The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-12-05
CHAPTER XIII.

think for once in his life Mr. Maurice
Raymond was nonplused. However,
he speedily recovered.
''Ahr' he cried, you sly little Puri-
tan, eavesdropping were your Do you
think that is nice trick for good little
girls?"
Sir" said stiffly, 81 am neither a
Puritan nor good little girl"-
"NoE he asked good humoredly, "are
you then pagan and bad little girlf'
"Please remember | am not on tho
witness stand" retorted, land do not
try to muddle me with vain questions. {"
At this he shouted with laughter.
81 am glad you find me amusing,n
said, with considerable severity.
81 do, he cried "You are delicious
with your prim little ways, and your
stiff little speeches, and your dear little
face"-
"Sirw l exploded.
"Pardon me, my child. l have no
right to speak of you in that way. But
come catching my hands in his and
drawing me away from the window,
"tell me, how came you to be spying
and eavesdroppingf"
II was not spying" sputtered indig-
nantly. II was reading there when you
came in. wish now | had made my
presence known, and that had not been
witness of your objectionable severity
to that poor, wretched, half mad wo-
man."
"OhI She is half mad, is shes" he
asked, assuming his puzzled and ques-
tioning air.
"Why, cannot you see her condition
for YOURSELF" l asked. "And 1 must say
that while it is just as well she should
know that you have remarked her cruel
ty toward Daphne l think you might
havo been less harsh with her. Poor Por-
tia is not to blame. She is the victim Of
some dreadful spell cast over her by those
vile creatures, those voodoos in Dead
Mans swamp"
Mr.. Raymond caught me by the shoul.
ders and bent his head to scrutlnize my
face.
"What do you know, child" he NUT
tered, "of Dead Mans swamp and the
people there? You couldn't have been in
that ghastly place"
mo" replied, II have not been there,
but know enough about it and the bale
full influence it has exerted on my poor
friends life. My desire is to save Por-
tia, to sec her restored to her right mind
and bring her once more to her husband
and child"
"Why, SO is mine," he answered, with
q curious expression.
well, this is no way to go about it."
1said, ''to fly at crazy woman, call her
a vampire, taunt her, alarm her, talk
about chaining her In cell and all that.
To be sure, it's just like man. You are
not to blame, suppose, for your
brusquerie, which amounts almost to-
to- Ihesitated
"Well, we'll, ont with Ill Let's hear
the dreadful word" no cried.
'Brutality!" said.
$50 was brutal, was II" he asked.
"Indeed you We're. Ihad no idea that
a courteous gentleman could behave SO
villainously to suffering woman"
well, now, tell me-" said Mr.. Ray
mond quite solicitously fancied, chow
should have approached Portiaf"
''It is quite right to be firm and de-
cided with her," answered. II think
myself she needs strong hand. You
can see for yourself how little attention
her husband pays to her, and | blame
Colonel Marchmont greatly for this de-
plorable state of affairs. He neglects
his wife, treats her with contempt and
GOODNESS. What can man expect?
Why, ! heard him say dreadful thing
to her one evening. She was dancing in
the hall-somewhat boisterously, to be
sure"-the blood rsshed to my face as I
recalled that abandoned dance land he