The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-10-09
A Mad MARRIAGE;
The Heiress of Law.
renee Park.
A STORY OF ABSORBING INTEREST.
BY MRS. e. b. COLLINS.
CHAPTER XIII.
MAGGIE'S OATH.

hatred. She laced him IN eXultant ue-
light, pale and trembling with triumph,
while over all the room an awful
silence settled down like pail, broken
by stihed groan from Marks lips.
He fell back, painting brokenly, his
eyes wild and Mortified, one hand
clutching at his throat as though he
were sufocsting. At last, shaking like
leaf, and with dev.lish look upon
his face, he stepped forward and laid
his hand upon her shoulder with mad
aWhat does this mean?" he de-
manded, hoarsely. "Answer me! What
is the meaning Of all this mummery?
How dare you come here in the place
of Adele? Where is my wife?"
She threw back her head, and laugh
ed scornfully; laugh that made his
blood run cold.
"Ha! hal" she cried, sneeringly; lit
is you who are fooled, duped, deceived,
made mock Of! Where is your wife,
you ask, Mark Alleyne? Look at me !!
+ am your wife, your lawful, welded
wife!"
LII Is ldlSS!
The words broke from his lips in
gasp of despair; his eyes burned like
Goals of fire; his voice was hoarse and
choked.
"It is false!" he repeated, bleakly,
glaring into her face with wild, horror
filed eyes. False as you are! You
shall suffer for those words. Where
is my wife, I say? Answer me, you
Jezebel!"
She moved away with mocking
gesture, and with sneering look upon
her face threw open the door of the
sleeping room. There, npon the bed,
pale and apparently lifeless, lay Adele
st. Cyr. He long golden hair fell
over the snowy pillow; the dark eyes
were closed; the small, white hands
folded.
He uttered a maddened cry and
turned fercely upon the woman at his
side.
"She is dead, and you have killed
her!" he painted. "You murderess! AS
Heaven hears me, you shall swing for
this!'
But she stood there like rock, that
sneering smile still touching her face,
like an evil shadow.
"You forget" she said, slowly, her
lip curling scornfully, "a husband can
not bear witness against his wife! If
Adele St. Cyr is dead, you cannot
dare not-accuse me of the crime, and
attempt to have me punished for it.
You are my husband, Mark Alleyne!"
ut is false" he reiterated. II mar
ried her, Adele st. Cyr Lawrence, and
after the ceremony you killed her! She
is dead-dead-dead; my own, my
beautiful wife"
He fell upon his knees beside the
bed, and wept and moaned in bitter
grief.
The woman who had betrayed him
80 cruelty crept to his side and laid
her hand upon his shoulder.
He struck it down with q swift.
fierce, cruel blow.
She uttered no cry, no word passed
her lips; she only lifted the hand that
he had struck and held it up to the
light for moment, and as she gazed
upon the cruel bruise which his hand
had inflicted her lips moved slowly,
softly, as though she was calling down
silent curse upon this man. Heaven
only knew.
She crept to his side once more, but
this time she did not touch him.
Mark Alleyne!"
The low. tense voice sounded un-
natural and far away-ike voice from
the tomb.
Listen to me. I loved you oncen
He turned away with an impatient
gesture.
:. "For months was your slave-your
servant-your tool. You made me
what I am. If perish upon the gal
lows, remember that it was you who
brought me there. loved you-curse
you!-and you made me believe that
you loved me. For your sake I have
toiled, sinned, and suffered, relying
upon your oft-broken promise to make
me your wife.
Ton made me what 1 AM, Mark AL
leyne, and now, when I have risked the
gallows for your sake, to gain the pro-
lection Of your name-for love of you
you turn from me, curse me, strike me
an unmanly blow!
"If had felt tinge of pity for you
in my heart; if the love, now dead,
but which once lived and reigned
there, did sometimes steal back to me
for moment, all that is past now,
wiped away forever, by that cruel,
brutal blow.
II hate you now, Mark Alleyne, even
as I loved you once. And yet I am your
lawful wifel You need cry and whine
no longer. Adele st. Cyr is not dead
All! Iknow all her past history he1
bad. black. hidden past, as know her
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Look up,
Mark Alleyne; listen to me. I have
something to say to you"
She bent her head and whispered q
few words in his ear.
He started, as though he had been
shot, and an awful look crept over his
dusky face. He arose slowly to his feet,
trembling in every limb.
~how-where-d1d you learn that?"
he painted.
She shook her head, an evil smile
touching her lip.
II will never tell you." she said. "But