Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-03-03
~, tears, advice, anger, all were useless.

X beautiful and admired Lsd adv severn SSesss
was asecret drinker, woman who deliver
ed herself to the bondage OF an evil spirit
to the heavy yoke ofa shameful habit. Sh,
bribed servants; she did things that il
her better days she would h1:e recoilet
from doing; Yet so faithful Is Marth.
husband, that her terrible secret was hard
ly known. When Martha saw that fit wa!
inevitable, she lock ed her in her room, anG
gave oNt to the world that she was i'll. Al
those times Lord Severne went almost mad
with modification and annoyance. There
when Martha had been off her guard, and
Lady Seyerne made her escape.
Lady Yorke, who had suspected in Italy
| what was wrong, now saw it plainly, and
| for the sake OF the household Lord Severne
had been compelled to tell her. She was dis
tressed and grieved, but nothing could be
senses again she could not beremoved. The
| only thing was to maintain the fiction o.
illness. and keep her secluded in her room
1t was now three days since Martha Clyde,
| going one evening to put away her lady's
jewels, found her insensible. and knew what
had happened.
I'VE shall ,, ave ~, week oft" she said to
Surely not, if we keep everything from
herr"
''rhat we cannot do. l have been sharp
and diligent as a detective; so has my
lord. You may battle the cunning of a
rogue or tibet. but never the cunning OF
willing to come here" Martha continued;
'but Lady Severne promised faithfully to
give no trouble in this way. She is fond o
Lady Yorke, and she said it was SO long
since she enjoyed herself: The third day
we were here his lordship said to me,
Martha, had better have died than have
brought her here' He talked to her, oh,
SO kindly! She cried and made all sorts OF
promises, but it was all in vain. Look at
her now
Lady Yorke told me much the same
story, adding that Lord Severne's distress,
when he was compelled to tell her the
truth, was terrible.
II am sorry Tor her said Lady Yorke:
but Tor him my pity knows no bounds.
with him, he lives in constant fear; if he
leaves her at home alone, his fear is greater
still. His whole career is spoiled, his
whole life blighted; he is miserably I'M
happy. and l see no hope or help for him.
1t is milestone tied around hisneck."
The very novel of the discovery made ME
the more miserable. I could not help ask
ingn
did you ask her here?"
Yet the thought came to me that, ifthey
had never come, l should have always be-
lieved Mark to be dead.
II was not quite sure of it in Italy, and
never thought could never have dream
ed-that it had reached this point. Hon
estly, much as l like and pity Lord Sew
erne if had known the whole truth,
should not have invited them, nor would
Lork Yorke have done SO. l cannot tell
of the day am i'll anxious suspense and
misery. What an expose it would be if
any of the guests should get to know it!
And in large household like this it is al
most impossible to keen such secret"
~. 1T is very difficult, replied,
"You will do your best" l know, Miss
Chester" said Lady Yorke to whom anx-
ieties of any kind were quite new Lord
Severne has promised me that he will take
his wife away as soon as she RECEIVERS, and
shall be glad"
"Where will they go?" asked.
She looked just little surprised at the
question, believing them to be strangers to
me.
Somewhere on the continent" she an
swered. He will never be able to live at
that beautiful home of his
why does he not send her away"
II suppose he would if she were always
alike but, you see there are many weeks
together when sheis herself, charming and
beautiful"
"Does he love herr" asked abruptly.
81 think he did love her. My
opinion is that he was carried away
by her beauty, and married her in
sudden tit of impulse. l do not
think she is the woman whom he would
have chosen calmly. l do not think he
loves her now. No man could love wo-
man addicted to that vice. He is very anx-
ious. very unhappy; he smarts under the
disgrace; he is always nervous and appre-
hensive; but do not think he loves her"
Was it SO much the better, or so much
the worse?
Lady Yorke fastened away, and l was
left to my own thoughts. Granted that it
was Nemesis, granted that Mark had done
wrong, it was a terrible punishment. 1t
rendered all the gifts Of fortune useless to
him. l could sympathize with his diff
cultie>. If he tried to put her away from
him. it would only draw public attention
to that which he was most an ious to con-
seal. 1t seemed to me that some noble
motive actuated MIN. He had taken the
hapless woman for better for worse and he
was trying his best. He gave her the
shield, the protection of his name and his
home