The record-union., 1899-06-05

Thornton was Gregg's bitterest enemy
and more vindictive and unrelenting
enemy no man ever had. For years he
had worked against Gregg and had
| been quick to embrace every oppor-
tunity to injure him and thwart him in
! his undertakings. Why he was SO Bit
| ter against Gregg doesn't matter. 1t is
| sufficient to say that it was not Gregg 8
| fault.
When Thornton learned from the con-
'Versation which has just passed that
Gregg was, going to marry his first
thought was how to prevent it; and he
was not long in hitting on a plan.
Now, it so happened that Thornton
was widower and, consequently, in a
shape to do a little something in the
matrimonial way himself He thought
of this and the plan ON which he hit was
| just to go to the Widow Brown ahead
| of Gregg and try to induce her to
change her mind and marry him.
! Il know the Wilder Brown he
unused, land if 1 amt nightly mis-
taken she'll be willin' enough to have
me. She's shown a disposition to be
sweet on me for some time, but 1 never
| encouraged her, because she wasn't just
to my fancy. But I'll take her now in
order to knock Gregg out, even if she is
old and toothless, and a vixen to boot.
Then that $1O,O00-it won't come in
so bad, neither. By grab, I guess I'd
have married her long ago if I'd known
she was going to have all that money
coming her way"
| He chuckled with satisfied air and
was immensely pleased with himself
He thanked his stars that he happened
| to be at work that morning in a part of
! the field so near where Gregg and Bar
ton met and it was lucky, he told him
| SELF that he recognized the two men's
voices and sneaked up to the fence to
hear what they were saying.
| He had thwarted Gregg more than
once already but to beat him out of
| $1O,O0O-that would be the cap sheaf of
! the stack
| Thornton went home, put on his best
| clothes and saddled his horse and rode
| away. Having decided on a plan he
| proposed to act on it Immediately He
| rode direct to the domicile of the Widow
| Brown and there he stopped,
! The widow was standing in the front
! door when he came up. He looked at
| her closely for moment and involun-
tarily shuddered. He knew before she
was distressingly homely, but that was
the first time it had occurred to him
| that she was really hideous
| 1t would be a bitter pill, he ac-
| knowledged, to tie himself to such a.
creature as that for life, and for an in
slant he wavered. But he remembered
| Gregg and that $4,000 and he recov-
cred his fortitude at once.
| He dismounted and went in, and the
widow received him graciously. He
talked awhile on other subjects, then ne
shut his eyes and asked her to marry
him. A little to his surprise she con-
sented readily. He had expected her
| to show a disposition to hold to Gregg,
| and he had calculated to have to use
persuasion with her in order to win her
over. However, he was very glad that
she was so easily won, and straightway
he proposed that they marry the next
day. To this proposition she agreed
without demur or hesitation.
/ He refrained from mentioning Gregg's
name, and he was particularly careful
not to let, her know that he had any
| intimation of her rich inheritance He
wanted her to rest under the impress
sion that he was marrying her solely
| for herself.
He went home in high spirits and
when he met Gregg on the road he felt
SO strongly inclined to crow over him
that it was with difficulty he restrained
himself. AS it was he tossed his head