Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-10-11


riage to Mrs. Beaumont, and still Jack
| made no sign.
The wedding dav came, and / had
seen my bridegroom but twice. On
these occasions his father and mamma
had been in the room. Lady Slurian l
had not seen at all; her husband
brought me magnificent tiara. neck
lace, earrings and bracelets of dia-
monds-the Silurian diamonds were
| famed and regetted that his wife was
too great an invalid to present them in
person.
have small recollection of the GER
emQny; but remember that my father
in-law bent over and guided his sons
hand when he signed the registry,
laughing. and call NJ him nervous fell
low. l wrote my maiden name. Olive
Chase. for the last time, and immediate
ly after was hurried into q carriage
and. accompanied by my father-in law
| and husband. began the twenty mile
| drive which brought us to Limestone
Towers, the home of the Silurlan fam
| ily.
During the whole of the drive Lord
Grenton never opened h ps. His
| father made few remarks concerning
| the weather. offered me sandwiches
| and sherry, and never took his g es off
his beloved son until that individ ual.
muttering something to me unin-
telllglble. sank into profound slum-
| Der.
| A host of servants lined the hall
| through which L passed on my hus-
| bands arm; but tho aspect of tho
| towers struck me with cold dread. l
was thankful when Lord Silurian init
mated that my presence at the dinner
table would not be expected, and that
my introduction to my mother-in law
would take place the following morn
| ing.
/ made hasty dinner alone. in one
of the magn ticent rooms which had
been set apart for me. and slipping on a
gorgeous wrapper l tried to forget
my woes in the pages of some of my
favorite books, Ere long my tired head
| fell back on the sofa cushion and l
slept,
Iawoke with cry. and sense of
terror. A number of wax lights shed
soft radiance over the handsome room
tho perfume of rare flowers filled the
air, and bending over the couch on
which lay, his hot breath tanning my
cheek, was the man / had married.
with an expression on his face and in
! his evil. shifty eyes, which God grant
| / may never see on any human face
| again. Fer a moment / was paralyzed
with feeling of sickeniug terror. then
| rose from the sofa and moved towards
the table.
Where are YOU goingP" he cried.
mot so fast. Don't you know you are
mine nowP
In an instant he had me in his arms,
and was holding me so tightly clasped
In his embrace that painted for breath;
while he went on; "Yes. you're mine,
safe enough. now. I've got away from
that old devil who's been standing be-
tween us. He thinks I'm safe with
Black. He's deep one. o, ] know
all about il; he wants an heir Yes,
you're mine. and can kiss you until
you die, and tear your great, sad, black
eyes out or pinch your white flesh. or
bite YOU until the red blood comes and
streaks your beautiful limbs.
One struggle Imade. only to find my
self held all the firmer. and borne
swiftly to the couch from which had
risen. while he held me down with his
strong arms, and floated over me, with
the same fearful expression which had
met my gaze on awakening.
Shall tell you how l made the old
devil get you for meP told him that
l didn't want you. that III do what
was told, and never speak to you ex.
cept when / was all right. l am all
right sometimes. dye know. That
the way got you; aud now / can tear
you limb from limb if like" and he
laughed with his head pressed close TO
my breast the unending. joyless laugh
OF r;.dness.
What did / know not; think that
/ prayed. a despairing. voiceless pray
er. that | might not lose consciousness
then and there, or die in his loathed en-
brace. tried to scream aloud, but at
the first sound his hand covered my
mouth.
"No! mol" he cried, with all the
cunning of madness in his sometime
vacant face. I've want no one here.
You know that you are nv wife, my
own. I've never had anything of my
own before, and L Ii show the m how
treat my belongings. "
"Ob," gasped. ".f you are mortal.
|
Silurian; take me to your mother"
My words called forth the widest
laughter.
Lady Silurian." he cried. you'll
never see her. she's mad. as mad. as a
halter; curse her. that's where l get it
from. Wer're all mad but that old
devil of father of mine, and he'd be
mad too if he was not the devil. Your
mother wanted the money. you see.
and she's got it; she's got 600. 600. and
I've got you. The old man didn't
care If l hod wife or not, not Ire. the
old villain. the old scoundrel. the old
fool; but he wants an heir. I'm going
to have my wife. beautiful Olive, but
he's not going to have his heir, o. not
much!'
The look which he cast on me froze
my very blood, but by this time 1 be-
gan 10 see all too clearly the nature of
the snare into which l had fallen.
had still enough strength left to look
him in the eye, steady my trembling
| u0ioa and aav eff Won uont 70 annnv