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

granted in any State but this; promise
to marry me then, and promise in TURF
not to press any advantages may hold
or TO annoy you meanwhile"
He was weighing every word he ut.
tered, and watching the effect.
ITO give due weight to the PROPOSE
ton and incline you to look upon it ia.
vorably. may as well add that, if you
! refuse, Rodney France will be branded
tomorrow as swindler and a scoun.
drel: fitting mate for the other sharp
er scoundrel. his partner. who decamped
with the spoils, and leaves him to bear
the burden of public indignation as best
he may" - #.ssS
'.Do it if YOU dare. Your villainy can
not reflect upon him."
'Can not it? Well. Mrs. France. /
won't argue the matter with you, but
just appeal to your knowledge of me
whether it is likely or not that l have
put in months of time without winding
him up in net of appearances that will
tell against him far more than me-"
"YOu forget that can bear witness
against you"
you that chance?" and now the ferocity
of the mans nature showed itself. do
you think 1 enticed you here for no 9TH
er purpose than to have you defy me?
Yes. enticed; for I've no reason to think
you'll yield unless put on the thumb
screws with hard wrench. Your hus-
band will be denounced tomorrow as
something worse than common thief,
and you-have yOu any idea where you
will be when that time comes? In eter-
nifty, as surely as you aren't on your
way TO New Orleans with me-
She scarcely flinched. though she be-
lieved him quite equal to such deed.
Her lips quivered. then set. '.Heaven
f rgive you. Varick, for the act to which
you will drive me tonight" she said.
slowly. the words dropping like stones.
Il don't think either you or need
expect Heaven to answer our calls,
said Varick. brutally. "Does that mean.
Mignon. that you are willing to go with
Sne?"
Willing? Scarcely that Before l
promise, what guarantee have l that
YOU will not abuse my confidence; that
hind, provided l go?"
He turned, and lifted valise from a
shadowy corner.
.'They are all in here, bonds, mortgages.
securities and greenbacks. There's n
show of gold and silver left in the vault,
but it came near being clean sweep.
I'll just keep back the amount of capt.
tai paid in, and you shall put the re-
mainder in the safe with your own
hands. if you wish"
She watched him while he unlocked
the valise and took out some packages
of bonds and notes. counting them I'M
der her eyes.
"You bring the rest he said, brief
ly. I'm 90 ahead and light the gas"
"Varick." said Mignon, softly. stand
ing near him with the valise in her
hand. ''why were you SO set on this
thing? You could have taken this
had your revenge, and said
to me. l can't think you care
for me SO much rs to outweigh the
ga.a."
Then you don't give me credit for
the half feel. said Varick, with sud-
den energy. I'm not the man to 90
mad and throw all things to the dogs
for the sake of a woman. I'm fond of
you, La June, and l always was. Be-
Sides" with cunning CLEAN, Il
hedged to win. I'll get fifty thousand
dollars when take you back to New
Orleans. and that's better than three
times the amount, withOm you, and
the law at my heels. Here! before l
lock that safe | want your promise.
Il promise to forsake my husband
and stay with You until death parts us
Il don't ask more'n that muttered
Varick, bending over the combination
lock. and the next instant a bullet
crashed into his brain, and stopped its
crafty scheming forever.
Rodney France had started that aft
on a trip which would have kept
him from home for night and day.
but by the merest chance he found the
man with whom his business was on the
same train. going the same way. They
had a short conversation. arranged for
Il future meeting, and Rodney got off at
a wayside station where he took the
next returning train to Riverton. He
went around by the bank on his way
home to tell Tendyke his news. just as
he turned his key in the lock a flash of
light sprang up in the vault, and Var
lex was working with the door of the
safe. when the outer door turned on its
hinges. Neither he nor Mignon had a
of the intruder who paused
within it, held spellbound ut first by the
sight of his wife there at
that hour.
He stood still and heard the last few
sentences which passed between them:
heard Mignon call him Varick, heard
her promise to leave him her husband. |
Then he stirred, made rush forward. |
with a deadly fury awake in his breast. |
The next moment that shot was fired, |
md Mignon, looking up to catch sight
If her husbands white. wrathful face |
cleaning against the darkness. |
screamed. and fell in dead faint to |
he floor.
CHAPTER VI.
WHAT FOLLOWED.
All Riverton was convulsed by the