Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-05-07
WIDOW MARIN
BY the Author Of "Natalie's Ordeal"
"Euphie l.yu," "A Vain Sacri-
flee. Etc.
Continued.


Il want none OF that mawish senti-
ment. sit Thanks 10 Your cowardiCc
and my mothers weakness, | have only
me parent whom can claim"
Mir, Marin smiled into the youths
angry eyes.
quite mistaken. This is all a mis-
take OF yours, a misunderstanding OF
what YOU overheard Your mother and
talking about enc night You are
the son Of my only lawful Wife. born
a year after on secret but perfectly
legal marriage You are my only son
and heir"
Alec KNIT his hrows looked at the
laird With unalloyed suspicion while he
tried to recall particularly what he had
heard that night, Nut, saving for the
one fact which hau seemed TO him 50
solt-eVident, he could recall nothing
else. Then, with sudden WITNESS
came the remembrance of Birka' AMI
it's lady.
You couldn't have two wives" he
said, bluntly, "unl,ss YOU are a biga-
mist or worse
II married my second wife. helicv-
ing that YOUR mother, my first Wife
had been drowned. When your
mother came to know of this second
marriage she preferred to let me be-
lieve she was dead, rather than disturb
the existing relations. ! need not say
that had YOU been born then 1t is not
likely she would have ignored your
claims TO recognition, Into the very
LOCALITY where she had buried her OK
lStence away from me | happened to
'ome-uo YOU understand? Even then
she kept me IN ignorance Of the fact
mat she stlll IlNed; but rs YOU know,
you were not so easily hidden. AS God
hVeS' Alec my boy | ha4 no idea that
she lived or that had a son, until that
DAY Wheh you were nailed up before
me-
Alec who had kept his eyes fixed
hardly on his fathers tace while listen
ing to his explanations now threw his
arm over the back CT the chair ana
turning away his head clutChed his
chin In his hand Mr. Nai.h could
only see rart OF the profile turned
from nm, nut 1t was eloquent OF many
emotions. lhere was long silence,
silence so pro'5und that the ticking OF
the little clock on the shelf sounded
noticCably loud. A sigh escaped the
elder man. Alec turned slowly and
aso drew long breath,
is this really true? he asked, III a
low, suppressed tone,
ut is true said the laird, simply,
"Iou find it easier to believe the worst
| suppose
Alec looked into his eyes and be
licVed them; could not do otherwise
How else could account for for
the way things seemed? Was this
what YOU came here to tell me? |
thought mother must have died when
saw you here" he said, with an at
tempt at justification and aW ~gy,
"lt has all come SO suddenly. ! can
haralE reallZe 'ha' you are ihde'o loN
la'her' ana mat l may really eau you
So
ms 'a'ne' SUM-" anu . le'" OUT ms
manu-, A''' 'o"N y ~ M -, '',e vas" ,
was '''' '',' S''ols' llo' w y ''''N
W To'n' ''''n",Ia ",'', w. y .o.
noe hIoo,. ,o,t ouor,
"\yolI ror,, wnlI II uos sbo uho
ins;stod ON ~, co,nirg ont bcrn ,ftor
Won II soons sbo nod oot = lotion
Cran, 20, Witch aonn I,a, rriord If
,.o,,,,,. ,d,,;,,1 ~, - ,,ri,o e. ,on dia
and Immediately | set out late as it
was, to find You and bring you home
But" cried Alec, withdrawing his
hand from his fathers, as his face
clouded over. II feel as II / were
da2ed Everything seems mixed up in
my mind Where is Mrs. Nairn |
mean the lady at Birka'? How is it
that mother and YOU
Mr.. Nairn held up his hand sol
emily
at is a long and sad story. Alec AS
no doubt YOU know. the cholera has
been in CanticnCwe among other
places"
.orbo otal,r, y, ..riod ,1oc oobos,