Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-09-20

last; and then"
"And thenp" / cried eagerly, as
mother paused, enjoying my wild curl
osity and her own dramatic points
"What happened thenP"
"A catastrophe-a bit OF mclodrama
that set the county, and even people
out OF the county, talking for months.
On the wedding morning. Archibald
received afrantic note from Mrs. Max
well entreating him to come over to
the cottage in which she was then liv-
ing. Your father went with him,
feeling sure that the trial he had fore
seen was ut hand. IL was we'll he did
go; for when they reached the cottage
they found the old woman in Mysteries
Violet had hedh
"You mean she had run away with
some one, mother?"
with some one-yes. She had ef-
fected n most romantic escape through
her bedroom window; for it seems
that the wicked old woman. who had
all the time been aware of her daugh-
ter's feelings, and kept her under lock
and key upon her bridal eva fearing,
| suppose, what really happened, that
the girls courage would break down
at the last"
"'But she left some letter-she let
them know where and with whom she
had gomez" l asked, more interested
in the runaway bride than in her
mothers bafiled scEeming.
Eyes. Your father said he pitied
her almost as much as he did his
wronged brother when he read that
scrawled and blotted little note. lie
had thought her incapable OF any
strong feeling; but both pathos and
passion were in the wild pleading
words that seemed rung from u proud
nature driven frantic by excess Of mis-
cry. In brief i told your uncle that
she had fled with man 10 whom she
had been engaged before she ever
came TO Ludleigh-an officer in her
fathers regiment, and the only man
she could ever love You are rich
and generous and goo |, and Frank has
nothing; but love him with my whole
heart and soul! she wrote. And your
father said the old woman stamped
her foot in impotent rage, and, with II
wild, screaming laugh. cried
"She loves him, and that is worth
all! The foo The imbecile, the in
grate-to think that she should be II
daughter of mine! 1t will make her
40 happy-it will last so long, this
love for which she has cast away all
the love OF Il rdhriea, OF n beggar.
of gambler-yes, a gambler. Oh, |
am almost consulted for the trick she
has played on me when l think that
her future is in Frank Egerton's
hands! The life he will lead her
the way he will break her heart and
humble her proud spirit
There was something inhuman,
continued mother" something dia-
bolical in the way the wicked old
woman gloated over the suffering in
store for her own child. Archibald
turned away and walked into the gar
den. Your father stayed behind for a
wards told me, that he could not go
without speaking his mind.
"'Be silent, for decency's sake, il for
no other reason, he said sternly. If
he can bear in silence his pain and the
cruel wrong that has been done him.
surely shame should set seal upon
your lips"
"She stared at him rs only an in
furiated French woman can stare, with
an insolent defiance as insulting as
blow; then quite suddenly she walked TO
the door, looked out at Archie, stand
ing motionlcss as statue by the
gate, and broke into a harsh scofiing
laugh.
His loss? What is his loss TO
mine? l mock myself of it, she cried,
rapidly dropping more and more in
to her native idiom as her rage in
creased. He is young and rich; am
old and poor. He has lost girl
whom he thinks pretty and adorable.
Bah-he may console himself to-mor-
room-the world is full of pretty and
adorable girls! But for me where is
the fine house | hoped TO live in
where the fine fortune | hoped to
share? Gone-out of the window with
the imbecile who
~ our lather walked out OF the
room, ashamed and afraid to listen
any longer 10 such unnatural words
it was "A relief even to join his brother
though Archie in his agony could
have been no pleasant companion just
then"
Poor uncle Archie" | cried in
dignantly, as mother paused with
sigh; Il wonder the blow did not kill
him!"
Men do not die SO easily as that,
Irene
Then wonder he did not kill Mr..
Frank Egerton, or horsewhip or-or
do anything rather than sit down
quietly under such an intolerable
wrong" | persisted, with an incon-
sequent vehemence that made my
mother smile
''He did nothing, my dear-in the
circumstances the wisest course to per-
sue, though | am afraid we cannot
give poor Archie much credit for Dig
nifed self-restraint. He was very
i'll for some weeks; and then he went
abroad, and even your father did not