The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1902-08-01
a GILDED SIN.
BY CHARLOTTE M. BRBAMB,
CHAPTER *.

CHAPTER X.
Crushing the green leaves and sweet
blossoms under his feet, trampling
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 suddenly
: crumbled to ruins. He muttcrcd Bit
ter, terrible words to himself. If The
stars had fallen from heaven it would
that Veronica had done wrong his
ideal, the one pure, noble, gentle soul
in whom he had placed all his trust.
All that was beautiful, poctical, mai
denly 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 ''neycr So fair, SO beautiful,
sense Of what is right will never
look again at womans facet"
Hc reached the railway station at
HurStwOod and there, half hidden by
! u long black veil, he saw Clara Morton.
She rose as he came up to her.
1t is we'll" he said, "that you arc q
woman; if YOU were a man would
horsewhip you!" There was such
fierce. hot anger in his eyes that she
he added scornfully. "Givc me your
e proofs, name your price, and then
never let your shadow fall across my
Z path again."
Dealing with a man was different
Z from frightening y delicate, refined
girl, CLARA Morton found. She began
u whole. string Of excuses.
"Not one word lie said Simply
repeat the story. Let me hear all thc
details, and then give nc your proofs
and name your price,"
H She told him the story, and then
added:
"My proofs arc cllarred remains OF
the parchment that l took from the
fire, on which you will plainly see these
words, Last will and testament Of Sir
Jasper Brandon"
what doyOu want for it?" he asked
cOntcmptuOusly.
1t is not for myself, Sir Marc il is
not indeed. | want five hundred
pounds" --
"You are modest in your demands,
certainly, and you have rllincd-But
why should l waste words upon such
as you? II | 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 call your
proofs but you must take an oath TO
keep the secret and leave England.
II you return-listcn to my thrcat.-if
tor or by word of mouth that hapless
. lady, | will have you indicted for con-
7 spifacy, and your sentence will prob
ably be hard labor for life. AS to your
conduct, it is SO utterly, horribly base,
have no patience to speak OF it,"
The woman murmurcd some words
lie did not even listen to them.
~ have no wish to hear more" he
said. II will give you Il check for i've
hundred pounds on condition that you
give me your proofs and take the re-
quired oath. Trcmble if you dare to
break trcmblc your false wicked
face is seen here again"
2 Hc took out his chcck-boOk, and 60
ing into one Of the station Offices, made
out check for the sum named On
returning he placed it quietly in her
hands, and she gave him the packet
containing the chafrcd fragments Of
The Will, and took the oath upon which
he had insisted. Silently he pointed
out Of them. They never met again.
AS she passed out of the gates, so she
passed out Of his life Whether the
( punishment of her wickcdncss ever
came In this world he never knew.
F Then Sir Marc went away TO Lon
don. What to do with himself he
could not tell. TIc felt that it was
impossible for him to take up the
& broken thgead OF his life In the first
he had not realized what life without
Veronica would be. Now that it
stretched out before him in all its
chill, terrible reality, he was at q loss
how to endure it. Therc were times
even when he almost wished that he
had forgiven her. Then he rccoilcd
\ from the thought. How could he love
X a woman to whom the word "honor"
z was an empty sound?
Sir Marc was most unhappy. He
read with a stony face all Tic para
graphs which said that there was no
OundatiOn for the rumOr OF the ap-
preaching marriage of Sir Marc Caryll
that he was going abroad. He made
no complaint, no moan but he owned
to himself that his life was ended. He
would close Wervchurst Manor, and
spend the remainder Of his days where
nothing could remind him of the love
she had lost. There was to be no angel
lin the house for him. He knew that
S he must love Veronica until he died
"a that no one else could ever take her
y IN OIIC CISC CfCC DC
\ to him what she had been. Had SHE
died, it seemed TO him that his grief
4 would have been easier to bear. That
he would have retained all his love;
now his love must go, while he was
stranded. Life had lost all its attrac-
tion for him.
He had freed Veronica from her
bondage of that he was pleased to
3 think. No one could frightcn her
now. She was quite safe, and the
terrible secret was dead and buried.
y lie locked away the charrcd fragments;
4 he did not dctroy them lie could never
tell why; and that one simple proceed
ing altered tho whole destiny OF his
life. Had there been fire in his room
when. he reached home, he would have
tossed the little packet into the flames:
as 1t was, the door OF. his iron safe was
open, and he flung the packet into it.
y Then he set about making arrange
ments for going abroad; but he found
that 1t would be impossible that he
could not leave England until after
Christmas without neglccting duties
that his conscience would not allow
him to neglect. He said to himself
that nc must be content There was
no help for 1T. lie must shut himself
up in the old Manor House, where