The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-06-01


Aysterv,' The Modest Marriage Err
WGs," " Cecas Secret" "4 Scr
ciles Foe etc., etc.
CHAPTER Iv.-CoNrrSuED.
"My darling, forgive me. Why di,
you not tell me you only met him at tn,
carnival ball? You don't know wha
horrible thoughts possessed me-"
Rodney, l do know steeling her
self for dreaded task THAT ground
less jealousy of yours is more appar
ent than You think. You are accusing
him in your thoughts of having beer
my lover. And-and suppose he had
been. what then?"
''Mignon, don't torture me-
Il want to show you how needlessly
you torture yourself. want-if l car
find courage-to confess
His face changed, with a stony change
she would not soon forget. She threw
herself on her knees and caught his
hands.
Listen to me. There was man
who, knowing me as La June, asked
me to be his wife. | soon found him
to be villain, but just at first was in.
fatuated.''
WAS that man Tendyke??''
Rodney, don't look so. No. no.
in burst of frightened denial. not brave
enough, after all, to face the storm she
had raised. ut was Varick.''
He shook off her clinging hold. The
penalty of his rash marriage was COM
ing home to him at last. She struggled
to her feet, hesitated. then turned away.
81 would have told you of this before.
but you would not listen | scU tell
YOU now whether YOU choose to hear or
not. Ipromised to marry him. and |
broke the promise when | learned his
true character. That is all there was
of ft-no worse than you did yourself"
She need not have added that lash to
his guilty conscience.
''All? 1t is enough. Do YOU know
that yon-hed TO mee How can 1 ever
believe in you again?''
He was wounding himself with his
harsh words as deeply as he wounded
her, and she knew it.
Yes" she said, sullenly, 81 did lie
TO YOU; but / had to choose between
you and the truth. If YOU have loved
any man before me YOU can never be
wife of mine you said, and was des-
perately bent upon being your wife. in
fact as well as name. / was so foolish
rs to believe your love strong enough
to overlook that error, as well as TO pro-
teet me from the hateful influences to
which 4 was a most unhappy slave. |
was mistaken; you at least have given
me taste of the better life for which /
longed''
Rodney was shaken. He felt his
wrath melting away as he looked at her.
One glance, piteous and pleading. of
the tear-tilled eyes was enough to sub
due him; but Mignon was slow. to
give it.
Il never really loved any one but
You. Oh, Rodney. you know that-you
must know itr' breaking suddenly into
a passion of weeping. ~.
And Varick is thousand miles
away, aSeried Rodney He could stand
Il no longer; another moment and she
was in his arms. my darling. my
darling. he shall not part us. No shad-
ow of the past shall do that when you
are all mine now"
She struggled to free herself
''Oh, l am afraid am afraidr' she
cried. Rodney, he never really con-
sented to give me up. 1t is the fear of
my life that he will appear some day to
have his revenge. What then?'
This, them" exclaimed Rodney.
holding her close; still, not so close but
that she could see what a threatening
gloom overspread his face. mo man
shall offer insult or injury to You. and
live. If would not stand between You
and all i'll, Mignon. l would be some
thing less than a man."
And he meant it." thought Mignon,
despairingly. lone word of the truth,
and he would shoot Varick down like
mad dog"
There was no telling him after that
She waited for days, wondering that
Farick sent her no message, tortured
with fears every hour when Rodney was
out of her sight. In her feverish dreams
she often saw Rodney foully murdered;
stretched on his back, sometimes. with
blood flowing from his throat: some
times shut up in the bank vault, dead
from suffocation.
She tried to warn him against Ten
dyke. but having laid that one dread of
past rivalry to rest, his frank nature
would not take the alarm
.sWhat nervous mortal YOU are
growing to be, Mignon!' he said one
day "You make me anxious for YOUR
health. wonder if / am keeping YOU
shut up too close? If it wasn't for that
absurd prejudice you have taken against
Tendyke, I'd bring him around to tea
with me. You've no idea what an
amusing fellow he can be when he
tries.
do, if you like. she answered.
without any show of interest. but when
be had gone, she started up to walk the
room, half wild with the dread which
weighed SO heavily upon her.
She could stand it no longer. Better
10 know the worst, if the worst must
come; but there was another struggle
going on in Mignon's breast. People
had called her Gree when she had hated
her own charms and disdained to use
them; but now, wild thoughts of befool-
ing Yarick foated through her brain.
IF she could make him think she was
hesitating, yielding-if she could make
aim Uost-surely, surely, there were
episodes in that dark life. of his which
might be turned to account to rid her
Of this implacable fee.
Yet when she stood face TO face with |