The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1901-08-17
cHAprE,, VII.
The widowed Bride.

When Clarice recognized Shirley Aus.
Rim. as she vas leaving the church on
The bridegroom's arm, the cry with
which she greeted him was a cry of JOY
Nfor one happy moment she realized
only that he was alive and before her.
She flung herself into his arms; but
rs they closed around her she caught q
glimpse of her husbands face. Its ex-
preston of jealous rage recalled her
thoughts, and she remembered every
thing. The reaction was more thai
ehe could bear. and she tainted.
4 1t was a long and dreadful swoon,
and the carriage had nearly reached
from 1t.
/, Her first thought. IS her senses re-
burned. was, Of course. for, h lover
she adored, not for the husband she
loathed.
'Oh, Shirley, Shirley!" she moaned.
s'why did you not come sooner? Why
were you silent? Oh, my love-my only
love"
, Then her eyes Enclosed. and she
looked up into her husbands face. His
arms it was that now encircled her.
and they held her in a passionate ON
brace--as passionate and tender as that
kof the lover whose name she a calico
1pon.
But she %shuddered with horror and
eepuision, and tried with all hel
strength t free herself from the UNI
welcome embrace.
At first Philip GraJson resisted her
efforts; but, with a long-drawn sigh.
he suddenly withdrew his arms. and
she shrank from him to tine farthest
corner of the carriage.
"Clarice!" he whispered, in a low
Rome. and the deep misery of his voice
almost touched her l.eart-"Clarice, I
love you! My darling. you are my wife.
Don't repulse me, Clarice; I could not
help it. Oh, my wife-my lovely little
Wife-I don't know in what words to
tell you how much l love you! Try to
like me a little-have pity on me"
"Pity? What pity have you had on
me? Wretches, monsters! You have
I'LL lied to me-tricked, deceived me!
tOh. misery! Even my own father and
smother must have been in the plot to
deceive and sell me for your wretched
money, while they knew that he lived
my own true lOver-my best, my DEAR
pst! Oh, Shirley-Shirley!"
She wrung her hands in despair: she
kore the orange blossoms from her hair
and flung them at his feet.
She would have torn the flowing veil
krom her head Inc the golden circlet
from her finger. to serve them In like
,ulanrer, but Philip Grayson caught her
hands in his and held them, gently, but
ldrmly, while he spoke in a tone of such
grave authority that she found herself
Forced to listen with respect, almost
with calmness.
"Hear me, Clarice-this much. at
least you must do! I did not know that
the man you loved and had been en-
ragged to was still alive. Had I known
It for a positive fact, I can't tell just
what I might have done, but I would
not have lied to you, anyway. I would
II don't deny it-have tried with all
my power to win you for my wife, I'M
der any circumstances, for I love you
madly. I have never loved any woman
but you. I Rave rather laughed at the
subject until I saw you, and now fate
vhas punished me by awakening in my
heart a passion that nothing but death
Cdu uCSIIOys 4Ou 1AAoJ q AAS ~
pose you will-but I shall love you for
ever. And you are my wife now, Clar-
ice; remember that, and understand
the meaning Of it. No living being,
man or woman, shall come between us;
and as to that young lover of yours,
let him look to it! To o Miss Clarice
Mowbray-that was natural to nyone
but to approach Mrs. Philip Grayson-
- - $50. L. IA r ~@@yH Tr ha hint
breathes a word of love or casts upon
you one look to give offense to me, 1
tell you plainly there will be no mis-
take in the next report of his DEATH"
Clarice replied to these words with a
look of concentrated scorn n anger,
and Their wrenched her hands from his
grasp with such force that her we'd
ding ring almost cut her finger, while
the red marks of his powerful clasp
lay on her delicate white skin like welts
raised by q whip.
II hate you'll" she Missed, fiercely. and.
burning from him, gazed steadily out of
the window, the blind Of which she
drew up before he could %interpose to
stop her movement, which was as
swift Is a fash Of light.
The reply that Philip Grayson was
. about to make remained unspoken, for
at that moment the carriage stopped
and the coachman appeared at the
door. y
The new-made husband sprang light
~ from the carriage, with an assump-
tion Of ease and joyousness which he
was very far from feeling, and then
gave his hand to the shrinking bride.
It was in vain that Clarice sought to