The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-08-01


Beranger, with a shrill laugh. "He will
have to pay me great many more baw-
| bees as YOU call them, than paltry four
| hundred year. Why, | had that when
he had no money but what his father al
lowed him, and dye think I'll put up
with it now2 / want lump down, and
told him so in my letters; l must have 1t,
or shall be arrested"
"Weel, ma'am maybe a short sojourn in
'durance vile wad do we ma i'll turn"
Again the woman laughed, and looked
at the doctor with her bold, bright dark
eyes,
'"That was horrid sight in the church,
or the kirk, as you call 1t here, WASH t 1t
to-day I've had to refresh myself after
it, can tell you; :" and she pointed to the
whisky-bottle. hSo James Biddulph has
sent you to deal with me, has he? Well,
sit down and have some whisky, and We'll
talk it over"
The poor doctor was, it must be admit
ted. fond of whisky, and he was also tired
with his disturbed night and his disturbed
feelings. He looked az the whisky-bottle,
and the temptation to accept her oller
| grew strong within him.
"I'll Just take wee crop" he said, ''for,
as we say, yon was grim sight"
at was too horrid :" and she shuddered.
at was brutal of James Biddulph to force
me to go through it. He has acted like
fool. If he had acceptad my offer las
night, and given me $4,000 to go quietly
away, be would have been a wiser man.
You know the girl, l suppose, 10 was
| going TO marry?'
/ know Miss Leonora Stewart, and
| sweeter, BONNER lassie does not live"
"Poor james, scoffed the woman.
"Yet declare | felt sorry for him last
night, when he saw his dearly beloved
wife standing again before him, on the eve
of his second wedding day. But | was
| forced to come. | am fairly cleaned out,
| and | must have some money at once; SO
come, drink your whisky and sit down,
and we'll see what we can arrange be-
tween u.s."
The doctor drank some whisky and sat
down, looking at the woman warily, how
ever, with his small, intelligent eyes.
I'm empowered 10 make no further
offer" he said.
"That is nonsense. / may as well tell
you at once, l won't leave Scotland until
I've got good round sum in fact, | can't.
l suppose" she added, smiling, "you
doctors are not over-paid in an out OF the
way place like this?"
81 Gamma complain wi being over
burdened with cash." answered the doc
tor, dryly.
DUST sol And you would not object,
suppose, to make hundred or hundred
and fifty on easier terms than tramping
from hamlet to hamlet, with your pills in
your pockets, would your"
81 fail to follow yer drift ma'am."
at is this"-and Madame de Reranger
bent nearer to him-"James Biddulph is
rich. want five thousand pounds down,
and if you can induce him to give me this
and my usual allowance, will give you,
say, hundred and fifty. and no one need
be the wiser"
But the doctor at once rose to his feet,
and drew up his tall, ungainly figure to his
! fall height as he Ssaed to this offer.
81 may as weelIeh we, ma'am, that hope
| may call mysel AN honest mon, he said
with a certain LOCK- of dignity on his home
ly features, which only provoked the laugh
ter OF the woman he was addressing.
Honest she echoed scornfully that's
a virtue considerably gone out of fashion
OF late years. Is there any one quite hon.
est, do you think? OF course, we pay our
debts when we've got the money to pay
them, and don't steal unless our necessi-
ties are very great. But cheating and
living, and trying TO take in our neighbors
for our own advantage in the way of bsisi-
|
| it? This is a matter OF business between
you and me, James Biddulph has sent
you here to make bargain with me, and
if you make a good one for me | am will
ing to pay you. What harm is there in
it, if you look at it in the right way?"
otis not my way, anyhow. Mr.. Biddulph
sent me here to make ma bargain with we.
He sent me here to tell We that he'll gi'
We four hundred year, and nothing mair.
And he sent ten pounds to pay yer ex-
penses and get We away"
"Ten pounds This is too absurd
l shall just 90 and see him myself Has
he gone back TO Dunbaan yetp'
"Ma'am," said the doctor, earnestly,
twill We take the advice of one who wishes
We ma i'll? Don't 90 near James Biddulph
any mair. Yer sister came to a bloody
end by rash act, and warn We that we've
reused the vera dell in the mon whose
life we've spoilt"
"But what am l to do2" said the
woman, beginning to walk up and down
the room in an agitated manner. 81 owe
money right and left Do tell him to give
me something worth having-say two
thousand"
"He swore he would not"
"But I've a right to it; | am his wife,
and have legal claim to good income"
(which lie offers ye; and doo't vera
much but that we've lost yer right alto
gether for maintenance, seeing We allowed
yer sister to be buried in yer place, and
she had on the marriage ring, puir soul,
and, as there's not pins head to choose
betwixt We in any court o law, MIR. Bid
dulph might be justified in saying be does
not believe We are his wife still"
"But he does not deny this; he did not
| deny IL tO-daVp
"Na; but be might deny it tomorrow,
for in truth he has little certainty TO 90
on"
The woman made no answer, but con-
tinued walking restlessly about the room
again for the next few minutes. Then
she stopped suddenly before the doctor,
and looked straight in his face.
"What would he give to be free alto
gether, do you think 2" she asked. GLOW
much money, il | were to stand up and
say have been humbugging him all this
timer that the poor dead one"-and she
slightly shivered = sis really Natalie
would he pay me then, do you think, and
let me go away from here, and see his
face no more"
"Woman, would ye tempt him to CON-
NIT dreadful sin?" cried the doctor,
horror-stricken.
"What do care for his sin, or sorrows
either, tor that matter2 What | want is
money, or you may be sure l would not
have been here at all.
"But surely" said the doctor, much
moved, ''there is ma truth in this? Ye
said We were his wife in the house of God