The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-09-29

1 must confess that the perfect frankness
or his manner succeeded for q moment in
putting me at a disadvantage | could hard
| ly bring myself TO believe that he was lying.
yet it must be so.
do you deny" said, '.the story which
L have heard from my cousins lipsg'
What your cousin may or nav not have
| toid you IS no concern of mine. What e she
20 me?'
''She Is your wife" returned.
| Still he retained his cold. fnipassive man
I Der; bat the old lady looked at him with
troubled eyes. 1t was nothing to her that he
had broken heart or wrecked home. Ac-
eofding 10 her, the laborer WAS Ike the beast
OF burden; born to bear his load uncomplain-
ingly. and 10 be trampled in the dust. il
necessary, at his masters feet But the fear
that her darling had been made to link him
self 10 one beneath him was terrible to her.
George" she cried, impioringly. what
does he mean9''
He shook his head; but replied:
Il mean, madam, that il was your son, and
none other, who brought all the trouble 10
our home. Through him. and him alone.
murder has been done; and simple trusting
Eearts have been broken. He came with his
specious smiling face and lying tongue, and
wrought the ruin of as good 4 lass as ever
breathed- Finding her 70 be good and pure.
ne heaped falsehood upon falsehood until he
got her in his power; then, coward that he
was, he told her OF the trap into which she
had faIen-and left her to the mercy OF a
mereileSs world Cowarily treacherous cur.
as he Is. he has betrayed one woman, but he
does not betray another. Let him 20 to the
altar with Miss Graham. and. so sure as he
stands living before me now, 1 win denounce
him before them all"
You villain, do YOU mean 10 threaten
me2' exclaimed Redruth, losing for the first
time some OF his Self-eommand
And il do returned. Il don't threat
en- what can't perform. Nv cousin has
been silent hitherto because she wished To
spare YOU; she has returned good for evil.
crnelty with Kindness; but now that she has
sPoken-now That | know the trlth-I am
determined that she shall receive Justice. Do
you think that she alone is to suffer-that
she must stand alone in her shame. 10 be
pointed At by every honest woman? l say
again she Is your Wife; IL not by the laws Of
man, at least in the sight OF God; and SO
long as she lives you shall not wed another
womanr
paused and looked at him; his face was
Quxe livid. He pointed to the door.
Leave this hOusen' he cried ''or BY Heav-
en- III have you handed over to the police"
Il refuse to stir. l replied, until | have
your answer. II 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 a true one; take her to you as your
honored wife; it IS but justice; it is what l
ask in her name"
"GeorgeP' cried the old lady, elinging 70
him in terror; but he only smiled, and said:
Don't agitate yourself mother; the man is
raving"
Il have given you your last chance" l
said. DO you persist in your refusal to
listen to me?'
Hear me, Trelawuey," he said. The
story you have fixed upon ne is one tissue OF
lies. If you say it is not, bring your wit
nesses to prove it; If you cannot do 50, your
falls 10 the ground. l know moth
ing of your cousin, aud am not to be driven
through fear into marriage with a peasant
girl of light character
Good God" | cried, what do you
mean?'
This; that your cousin, whose moral char
acter is well known, will not retrieve her
deeds by vamping up this story against me-
Women of her class are given to lying; she
seems no exception TO the ruler
Coward and Harp | exclaimed. Utterly
beside myself 1 raised my chnched fist. and
should have struck him 10 the ground. There
was shrek, and a 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
clinehed fist had fallen upon her, and laid
her low; but | was soon reasSured. She had
been over-exeited with the interview, and
the fear that was going to strike her son
had deprived her of consciousness. In a mo-
ment woman's figure was beside her, kneel-
ing on the floor, and bending forward with
tender solicitude over the wrinkled face. 1t
wa. Madeline. Where she had come from 1
could not tell, she seemed to have arisen like
a spirit from the earth. She was pale, but
quite composed, and she seemed utterly un-
of any presence save the one-that
OF the old woman. With tender hands she
back the gray hair; she dipped her
fingers in the bowl of water which George
Redruth held, and drew them across the
wrnkled brow; she pressed her warm red
lips to the white check, and murmured gents
ly: Aunt, dear aunt, open your eyes; it is
j, Madeliner'
For time the old lady lay motionless-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 go, please?" she said, ''for her
sake. If she wakes and sees you it will be
TERRIBLE
That was enough; 1 was to obey her wish;
30, utterly weary and heaTt-bro1en, L left the
house.