Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-02-23

aside the trailing sprays, hisiN heart
beating, his brain on fire, Sir$ Marc
fastened across the park. 1t seemed
to him that the whole world had sud-
denly crumbled to ruins. He NUT
tered, bitter, terrible words to himself.
If the stars had fallen from heaven. it
WORLD have surprised him less than the
fact that Veronica had done wrong
ms ideal, the one pure, noble, gentle
soul in whom he had placed all his
trust All that was beautiful, poetical.
maidenly, and charming seemed to be
vested in her; and now his ideal had
been rudely destroyed.
/ Il will never believe in any human
being again while l live" he said to
himself; never! Sc fair, so beautiful,
so loving, so tender, yet so lost to all
sense of what is right! l will never
look again at woman's facet"
He reached the railway station at
Hurstwood, and there, half hidden by
long black veil, he saw Clara Nor
ton. She rose as he came up to her.
1T is well, he said, that you are a
woman; if you were man, would
horsewhip you!" There was such
| fierce, hot anger in his eyes that she
shrank back. you need not fear" he
added, scornfully. GIVE me your
proofs, name your price, and then
never let your shadow fall across my
path again"
Dealing with man was different
from frightened delicate, refined
girl, Clara Morton found. She began
whole string of excuses.
mot one word,' he said. Simply
repeat the story. Let me hear all the
details, and then give me your proofs
and name your price
She told him the story, and then
added:
my proofs are the charred remains
of the parchment that took from the
fire, on which you will see plainly
these words: Last will and testament
of Sir Jasper Brandon
What do you want for it?" he
asked, contemptuously.
at is not for myself, Sir Marc; it
is not indeed. l want five hundred
pounds"
You are modest in your demands,
certainly, and you have ruined Bur
why should l waste words upon such
as you? If l give you the sum you
name, you must not only surrender
what you are pleased to call your
proofs, but you must take an oath to
keep the secret and leave England. IT
you return-listen to my threat-if
you dare to return or address by let.
ter that hapless lady, l will have you
indicted for conspiracy, and your SEN
tence will probably be hard labor for
life. AS to your conduct it is so ut
terly, horrible base, l have not the
patience to speak of it,
The woman murmured some words
He did not even listen to them
Il have no wish to hear more" he
said. Il will give you check for five
hundred pounds on condition that you
give me your proofs and take the re-
quired oath. Tremble if you dare to
break it; tremble if your false, wicked
face is seen here again!"
He took out his check book, and 60
ing into one of the station-offices, made
out check for the sum named. On
returning, he placed it quietly in her
hands, and she gave him the packet
containing the charred fragments of
the will, and took the oath upon which
he had insisted. Silently he pointed
to the great open gates, and she passed
out of them. They never met again.
Then Sir Marc went away to Lon
don. What to do with himself he
could not tell. He felt that it was inn
possible for him to take up the broken
thread of his life. In the first hot,
angry flush of his disappointment he
had not realized what life without Yer
onica would be. Now that it stretched
out before him in all its chill terrible
reality, he was at loss how to endure
it. There were times even when he al
most wished that he had forgiven her.
Then he recoiled from the thought
the word honor" was an empty
sound?
Sir Mare was most unhappy. He
read with a stony face all the para
graphs which said that there was no
foundation for the rumor of the ap-
preaching marriage of Sir Marc Caryll;
that he was going abroad. He made
made no complaint-no moan; but he
owned to himself that his life was
ended. He would close Wervehurst
Manor, and spend the remainder of mis-
days where nothing could remind him
of the love he had lost. There was to
be no angel in the house for him. He
knew that he must love Veronica I'M
til he died; that no one else could ever
take her place; that no one else could
ever be to him what she had been.
He had freed Veronica from her
bondage; of that he was pleased to
think. No one could frighten her
now. She was quite safe, and the ter
rible secret was dead and buried. He
locked away the charred fragments; he
did not destroy them; he could never
tell why; and that one simple pro-
ceeding altered the whole destiny Of
his life. Had there been a fire in his
room when he reached home, he would
have tossed the little packet into the
I 40 .