Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-02-20

~Come; your motives for taking up nv
scheme while knowing my charactsr?@
Mr.. Boncourt veht on, pleasantly. I
viii tell you. You merely thought Of the
twenty thousand pounds / promised as my
sisters dowry. It was Q mercenary un-
derstNDding between us; nothing more
nor less.
Red in the face, Mr.. Marlowe was about
to interrupt when he was motionsd 70
silence.
A moment more, continued Mr.. Ben
court. You have alluded TO my sisters
name in manner approximating inTidi-
BUSINESS. You placed yourself in personal
peril when you did so.
Sir, sirl"
BE quiet. OF all the world, Mr.. Mar
lowe, my sister is the sole creature value
so much as q heartbeat. The slightest
slur upon her womanly name would at
once challenge my resentment. Your son
must marry Adele, not merely because he
has successfully wooed her, but chiefly
because she has come to love him. A sew
erance would cause her distress; Adele
must not be distressed.
wait yet moment, he went on, again
hindering an attempted interruption.
@Adele's past has not been sunny, but /
can afford to speak Of it as frankly as of
my own. There's nothing like being sure
Of ones ground beforehand. You have
spoken of her age. That is nothing. She
is perhaps ten years your sons senior,
but she viii pass anywhere for twenty
three, and she is in the flower of her
superb beauty You have mentioned her
widowhood. But she is not q widow. She
is divorced wife. You start-you En-
glishmen have rait-lacedlprejudices on
this score. Where is the difference? In
this instance, at least, it shall availn moth
ing as ar objection. Over seventeen years
ago we were in California. Do you asso-
ciate the date with anything peculiar in
your own family history You gave q
singular start. But no matter. While
there Adele, though mere girl in years,
escaped from my guidance long enough
to get married. Ronceville wasn't the
fellows name, either. He was fellow
countryman of yours, and of good birth.
wouldn't have minded his being gam
bier, though he was cheap, poor one,
by no means ornamental to the profess
sion; but he was also q drunkard and q
brute. In few months I took her away
from him and kicked him into the street.
America is convenient country for get
ting rid of bad husbands and worthless
wives. She obtained divorce, but not
before her child was born. Three years
later, in San Francisco, her little boy was
lost in the streets. He has never since
been found. That is oil of Adele's trou-
bles need touch upon. have told you
this much for purpose. would show
you that when your callow son marries
Adele he does not marry foolish girl,
but woman of the world, who, in spite
of her beauty, her freshness and her ap-
parent youth, has thought, struggled
and suffered profoundly-also a proud,
noble and ambitious woman, who can
and will make man of him. There you
arei"
Mr.. Marlowe drew long breath. Stu
pefaction was his first sensation; to this
had succeeded sort Of wondering ad-
miration for the sublime assurance that
had prompted the remarkable avowals he
had listened to; and after that he grew
sullen and enraged.
@So," he cried; 1and, with this addi-
tional knowledge, you have the uncon-
scionable brass to ask me for an abate-
ment by one-half of what you promised
to settle on your sister2"
@To be sure, Marlowe; bet on the
wrong jockey at yesterdays handicap, to
my sorrow. Ten thousand is all can
go, even on Adele.
Il tell you, sir, by heavenl I will not
listen to it. Indeed, after what you have
said, would not have the match go on
in any event. 1t would stain the Marlowe
namel"
1T is stained already, in your person
stained beyond cleansing, did the world
but know il Come to terms! You are in
my powerl"
The words were still devoid of harsh
ness. but they came out as keen and
steely as rapier gliding from velvet
scabbard.
What do you mean?' exclaimed Mr..
Marlowe.
you had cousin-a certain Jasper
Marlowe?"
"Y-e-s; he is dead"
But think; was he dead, say, seven-
teen years and half ago2"
@N-n-n-o; I hardly suppose that he
was.
Certainly not. At about that time I
made his acquaintance. He was fond Of
horse racing; SO was I; he fell i'll Of a
malignant fever; in fact, imagined his
death approaching. had done him a
signal service; in return, he took me into
his confidence. He mentioned indeed,
exhibited to me-a certain remarkable
paper bearing your signature. How do
You know that it is not now in my pos
session."
Heavens and earth!" gasped the
banker, falling back in his chair, with an
ashen face.
Come, said Mr.. Boncourt, airily ris-
ing, and resuming hrs hat, gloves and
cane. Really, my dear Marlowe, we
should not keep Adele and Noel waiting
in this way"
CHAPTER VI