. She has been in the
East Indies, and the fortune-tellers there are not humbugs, as I know by
experience. I shall go to see her to-morrow. I had my fortune told once
by a Hindoo in Calcutta, and he was correct in every particular as far
as he went."

After the Captain had gone away, I sent for Mrs. Warne and told her that
she would receive a visit from the Captain next day, and that she could
learn all about his past history by referring to the conversation which
my stenographer had taken down some time before. I then looked over a
report I had just received from Miller, who was still watching Pattmore
in Greenville. There was little of importance in it except an account of
a conversation between Miller and Pattmore, in which the latter said
that he was staking e