Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-12-27

lv fascination and diaboiIcaT du-
Il viii save Miriam from you
and from herself!" she cried, at I
last.
shut at what cost ? Have you
counted that / think IL is too
large a sum for you to pay. You
viii bring about my marriage With
this girl"
81 tell you l never will / would /
rather Kill her with my own hand 4
than gee her your wife,"
ssNonsense! Do not waste time
in heroics. How will you help
yourself 2''
81 will tell my husband all the
truth-hOW wild, romantic, and
sinned against school girl was coax
ed from her convent home and in
TO a supposed marriage with an adj !
venturer and q gambler. That
when he had made away with her
small fortune, he discovered to her
his true character and the decep-
ton he had practiced upon her,
and"
sBah! Tell what YOU like II
Is enough that you acknowledge
that much of your past ] will add
To it how readily you came to my
arms, and how gladly you stayed
there until you became violently
jealous of a girl of high degree whom
/ wished to make my wife; how
you interfered with that marriage,
and fearful Of my vengeance rs
suned a false name and character
and angled for the proud position Of
Lady Edes.' Think you your
noble husband will ever forgive
YOU he deceit which allied his high
name with your disgrace? That
be Will take back to his arms the
whilOm adventures 81
Margery's proud, pale face mel his
undaunted, but her lips syllabled
no reply.
/ "Ah, you know that he will not
/ And yet you can hesitate to buy
your present high position at the
cost Of wedding to me that pretty
/ pink-faeed creature, who is none of
yours -
..sihe is his child" Margery said,
slowly. al will not see her wrong
ed. Go your way-do your worst
but YOU shall not tempt me!'
81 give YOU until to-morrOw's
dawn to accept my proposition. l
am i'm earnest and you know your
self absolutely in my power. You
know, too, how much you care to
I have your husband learn the histO-
~ of your past and it is only that
have yet little lingering fancy
for YOU that offer you the chance
to buy my silence"
Lady Edes signed the man away,
imperiously, announcing
"You shall know my decision in
the morning"
I And when she deemed herself
alone. unconscious that her struggle
( with temptation was watched as
keenly as her interview with her
tempter had been listened to, she
paced the floor in intense excite
! ment.
wealth, position, honor, love,
heaven To forfeit them all when
( / can purchase silence. Why should
not ] save myself? How can / be
degraded in Carriers eyes? Oh
GARNER, GARNER! God alone knows
how j love yOu-that believed the
! intensity of my passion could atone
for my silence to you regarding the
past. We have been very happy,
GARNER Can | give you up?"
Oh, the bitterness of that struggle
between right and wrong!
But, ut the last pure, heroic, self
1 renunciating love saved Margery
Edes from yielding to evil.
"She is your child, GARNER" she
said, at length. ~ will never sac
rifice her. ! promised to love her
as my own, and l will--yea better
than myself. / will let her be your
all. When you read the truth, and
know how | have cared for you,
and that ! chose to give my life for
her, and for your honor, you must
at least remember me pityingly."
And with white, set face Lady
Edes sought her own room.
That night she dismissed her
maid and sat writing till late. Then
she donned hood and long mantel,
and so attired erept softly to the
corridor.
But the gaunt form of her elderly
servant met her there, and pushed
her back, motiOning her with up
lifted, warning finger, and follow
ing into the dimly-lighted bOudOir.
"Iake off those rapS, my lady"
the woman whispered. You need
not sacrifice yourself, another vic
tim TO the treachery and diabolism
of the man who lies in yOnder
chamber. You are very brave, my
dear. Non DieUy | worship you
i hate him-sO | have saved rOu !
| heard his threats-yOu have been
sinned against; but my lord shall
never know. Be happy. IsidOr Wig
nauX is dead. | was his wife, his
true wife, years ago. He cast me
off and took my child from me; he
alone knows to what fate he con-
signed it. When | found he held
the fate of this house in his
hands, and that you would
sacrifice yourself, but not my
lord or his child, | said, will save
her. IsidOr deserves nothing at my
hands. | have left a note mt his
side saying who am and that l
did the deed. For the rest, your
safety is in your own hands,"
The strange woman stole from the
room, and escaped the grasp of the
law when all the country side was
ringing with accounts of the TRACE
! dy.
And Lady Margery EdeS breath
ed grateful prayer that she had
been so strangely but awfully saved
from temptation and death.