The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1900-02-24
CHAPTER Iv.-CoSTrNuEp.

CHAPTER IV.-CoNTINuED.
"Isn'tit because you don't really want
ewife at all, yourself-a real wife," she
asked.
practically, perhaps"
~And yet you must marry?"
Before midnight, tonight"
"You are lawyer"
81 am"
"You look like an honest man."
81 try to be, so far as it is compatible
with my profession"
"You surely wouldn't Intentionally
wrong a woman?"
"No, madam"
"You are in some legal tangle that
can be settled only by your having a
wife at once?"
Precisely"
"You want her for specific purpose,
and then you have no further use for
her?"
Eyes"
''What do you propose to do with her
then?"
81 supposed that such an advertise
tnent would call out individuals to
whom large sum of money would be
ample compensation for the services re-
quired."
"You propose to pay her TO act as
your legal wife, to meet some law, and
then TO sink into oblivion?"
81 imagine that such an arrange
ment would be pleasanter than the
possession OF husband without
money, to some women"
'Pleasanter than the possession of
some husbands and their weight in
diamonds to any woman"
Ethan myself, for example. Yes,
lnadam."
"But it's not high grade of court
ship, is it?"
"No, madam"
"And you don't expect to secure a
woman worthy to be wife,"
"No, madam"
"You know that you are casting
pearls before swine, yet you seem 10
ignore the possibility that they will
q again and rend you"
Possibly / had not thought far
4nough into the future"
-;Surely you'd not respect the wom-
an who sold her life TO the bondage of
= wife without husband, in exchange
for your gold?"
"a should hardly need to respect her"
"Would you respect yourself, moving
about as n man in the world, with a
woman OF whom you were ashamed liv-
ing somewhere as your legal wife?"
I.,I -
pcrstion. He rose from his chair as he
replied:
"Madam, your line Of argument is
correct. / appreciate IL and agree with
it; but don't carry il on any further for
q moment, or you will shake me from
my position, when, perhaps, had bet
ter not be shaken. Allow me briefly to
lay before you the incidents and argu-
ments which brought Inc TO act as did.
Possibly you may agree with me. AZ
least / am convinced that 1 shall value
your opinion"
The story was told, and came to an
end with sigh and the remark;
II vowed last night that, IL / could
prevent II, Richard Raymond should
rot have the property. The possibility
of reaching some one through such an
advertisement presented itself. l sim
ply realized that, with no desire 10
marry, was sacrificing nothing, and
hoped TO find woman similarly stu
xted. to whom on abundance Of money
wonld be n blessing sufficiently apprc-
ciatcd."
The lady's eyes had lost their sparkle,
but not their fire. Her lips had lost
their color and their smile and curves
of scorn. They were firmly pressed to-
gether, and there were strength and
character in them.
-Sir," she said, hardly above n whis-
per. "you really have no right TO place
such a condition before n woman and
ssk her Judgment. by nature she Is
turned too easily TO sympathy or preju-
dice to be held responsible for her opin-
Ion In su-h n case"
AT least you mean that you appre-
eiate my Positiong"
"Yes."
And you desirc TO accomplish the
end In view?"
"Yes."
Surely you would not advise the risk
- lifelong misery to the woman. re-
gardlcss OF myself, In an attempt to 81