Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-09-22
CHAPTER XIV.

Go on, monsieur" he says in a low
voice, trembling with passion.
Your father held a respectable posi-
ton in Glasgow as clerk in one of the
hrgest mercantile houses there, when he
met your mother. She was an actress at
some small theater in Scotland"
My mother an actress! Never! You
are altogether mistaken! This affair is
becoming a farce
Il hope you may find it farce, young
man. Your mother, I repeat, was an
actress, known by the name of Della
Morton
And her name is Delia"' murmurs
poor Angus.
And a very low hactress, too!' chimes
in Mrs. Moray; who hacted hin the most
hindecent dresses, hand"
MY DEAR" interposes her husband
twill you permit me TO tell his story TO
she young man myself!
"Have it your hown way, Willyum. l
honly hinterfered for hail your good,' she
returns with offended dignity.
MY poor brother James met her. and
as | thought married her; at all events
he managed to deceive me on the subject;
he quarreled with his Glasgow employers,
however, and brought you and your moth
er to London, where [ met him again;
James was then in a very bad state OF
,health--fast dying, in fact-and l, having
u large fortune and no family to which to
leave it, proposed rather rashly to make
you my heir, and adopt you Oh your
fathers death as such"
'I-your herr stammers Angus Moray
IN incredulous amazement.
"Certainly-and you would have been
one of the richest men in London. How
ever your mother chose to interfere and
prevent it,
"a mercifu interference murmurs
his wife.
How could size do so?'
by asserting her sole claim to You,
OH the score of your ilegitimacy."
20! monsieur! it is impossible! 1t can
never have bcen"' cries the young man,
distressed beyond measure, as he hides
his face in his clasped hands.
1T is true as l stand here! Your faith
er died and produced the will he had left
IN my possession. appointing me your sole
guardian. | was about to put it into
force, when your mother declared before
witnesses she was not married woman,
and therefore had the sole claim to you"
Il cannot believe it," says Angus de-
spairingly.
ASK your mother, then. She had no
hesitation in confessng it at the time,
and her friend Mrs. Horton, and So
HECTOR of the name, / believe, of Bond,
heard her make the declaration"
Mrs. Horton. Why, she is in Bruges
at the present moment, staying with my
mother-my mother, who is so loved and
respected throughout the town-of whom
] have been so proud. ., monsieur, l
would rather have heard any news than
this. You have given me my death blow!'
If Mrs. Horton is here you can satisfy
your curiosity upon the subject at once.
Your mother is more likely to deny the
truth now that it will initiate against her
feigned responsibility! l trust you will
mot usurp my family name any longer, or
you will place me under the unpleasant
necessity of publicly proclaiming that you
have no right to it. Your name is Mer-
ton Be good enough to remember that
for the future.
, This last sting is the worst of all.
Your friend the doctor could hardly
trust his own ears when / told him the
story" continues Mr.. Moray, malciously.
He was quite taken aback by your au
dacity!'
Angus stops short, wheels round, and
retraces his steps to the center of the
room.
so it is you that have poisoned the
mind of my best friend against me-that
have made him forget the affection and
the trust of years-that have helped to
mar the brightest hopes that ever man
held. | see it all now. 1t is your cursed
malice that has lost me Gabrielle-and l
will be revenged upon you for it; as there
is a judgment seat in store for both of us,
will be revenged.'
He rushes from their presence as he
speaks. but he cannot rush from the desc
lation they have created for him. He
tears through the vestibule into the open
street where the sunshine blinds him and
the ordinary traffic sounds like the roar
of thunder in his ears-without being
able to stitie those three awful words that
ring in his heart like knell of death:
ASK your mother.'