Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-10-13

but that on the morrow | would take
her away. / swear to you that | had
not the faintest thought of harming
her. But she flung herself on me sud.
denly and violently, determined 20
wrest the paper from me. and scream
ing out such horrible things about you
and Gladys / would not let her have
the paper; pushed away her hands.
| and she fell-fell backward with a
loud cry into the pool / had no
thought of pushing her in l did not
even know we were so near the brink;
but did not save her.
''As she fell she seized hold OF my
coat and then of my cuff. and tore it
from the wrist; and. as you saw they
found it in her poor hand. Why she
sunk like stone and never rose again
l cannot tell | stood there some
minutes. II she had come to the sur
ia again ] would have saved her;
but did not plunge in after her and
so slew her. All mother talk of
avenging furies, of evil deeds coming
home | would rather undergo any
torture than suffer as / have suffered
since. / could not rest here so
went away; but the scarlet brand
went with me; l came back haunted.
driven by thousand furies."
He paused and then said sudden
ly-
Mother what induced you to or
der the draining OF the mere while |
was awayP Was it heaven. to punish
mer What strange, weird hand
pointed out such Il way to bring about
my death? She was my wife mother
poor pretty Maggie! All, if she
were but alive now and sitting as she
sat last year in the bonny woods o.
Hatton! You will send for her father
and tell him the truth. Let her be
buried as becomes my WIFE miserable
wretch that | al And mother
He drew her head down to his lips
and whispered something to her. AS
she heard it the pallor OF death
come over her face
'Oh. my son. must it be?' she
cried. lis there no hope of escapo?"
NO. )" he said sadly there is none
for me; everything will be against me-
She was my wife and no one knew it.
My marriage was a private one. If
the Italian servants are summoned to
give evidence they will say that we
quarreled frequently and violently
that was tired and weary of her. that
| left her and returned homo alone.
Then what will people here say
against me? That l became acluaint-
ed with beautiful girl and fell in
love with her. You heard Lady
Gladys his morning say that she loved
me. how will the story run now
mother? That my deserted wife came
after me and was found drowned.
holding the very evidence OF her death
in her hand. Every one will believe
that | pushed her into the mere.
Mother" he whispered again. will
you promise? Your love has always
been TO me like no other love. Oh
mother you bore me. you nursei me-
you have watched and loved and
cared for me- tended me all these
years--can you bear to let me stand
on the scaifold and die "a shameful
death? Oh, save me-saye me.
mother!'
The gray pallor dsepened on her
face. and her white dry lips MUIR
INJURED some inarticulate words.
IF the worst comes-and it will
come, he went on the verdict will
be 'wilful murder. no matter what
counsel get If the worst comes.
promise to do this for me-"
The golden head fell lower until
Al 4,
could no longer weep. speak or pray.
You will promise he implored.
IF you promise | shall bear my fate
so proudly that more than half the
world will believe that | died limo.
cent after all. Promise me- mother"
The white dry lips were closed. the
feeble arms chung more lovingly
around him. His next words pierced
her like a dagger thrust
You have never refused me any
thing in my life. mother!'
Oh. cruel words, in which the very
keynote of his fate lay!
Mother he cried in agonized ap-
peal. save me from the shame OF the
scaffold! Promise me you will do
what | ask"
With a despairing effort she raised
her face and pressed her cold lips to
his. He heard her murmur prayer
and then caught the words
I'll PROMISE
The next moment she lay uncon-
scious in his arms He laid her on
the couch and opened the door,
'.Ring the bell for me, if you
please " he said 10 the officer My
mother has tainted; let me go before
she opens her eyes again"
TO BE CONTINUED.
The laundering Printer.