Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-07-12
- Il9KEy
CHAPTER Nv

CHAPTER Nv.
The memory of them comes back upo
Angus heart like a serpent sting,
eco on, monsieur" he says In q loy
voice. trembling tn passion.
Your father held respectable posi-
ton in Glasgow as clerk in one Of tn
largest mercantile houses there, when h
met your mother. She was an actress a
some small theater in Scotland"
Ny mother an actress! Never! Yo,
are altogether mistaken! This affair i
becoming a farce"
Il hope you may find 1t a farce, youn,
man. Your mother, l repeat, was Al
actress, known by the name Of Delis
Morton"
And her name is Deliay' murmur
poor Angus.
And a very low hactress, toov' chimes
In Mrs. Moray; who hacted hin the mos
indecent dresses, hand"
My dear" interposes her husband
"will you permit me to tell his story t.
the young man myself!"
Have it your hown way, Willyum
houly hinterfered for hall 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
be 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 1, having
large fortune and no family to which to
leave it, proposed rather rashly to make
You my heir, and adopt you on your
fathers death as SUCH
Your heir" stammers Angus Moray
in iucredulous amaZement.
"Certainly-and you would have beer
one OF the richest men in London. How
ever, your mother chose to interfere and
prevent it,'
"A merciful hinterference!" murmurs
his wife.
How could she do SOP
by asserting her sole claim to you
on the score of your illegitimacyT'
go! monsieur! it is impossible! 1t can
never have been!' cries the young man,
distressed beyond measure, as he hides
ais face in his clasped hands.
1T is true as 1 stand here! Your faith
er died and | produced the will he had left
IN my possession, appointing me your sole
guardian. l was about to put it into
force. when your .mother declared before
witnesses she was not married woman,
md therefore had the sole claim to you."
~ cannot believe it," says Angus de-
spairingly.
ASK your mother, then. She had nc
hesitation in confessing it at the time
and her friend, Mrs. Horton, and a so
licitor of the name, l 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. o, monsieur, I
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
fegned respectability! / trust you will
not 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
Tor the future"
This last sting is the worst Of all.
Your friend the doctor could hardly
trust his own ears when l told him the
story" continues Mr.. Moray, maliciously.
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 a man
held, l see it all now. 1t is your cursed
malice that has lost me Gabrielle-and /
viii be revenged upon you for it; as there
IS judgment seat in store for both of us,
| will be reyengedr'
He rushes from their presence as he
speaks. but he cannot rush from the desc
alton they have created for him. He
hears through the vestibule into the open
Itree-. where the sunshine blinds him and
Tho ordinary traffic sounds like the roar
of thunder in his ears-without being
able t1 stifie those three awful words that
ring n his heart like knell of death:
Ask your mOtherw