verything upon the hope of getting the
congressional nomination; if he should fail in that, he would not remain
in Greenville, but would go to Kansas to live. Miller added that
Pattmore received letters daily from Mrs. Thayer.

I immediately wrote to Miller to secure a copy of one of Mrs. Thayer's
letters; and, if possible, to intercept every one of them. I felt
confident that she would describe her visit to the fortune-teller in
part, at least, and I was anxious to know how much she would reveal to
him. Besides if he were disposed to be superstitious, he would probably
be more or less affected by her account, and I might use the knowledge
thus gained, to good advantage.

Late in the evening, Miss Seaton came in and told Mrs. Warne that Mrs.
Thayer had been greatly agitated by her interview with Lucille; that she
had shown great dejection and grief all the way home; and that she had
immediately retired to her room, where she had thrown herself on the
bed; that she had risen, late in the evening, and had written a very
long letter, which she had asked Miss Seaton to put in the post-office
for her, being too weak to go out herself. Of course, Miss Seaton gave
the letter to Mrs. Warne, who immediately brought it to me. I opened it
at once and hastily read it through. It began, "My dear husband," and
went on to describe her visit to Lucille. She gave a full account of all
that Lucille had said, and also related the effect which the
fortune-teller's revelations had had upon her. She said significantly
that Pattmore could understand how much she had been alarmed by the
references to the woman who came between them, for the inference was
that Lucille meant Mrs. Pattmore. However, she was going, she said, to
have her full fortune told the following day, and she would write all
about it in her next letter.

I had the letter copied and sent to the post-office in time for the
first mail.

_CHAPTER IX._

I had sent word to my New York correspondent to make a thorough search
for Henry Thayer, as I wished to learn definitely whether he was alive
or dead. By communicating with the London board of underwriters, my
agent learned that Henry Thayer was in command of an English whaler in
the South Sea. At the latest advices from him, he was nearly ready to
sail for England, as he needed only a few more whales to complete his
cargo. I received this information the morning after Mrs. Thayer's first
visit to Lucille, and I commu