Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-02-27
THE WIDOW MARIN,
Nv the Author OF "Natalie's Ordeal
"Euphie Lyn," "A Vain Sacri-
fee" Etc.
CHAPTER VI.
A Midnight Visit.


ing it and through the thlh CHIN us
astonished eyes beheld his mother P>'ie
as death, usher in the laird, ou'tohe',
nm to the chin in light oHercoal anu
With a close cap drawn down over his
eyes. 49,, Won have
n,ovad me, Margaret? Where Is the
hove" he demanded, sternl!' aS ue
looked around and unbuttoheo o's
coat. >,,;r,
Plush shy breathed Mrs. NalFh'
softly. He is asleep. -,
1T is Just as we'll" said the ia'ru,
seating himself. Il have much 10 say
SAY no." said Mrs. Marin, stepping
within the screen and sitting down op-
posite him. Only, please speak
softly"
"In the first place, why is it that
only know now and by accident OF ms
existence and yours? What does 1t ali
mean?"
1T simply means, Alexander, that
have preferred lf-effacement rather
than that should stand in the way OF
your advancement
what! Was that letter of yours all
a lie. then? Were You not on BOARD
the Neruda when she was wrecked
coming from Cornwall? What did yon
mean BY
Mrs. Marin held up her hand impior-
ingly, her face was white and strangely
calm.
Listen to ME, Alexander. When
you jestingly wrote to me in Cornwall
stating that but for me you might have
had a splendid chance in life; that your
uncle had decided to leave you all his
money on condition that you married
the daughter OF his friend, the rich
brewer, | laughed, and also in jest re-
piled that you must on no account al
low me to stand in your way. | don
think | at all regretted being in the
way; for, as it was, you were in a
fairly good position, your salary IN
YOUR unce's office was quite sufficient
for a comfortable independence and by
all the arts known to man you had
wooed and won me- Besides, | thought
I knew you so thoroughly, for had
not nursed you back from the very
gates of death? TO me, as you always
said, as the doctors repeatedly told
you, you owed your life. The rumors
| heard then did not affect me at all,
for were you not mine? One day, how
ever. | was at last startled by para
graph in the newspaper stating that
al tn he lrr3nppu be-
tween YOU and your uncle's ward, a
rich heiress.'
THAT was a lalsehood,' interposcd
the laird, hotly There wasn't the
slightest foundation for such state
ment at that time"
Perhaps, but | did not know that
| tried to laugh at the idea OF you pc
ing false to me, but your last two le'-
ters had seemed SO cold
Not cold, Margaret. | was worried
to death by my uncle at the time;
was also deliberating whether to tell
him the truth or continue waiting as
we had agreed to- | suppose it had
shown in my letters"
1T did That and the paragraph de-
cided me. | wrote to you at once, stat
ing that was coming over in the Ne
ruda and asking you to meet me at the
hotel on the evening OF her arrival
The Neruda, as you know, was
wrecked, but | was not drowned, as
Won naturally supposed. Where ana
how [ was picked up know not. /
only know that a man thrust a lie
ureseryer over my shoulders and the
next moment | was swept into the
roaring surge. When | became cor
scious was told, chiefly by signs, thal
7 bad been picked up by French YES
sci and had for days lain unconscious
from a blow | had received on lhe
head, | was in q fisherman cottage
on the Breton coast and my recovery
was slow and tedious. do not thillh
7 should ever have recovered haQ II
not been for my overpowerlng desire
TO get back to you. AS soon as was
able to write ! wrote to you
You wrote! | got no letter.
Then it must somehow have been
lost. Getting no answer, worried ana
GREW i'll aGain--tco i'll TO traNel, out d.
last | recovered sufficiently TO set out
for Tendon. l had sufficient means
nv purse was found in my pocket and
they were kind and honest people. l
arrived in London to find that II was
YOUR welding day! You had just been
married and were off to the continent
There was a long pause here both
looked into the fre-he with troubled
ewes and knit brows; she with hara'
sharp expression, pressing her lips To-
gether tightly.
How was | 10 know, Margaret
Your name was among the list Of the
drowned"
1T was not that l thought OF, she
broke olt, passionately 1t was your
haste-your haste-in ten short weeks
you had forgotten ME and married
your uncle's ward. | hope you were
happy she added, with curt, de-
risiye laugh. Il suppose you said TO
her what you said to me-that you
y ba the only