"While I have just been wondering how they took Faynie's elopement--and never hearing from her since--and wondering how in the world I was to discover all that--lo! a way is opened to me!" Then his thoughts flew back to that stormy wedding night, and that midnight scene in the little inn, when the girl he had just wedded, believing her to be an heiress, revealed to him the exasperating truth, that only that night her father had disinherited her, making a new will in favor of her stepmother and her daughter Claire.

The plan which Halloran had laid out was to wait a reasonable time, then put in an appearance, stating that he was Faynie's husband, and that she had just died, and claim her portion of the estate.

Every detail had been most carefully mapped out; but here he saw an easier way of gaining that same fortune without the trouble of litigation--marry the girl Claire.
They would never know anything about that previous marriage with Faynie, and the dead could tell no secrets.
"I'll go," he muttered.

"I shall reply at once, telling her she may expect me two days hence--let me see, this is Tuesday; I will dine with her Thursday, and, at least, see what the girl Claire looks like.

It would be the proper caper to gather in as many fortunes as drift my way.
I suppose I shall run through half a dozen of them ere I reach the end of my tether." All in due season his letter of acceptance reached Mrs.Fairfax, and she was highly elated over it.
She had seized upon her neighborly acquaintance with the late Mr.Marsh to invite to her home the young man who had fallen heir to his millions, in order that her daughter Claire might win him--if it were a possibility.
She had succeeded in forcing Faynie to remain beneath that roof, even after informing her that she was disinherited--dependent upon her stepmother--by saying that it was her father's wish that she should thus remain for at least six months.
Mrs.Fairfax's real reason was that the outside world would not know just how affairs stood in the family until she had had time to turn everything into cash and get over to Europe to look up another millionaire widower.
On the very night that Faynie had returned so unceremoniously there had been a most thrilling scene but an hour before between Mrs.Fairfax and her daughter.
Unable to sleep, Claire had wandered down to her late stepfather's library in search of a book.
She was not a little surprised to see her mother there--writing--at that late hour.
Her footsteps had made no sound on the thick velvet carpet, and she stole up to her side quite unobserved, looking over her shoulder to see what interested her mother so deeply.
One--two---three--four--five minutes she stood there, fairly rooted to the spot, then a gasp of terror broke from her white lips, causing her mother to spring to her feet like a flash.
"Claire!" she exclaimed, hoarsely, trembling like an aspen leaf and clinging to the back of the nearest chair for support.