Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-10-10

rows-his wrctched WIFE"
But you would be revengcd. And
yet you suffered this monstrous fraud"
81 was revenged. Yet why did say
nothing? Did | not say that you
could never forgive me? Well, | have
no excuse only when | said that wom-
en- like me, with nothing to do, some
times go mad after man and for his
sake cast away honor and care nothing
for shame and i'll repute. say, Jack"
she repeated earnestly, that | make
no excuse. l tell you nothing but the
plain truth. oh, how ugly it Isl"
I said nothing, l only stood still,
waiting for more.
"When | took off my domino in the
vcstry, my lord, with the man purdcn,
only being present, he was like mad
man. That | expected. After raging
for awhile and crying out that he was
now ruined indeed and after cursing
Mr.. Purden for not destroying the reg
listers he listened to Mr.. Purdcn's ad-
vice that we should consider a way out
Of It. Accordingly in my lodgings, the
man Purden. who is the greatest invent
or and encouragcr of every evil thing
that lives. set forth the ease with which
this marriage could be claimed unless
there was any obstacle such as sudden
illness which might be proved to have
made Molly's presence impossible In
other words. we were to assure the UNI
fortunate Molly that she was already
married, aud we were TO act as If that
was the fact. We asccrtained without
trouble that she had not left the house
that morning. How? We sent the
musicians TO congratulate the bride.
and the captain sailed forth in his
wrath and drove them off"
And to this you consented out Of
your passion for the man."
Partly. There is always more than
one reason, you know, for 4 womans
acts and words. In this case there
was bride. l confess that l have al
ways ardently desired jewels. | cam
not have too many jewels. He prom
Used. Jack, that should have them all.
Perhaps-I do not know-the promise
of the jewels decided me. Oh, Jack,
they were wonderful. No such bride
was ever offered to woman before"
l gazed upon her with amazement
Truly an explanation complete. Yet
what a confession for proud woman
to make. Love that made her trampe
on honor and truth and virtue and a
bride to quicken her footsteps,
and now" said, you are willing
to make this story public"
II have thought about the business a
good deal. 1t has caused me more an
noyance than you would believe" An
noyance! She spoke Of annoyancel
Besides, have been cruelty abused
l have been the cause Of that poor girl
losing great part, perhaps the whole,
Of her fortune. ! have been robbed of
the jewels. He swore to me dozen
times that he had never had them
may by tardy confession save some
thing from the wreck for that poor girl.
He has wronged me in every way-in
ways that no woman will or can for
give. | revenge my wrongs by making
him beggar a few weeks or months
before he can come to the end of his
money"
SO In this distracted way she talked
till one could not tell whether she was
most noted by the thought Of revenge
or by pity for Molly or by a whole
some repentance of her sin.
Jack" she said. "your honest face
is pulled out as lcag as my arm.
could laugh If were not 80 miserable.
Tell me what | should do next. Mind,
| will do exactly what you bid me do.
have lived so long among kites,
! hawks, crows and birds of prey. with
foul creatures and crawling reptiles.
that merely TO talk to an honest man
softens and subdues me- Take me in
the humor, Jack. Tomorrow or next
day, should the idea of the man pos
soss my soul again, IL he should stand
over me and take my hand, | know not
i know not what would happen. Per
haps even for Molly's sake could not
resist him. am but n poor, weak.
miserable woman And he has led me
hther and sent me thither and made
me his slave So long that he has be-
come part of my life. Quick, then,
Jack-tell me what TO do
Come with me- | said.
SO she wrapped herself in a long
cloak, not of pink silk, and she put on
domino, and | led her TO Mr.. Red
mans office. And here begged her to
let me set down in writing what she
had told me, but in fewer words. while
Mr.. Redman stood over me and read
what wrote and as | wrote it.
1.-THE story, your ladyshp," he said,
sis the most remarkable that l have
ever heard. You will now sign in pres.
ence of witnesses-my clerk and one
whom he will bring from the custom
house will serve"
SO she signed in the same bold, run.
ming hand that we had seen in the reg
listers.
"What nextf" she asked.
"Why, madam, we have to consider
the next step. 1t is obvious that the
confession removes the whole of the
difficulty and explains what has hlth-
erto seemed ineXplicable. How, it was
asked, could the place of the bride be
filed at the last moment and without
previous knowledge that it w.nld have
to be filled? And who was the woman
tl~s duly married and actually, though