San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-07-14


He saw the giant sea ahov'' bis h"nd."
Keats EndymiOn.
leXpected 10 see him COVER before this
blow, but | was mistaken; he was evidently
| prepared for anything might say.
MY good man." he said. cOolly, you are
raving or worse. You take. know, very
tender interest in Miss Graham's welfare
and think, presume. that anything you may
be pleased 10 state will be- believed by her,
and you will thus be able to degrade me in
her eyes. But you are mistaken. Both Miss
Graham and my mother know me too wen 10
believe one word of what you say!'
must confess that the perfect frankhess
of his manner succeeded for moment in
putting Inc at disadvantage. l could hard
ly bring myself to believe that he was lying,
yet it must be so.
"DO you deny" / said, ''the story which
have heard from my cousins lipsg'
What your cousin may or may not have
told you is no concern Of mine. What is she
to me?'
''She is your wife," | returned
Still lie retained his cold, impaSSive man
ner; but the old lady looked at him with
troubled eyes 1t was nothing to her that he
had broken heart or wrecked a home. Ac-
cOrdlng to her the labOTer was like the beast
of burden; born to bear his load uncOmplain-
ingly, and TO be trampled in the dust, if
necessary, at his masters feet. But the fear
that her darling had been made to link him
self TO one beneath him was terrible TO her
George" she cried, implOringly, what
does he mean?'
He shook his head; but replied:
81 mean, madam that it was your son, and
ntI NVbn all al
our home Through him, and him alone.
murder has been done; and simple trusting
hearts have been broken. He came with his
SpeciOus smiling face and lying tongue, and
wrought the ruin of as good q lass as ever
breathed. Finding her To be good and pure,
he heaped ia,SellOOd upon falSrhQOd until he
got her in his power; then. coward that he
was, he told her of the trap into which she
had fallen-and left her to the III, rcy of
merclcSs world. COwarlIy trracherOuS cur
as he is, he has betrayed one woman, but he
does not betray another. Let him go to the
altar with Miss Graham, and, so sure as he
stands living before me now, will denOunce
him before them ALL"
You yillainl do you mean to threaten
me?" exclaimed Redruth losing for the first
time some OF his self-cOmmand.
"And If do" returned, Il don't threat
en- what ! can't perform. My cousin has
been silent hitherto hpcauSp she wished 70
spare YOU she has returned good for evil,
cruelty with kindness; but now that she has
SpOken-nOw that | know the TRUTH am
determined that she shall receive Justice Do
you think that she alone is to suffer-that
she must stand alone in her shame. to be
pointed at by every honest woman? | say
again she is your wife: il not b the laws Of
man, at least in the sight Of God; and so
long as she lives you shall not wed another
WOmanl'
paused and looked at him; his face was
quite livid. He pointed to the door.
Leave this hOuSer' he cried, "Or by lleav-
en- III have you handed over to the police"
~ refuse To stir" replied, until | have
your answer. 1t is in your power to partial
ly retrieve the past by doing one act of JUS
tice. Villain as you have been, bitterly as
she has been made to suffer, believe my
poor cousin loves you still Make that mock
ceremony true one; take her TO you as your
honOred wife; it is but justice; it is what
ask in her name"
'Georger' cried the Old lady, clinging to
him in terror; but he only smiled and said:
ravingp
II have given you your last chance" |
said. DO you persist in your refusal to
listen to mc?'
Hear me- Trelawney," he said. "The
story you have fixed upon me is one tissue of
lies. If you say it is not bring your wit
nesses to prove it; If you cannot do so, your
fabrication falls to the ground. know moth
ing of your cousin, and am not to be driven
through fear into marriage with peasant
girl of light character
Good Godr' l cried, what do you
meanY'
This; that your cousin, whose moral char
acter Is well known, will not retrieve her
deeds by vamping up Tins story against me.
Women of her class are given to lying; she
seems no exception to the ruler
Coward and liarr' exclaimed. Utterly
beside myself, raised my clnched fist, and
should have struck him to the ground. There
was a shrek, and heavy thud upon the
floor. Terrified and heart-sick, drew back,
and gazed with wild eyes upon the figure of
the old lady, which lay, apparently, lifeless
at my feet For a moment l feared my
clinched fist had fallen upon her, and LAID
her low; but was soon treasured. She had
been over-excited with the interview, and
the fear that was going to strike her son
had deprived her of consciousness. In a mo-
ment women's figure was beside her, kneel-
ing on the floor, and bending forward with
tender solicitude over the wrinkled face. 1t
was Madeline. Where she had come from
could not tell, she seemed to have arisen like
O spirit from the earth. She was pale, but
quite composed and she seemed utterly I'M
conscious Of any presence save the one-that
Of the old woman. With tender hands she
smoothed back the gray hair; she dipped her
fingers in the bowl of water which George
Redruth held, and drew them across the
wrinkled brow; she pressed her warm red
lips to the white cheek, and murmured gent
ly: Aunt, dear aunt open your eyes; it is
], Madeline|
For time the old lady lay mOtiOneSs-I
standing by, unable to move hand or foot,
but feeling nothing but pity for her. Sud-
denly she stirred slightly and heaved a sigh;
then Madeline raised her eyes and fixed them
upon my face.
"Will you 20, pleaseY she said, ''for her
sake. If she wakes and sees you il will be
terrible"
That was enough; | was to obey her wish;
so, utterly weary and heart-broken, left the
house.
CHAPTER XXXIv.
A LAST FAREWELL.
T., N otran1a ha,vildarad ofata nf mind 7