The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-26
THE MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY. FEBRUARY 26, 1888

"She turned pale, and moistured her lips.
She stepped back, removing herself from
my embrace, and chatting the back of one
hand with the palm of the other, she
said in a dry voice, "Oh, he is an inn
poSitor. It's impossible. | never heard of
him
II turned to the door and called out.
Come in here
He came in. When she saw him her
face changed till it looked like DEATH then
her eyes all at once shone like fire, and she
leaped toward him as if she meant to kill
him. But she did not reach him; she stop
ped shaking all over, and gave wild
scream half laughing, and with some words
in 1t that could not distinguish and stag
gered and dropped to the floor lhave seen
men who were killed in battle die just like
that
You see told you the truth said the
fellow.
YES said. Tell me the rest
'He told me the story. He had met the
girl; her father wasa direputable man, and
he was using her as a bait to catch a rich
husband. This fellow ruined the girl; but
her father induced him to m rry her, and
employ her as a sort of stooLpigeon in var
ious kinds of infamous transactions. At
last the crime was planned and carried out
which resulted in the arrest and conviction
of the husband The woman went back to
her father. They agreed, that since the
husband was dead to all practical intents
and purpoSeS--put out of the way for tf
teen years-she should resume her maiden
name and try to get another husband. The
scheme was put in operation, and after three
years they succeeded i'll entrapping me,
Now said the fellow, in confusion, you
may keep her if you want her; | have no
further use for her. But you are a highly
respected gentleman, with the best possible
social connections. You want to keep this
affair quiet you don't want to be mixed up
in any bigamy proceedings. Business IS
business. | have my living to make. ii |
am to hold my tongue, shall look to you
for funds. So long as they are forthcom-
ing, that woman may call herself Mrs. WeY-
mouth to her hearts content. But as soon
as you repudiate my drafts, or expose ne
in any way, or oppose me in any plans | at
tempt to carry out, | shall claim my wife
through the courts, and the whole yarn will
appear in the papers w That ara you going
to do!
II said, Il shall protect this lady, wGo has
been known by my name, and who proba-
bly, married me in the belief that you We're
dead. | will pay you reasonable yearly
sum to keep out of our way. You will do
wisely not to try me to far. That's all |
haveto tel you
He said, You will find my address on
the card gave you l shall expect check
for $4,000 to reach me there by noon to-
morrow. Otherwise, | shall begin prOcee4
ings the next morning
lie went out, and | was left alone with
her. L lifted her from the floor and car
ried her to the sofa. She recovered CON
seriousness i'll a few minutes. | sat beside
her, as she lay there, and we had talk, in
which arrangements were made for the
future. We were gradually to cease to visit
or receive friends. We were to occupy the
same house while in town; but she was to go
to some country place during the summer,
while | would remain in New York on plea
of business. Little by little we would seper
ate more and more. | requested her 10 re-
frain from anything likely openly to dishonor
my name; and oirfny side would do all |
could to protect her from suspicion or insult.
If she had loved me, said the General after a
pause II would have acted in another man
ner would have defied her husband, and,
as we could not legally be man and wife-I
would have taken her to another country
and lived with her there, husband to her
before God if not by the law OF man. But
she did not love me; she could not even pre-
tend that she did; and therefore sine could
not have been content under any such ar
rangement. AS for ME, l had loved her
with all my heartat first; and if | did not
love her after that discovery it was because
my heart was dead. But could not diamond
her; Il could not but do my utmost to protec-
ton against herself. God knows, that al
though | let it be understood that my course
was prompted by desire to shield my family
name and my honor, my real motive was
0 lily to be kind to her. All, poor girl-poor
girl"
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