, 1899-05-12
df think She could Be so cruel!"

William Moray whistles suggestively.
Listen to me, Jem," he then says; 81
var to speak seriously to you. Tell me
the truth. Is that woman your wife or
not?"
"Of course she's my wife!
Il see no of course in the matter.
After that terrible scrape you got into at
Glasgow you disappeared altogether from
society, and never communicated with
you family for four or five years. Then
you suddenly turn up In London, and l
find you living with Il lady who you say
is married to you, but who is not in the
position from which men of our standing
usually choose their wives"
well! how could l help. itY" grumbles
James. II couldn't get any employment
after that cursed business in Glasgow,
and Della can make money, and how are
we to live else? You wouldn't have me
starve, would you? or break stones? If
the governor hadn't been so beastly I'M
forgiving, and cut me out of his will, l
suppose we should have been living like
other people. But anyway we were mar
ried fast enough at Chiffon, in Berwick
shire, and we've got the certificate of it
at least, Della has, for l suppose the jade
has taken it with her."
do you think that she can have got an
imkling of where we took the boy last
night, and carried him off in conse-
quenceY'
"How can l tell? These women have
ears all round, in my experience"
Because that is rather an important
matter to decide. You see, the case is,
James, o can't afford to part with this
just yet"
"How do you mean?"
swell, to speak p~lainly-you won't sup
port yourself, and l can't support you.
Therefore you must use every possible
means to make her come back to you"
But suppose she won't come backY'
whines James. "How can / make her1
She earns enough money to support her
self, and she knows how i'll l am, that |
am unable to do any work or to stand
any fatigue; and if she stays away and
you won't make me an allowance, / shall
starve or go to the workhouse, for there's
nothing else left for mel"
Flush! don't talk such nonsense" In
terrupts his brother, aut%horitatively. 1--WE
must force Mrs. Moray to return to you
and we must do it by means of the child
but she's got the child"
"She has no claim to him. l think you
told me he was seven years old on his
last birthday. You can legally take him
from her again."
But then l shall have to support him
and how am to support myself?"
II do wish you would hear me to the
end, and not keep on ~interrupting so. The
first thing we must do is to find out your
wife's present address. That is easily ac-
complished by having her followed home
from the theater. Then you must claim
n take away the child. The mother is
certain to follow it."
but suppose she doesn't follow itT'
"Then / am prepared to carry out what
] proposed to you last night, though l
cannot say that my wife fell in very read
ay with my views. She considers the boy
so plain. And l am sure she would never
consent to receive him if she knew his
mother was an actress, or even alive. /
have represented him to her, therefore, as
a motherless child Of yours by an early
and imprudent marriage, whom l am de-
sirous, in the event of your death, of
adopting as my son; and If she allows me
to carry out my own views concerning
him, it is as much as she will do. She's
a good woman, but her opinions are de-
clded; and as she has no children of her
ewns she is apt TO be a little jealous Of my