Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-09-27
A FAMILY AFFAIR.
CHAPTER Xxx (CoNrIsuEp).
BY HUGH CONWAY.

curious y enough, or naturally enough,
Bea rice had no longer the wish to APP
prise her father of what had happened.
Dimly she began to see the meaning of
the step she had taken.
1t was settled she should return to Ms.
Erskines. and, as a slight misunderstand-
ing is not f1icient to terminate the rela-
tionship between husband and wife OF
fOrtnight's standing, II was also arranged
that Hervey should take lodgings in Q
neighborhood, to which lodgings his wife
could come as pupil to drawing-master
The fel Ow had by now resumed his mask,
and SCENE to be trying to efface the rec
objection of the will scene.
But the mask had been dropped once,
and Beatrice, except in her conduct was
no fool. She went back to her home with
a pain in her heart, and feeling years
older than when she had lett a fortnight
ago
Tire girl felt very miserable; a kind
tof dread, which she vainly tried
to thrust away. hung over her.
She needed sympathy, needed a con-
fidant. Such secret as hers was
too great for one breast. So she told her
maid Sarah what had happened. The
woman's slave-like worship and dOg-like
fidelity assured her silence.
ious pecuiarities knew the world, and
knew also what such a marriage as this
meant, suppressed the grief she felt. But
to endeayOr to ease her mind she made
such in uiries as she could respecting Mr..
Maurice Hervey. She even watched him,
waited for him, tracked him in his golngs
out and comings in. She told Beatrice
nothing of this sefinsttuted inquiry.
To do the woman justice, had she found
Harvey up 10 the standard of her require
ments for Beatrice, she would have offered
up thanks to Heaven more fervently than
she had ever done in her life.
One day when Beatrice vas paying
visit TO her husband, he turned to her
suddenly, II must have money" he said,
there no good beating about the bush. "
''Haye you no money ?" asked Beatrice.
81 have twenty pounds, the remnant
of large sum borrowed"
She said nothing, but taking out her
purse, shook its contents on the table.
The man laughed scornfully.
at is n drfblet like that l want
must have thousand pounds by this day
fortnight"
''Why tell me so? l can not get it "
She could not help the growing GOODNESS
of her voice.
eyes you can. IL you will. VIII you
do SOP"
She looked at him steadily. "You are
my husband, "she said, "If l can, will. 4"
~ knew It" he said, with a nervous
laugh. "All you will have TO do is to
sign an undertaking promising to repay
the money and interest out Of your in
come within a certain number of years.
You will do tbs ?'
Yes, will do this. You are my hus-
band"
at is also necessary" he went on,
with covert glance at her, ito make a
declaration-a mere matter of form.
You must declare yourself to be twenty
one years of age.
~ do not quite understand" said Bea-
trice. She would not understand.
sits a mere matter of form, my dear
girl, it can do no one harm. It's only to
swear you are twenty-one. Pm sure no
one wou ID doubt it.
Beatrice covered her face with her
hands, ard the tears trickled through her
fingers. Hervey attempted to caress her
Sadly but firmly she pushed his arm away.
II can not do 1t, - she said
His brow grew black. "Damn 1t you
must " he said, roughly.
She rose. IL will not" she said in
accents which told him she meant what
she said. II will do this much L have
some jewelry: it shall be placed in your
hands. The only favor L ask is that
money may be raised on it in such way
that some day can get 1t back. Part Of
1t was my mother
She did as she promised. That even
ing Mr.. Miller brought him the packet
of jewelry. There were some valuable
articles in it, as Sir Maingay, who had
great faith in his daughters discretion,
and who perhaps had feared that IL not
given at once they would never be given,
had entrusted her with some diamonds
which had belonged to her late mother.
SO ii was that Hervey was able to raise
some two hundred pounds on the trinkets.
To his credit be it said that he sent GER
tain mysterious tickets to Beatrice which,
upon inquiry. she found would enable her
TO redeem the things of which she had
deprived herself.
Three days after this Sarah made q dis
cOvery, or rather completed her inquiry
into Hervey's real nature. BY pertinaclty
in tracking and watching; by questions
asked in certain houses In nelghborhood
20 which she had followed him, she found
the man had been for some space of time,
and was even now, pursuing low in
trigue with n girl. With flashing eyes
Mrs. Miller went to Beatrice and told her
this.
Beatrice heard her In silence. Then
she spoke coldly and gravely. Events
were fast making woman of her.
sarah, A" she said, ~ will see Mr. Her
vey, and IL needful you will see him.
Bear in mind that IL your charges against
him are false, you leave me at once"
She took Sarah with her, told her to
wait in the street and then entered her
husbands room. She told him coldly and
without apparent emotion what she had
learned. She gave the name of a street,
and the number OF house.
Hervey of course denied It, Beatrice
then said she would fetch his libeler, who
should be properly dealt with. Hervey
wavered, stammered, and then once for
all dropped the mask. He brutality told
his young wife TO let him manage his own
affairs Of that sort In his own way. So
Beatrice knew that Sarah had spoken
the truth. And with this knowledge the
love for this man which had already been