Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-02-23


ling down the smiling flowers, beating
aside the trailing sprays, his 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, 1t
would have surprised him less than the
fact that Veronica had done wrong
his ideal, the one pure, noble, gontle
soul in whom he had placed III his
| trust. All that was beautiful, poetical,
maidenly, and charming seemed to be
vested in her; and now his ideal had
been rudely destroyed.
II will never believe in any human
| being again while | live" he said to
! himself; never So fair, so beautiful,
! SO loving, so tender, yet so lost TO all
| sense of what is right! | will never
/ look again at woman's facet"
He reached the railway station at
! Hurstwood, and there, half hidden by
a long black veil he saw Clara Nor
/ ton. She rose as he came up to her.
1T is WELL he said, that you are
| 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 a man was different
| from frightened a delicate, refined
girl, Clara Morton found She began
a whole string of excuses.
Not 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
ut is not for myself, Sir Marc; il
is not indeed. l want five hundred
pounds"
you are modest in your demands.
certainly, and you have ruined But
why should | waste words upon such
as you? If ! 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. II
you return-listen to my threat-if
You dare to return or address by let
ter that hapless lady, | viii 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, / 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 II will give you a check for five
hundred pounds on condition that you
give me your proofs and take the re-
CURED 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 go
ing into one of the station-ofIices, made
out a 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
ont 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
0nica 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 rccoiled from the thought
How could he love a woman to whom
the word honor" was an empty
sound?
Sir Marc was most unhappy. He
read with stony face all the para
graphs which said that there was no
foundation for the runor of the APP
preaching marriage of Sir Marc Caryll,
that he was going abroad. lie 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
I'll 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 brighten her
now. She was quite safe, and the ter
rible secret was dead and buried. He
locked away the charred fragments. he