Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-02-23
The MARTLEY SEAL
By JENETTE II. WALWORTH.
Copyright 1892 by ]. b. LippincOtt Co.

thing OF Importance 70 communicate.
received letter this morning which l
think you ought to See"
Prom whom?"
"Miss Fairbanks" He took the let
ter from his pocket, but seemed loath
TO part with ii. 1T is not pleasant
letter, but | felt l could not answer it
before seeing YOU"
A wintry smile passed over Fairbanks
face:
Don't hesitate because of its unpleas-
antness, Lorimer. / am not easily
Aoored nowadays"
Fairbanks, were you ever married?"
The question was asked so suddenly,
and was in itself, seemingly, SO totally
fnconsequential, that for second Fair
banks quailed perceptibly. Then his
blue eyes flashed fire:
What in the devil has that TO do with
our business? | promised to help you
to bring two obstinate old people TO
sense of what they owe others. | felt
sorry Tor Ida. But i did not agree to
turn my own private affairs inside out
for your entertainment, Mr. Lorimer."
Forgive me" said Dennis, as gently
as a woman could have said it, but
there's fresh snarl in affairs, and | am
more bewIldered than ever. My life,
my usefulness, all that make existence
worth having, Fairbanks, is being
Slapped by this suspense. wish i had
+old your sister the whole truth before
I left White Cliffs; for she had been
nursing wrong impression ever since
the day her father found us together in
the summer house and ordered me off
the premises. She thought Twas fright
ened off by him. She refused TO come
TO see me when was up there slIulking
around the place like a whipped cur,
until l sent her word by John that
could give her some information about
you. Then she came, God bless her,
through the darkness, over the rough
wild bayou path, and flooded my life
for one blessed hour with sunshine.
She loves me, Sibley; she tells me she
would marry me and come away with
me, but for leaving her father SO help
less and alone. She thinks you ought
to come home and lift that burden from
her shoulders, Fairbanks; and. by
Heaven, so do I. There is too much at
stake here for her and for me to stand
on a point of etiquette with you. |
have already given up home and mother
for her. She is ready 70 give up home
and father for me. dared not even go
near White Cliffs; for mother, stern,
unbending saint that she is, swore that
she would never see or speak to me un-
til / came to her and told her that had
given up all desire to marry Ida Fair
banks. That never will do-never, by
all that is sacred.
81 can support her myself, Sib-
ley. Thank Heaven I've gained in
brain and muscle since climbing out of
the old rut, and we can be happy before
we grow old and tired, if you will only
do your part and set Ida free. That
Is" he touched the letter with one
fnger-''if this doesn't put a fresh
stumbling-block in our way"
Fairbanks made gesture of impa-
thence.
I'VE have gone over all this ground
before, Lorimer, and, | had hoped, for
the last time. That left Glenburnie in
a fit of temper there is no denying. Fa-
Their simply grew unbearable in his
tyranny. | believed, however, that
after came away he would renounce
that brainless VOW of his, and resume
his proper place as head of his estate.
] heard from you the very first have
ever known of Ida's hardships. | wrote
three letters TO him and one TO her.
When they all came back to me with
unbroken seals, gave it up. / told you
the other night that had something to
do in town that must be settled; after
It was settled / would return TO Glen
burnie and take charge of the place.
Then you and Ida, my boy, may marry,
and laugh the old vendetta into the
grave while you are both still young"
THAT is as had hoped and planned
TOO; but read that, Sibley."
He drew the letter from it's envelope,
and, flinging it across the table, sat
modify toying with the empty en-
yelope. On the flap of it was the broken
impress of martlet.
Sibley Fairbanks read the letter
flung across the table to him once rap
idly, then more slowly, and, as he read,
the bewildered contraction of his
brows grew more and more decided.
Finally he looked confusedly across at
Dennis.
do understand that my child,
Ninette Fairbanks, was taken to Glen
burnie by her aunt, your brother John
Lorimer's wife?"
$50 il seems
"And her mother? The whole thing is
so mixed
"Cursedly So" said Dennis, holly,
"and unless you can unravel il no one
else can, Sibley. 1t is an internal com.
plication. invented to perpetuate an
old WORKOUT feud, and TO keep Ida and
myself apart"
~ don't see 1T that way. Perhaps !
am growing stupid about the whole
business"
Dennis Lorimer leaned towards him
beseechingly:
Fairbanks, for Gods sake tell me
the absolute, the entire truth. Was the
woman who married my brother John
the mother of that child? Don't you
can't you see how black it all loolSs?"
For "a second Siblev Fairbanks looked