The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-19

"a AZ
blazed up hot and furious. He trod step
farther forward, after his fashion adj
vancing close to that which threatened
him. s.@-.... ., ...s IL.
"This lady, your Grace" said he. 'has
been known to me for years. Mary, Con-
nynge, what do you masquerading here?"
A sudden silence fell, silence broken at
length by the voice Of the regent himself.
Surely, Monsieur Las" said Philippe,
"surely we must accept your statements.
But monsieur must remember that this
is the table Of the regent, that these are
| the friends Of the regent. We bring no
recollections here which shall cut short
the Joy of any person Sir, I would not
reprimand you, but must beg that you be
seated and be calm!'
Yet the imperious nature Of the other
brooked not even so pointed rebuke. AS
though he had not heard, Law stepped yet
pace nearer to the woman; upon whom
he now. bent the blaze of his. angered
eyes He looked neither to right nor left
but usually commanded the woman until
in turn her eyes sought his own.
"TEis woman. your grace said Law, at
| length, was for some time in effect my
| wife. his do not offer as matter of in
| terest What would say to your grace
| is this-she was also by slave!'
"Sirrah" cried the regent.
"Ah, Camel" exclaimed the Due de
Richelieu. And ever- from the women
about there came little murmurs Of ex-
rostulation. Indeed there might haye
| been pity. ever In this assemblage, for the
agony now visible upon the brow of Mary
! Connynge. 7t~~.
| ''Mcnsleur the wine has turned your
head" said the: regent .scornfully. ':You
| bcast.'' 49,
~ boast Of nothing" cried Law, saw
asely, his voice now ringing with tone
/
snmc. l say to you again, this woman
was my slave, and that she will again ID
az shall choose. Your grace, she would
come and wipe the dust from my shoes if
should command it.! Shall prove this,
your grace?"
"Oa, assuredly!" replied the recent, with
a sarcasm which now seemed his only ~
| lief "Assuredly, if Monsieur Las should
please. We here in Paris are quite his
h ,mble servants
| Law said nothing. He stood with his
biting blue eyes still fixed upon Mary
Connynge, whose own eyes faltered, try
ing their utmost to escape from his;
whose fingers, resting just lightly on the
snowy Hollands of the table cloth, moved
TREMENDOUSLY; whose limbs appeared ready
to sink beneath her.
Come, then, Mary Connynge!" cried
Law at last, his teeth setting savagely
together. Come, then, traitress and
| save, ana kneel pelore me, as YOU dld
once before!''
Then there ensued strange and hor-
ible spectacle. A hush as of death fell
upon the group. Mary Connynge, trem-
bling, hating, yetaalways advancing, did
indeed as her master had bidden She
passed from the head of the table, back Of
/ the chair, of the regent, who stood gazing
with horror In his eyes; she passed the
chair of Aisse, near which Law now
stood she paused in front of him, and
stood as though In a dream. Her knees
would have indeed sunk beneath her. She
drew from her bosom a silken handker-
Ichief, as though she. would indeed; have
performed: the ignoble service which had
been threatened for her. There came nei-
Their voice nor motion to those who saw
this thing. The sheer force Of one strong
nature, terrible in the intensity of one
supreme moment-this might have. been
the spell which commanded at the table
Of the regent. Yet this did occur.
There came sound which broke the
silence, which caused all to start, as with
swift relief. A sob, short, dry, hard,
as from one whose heart is broken, came
from beyond the place where Law, stood
facing the trembling woman. The eyes
of all turned upon Will Law, from whom
had burst this irrepressible exclamation
Of agony. Will Law, as one grown swift
ly old, haggard, broken-down, stood gaZ-
ing in wild-eyed horror at this woman,
50 Inundated in the presence Of all in
this brilliantly lighted hall; beforeA the
blazing mirrors which should have: re-
| hected back naught but beauty and joy;
under the twining roses, which should
) have been the signs manual Of undylng
! love; under the smiling cherubs which
should have typihed- the deities of happy
love. Will Law, too, had loved. Per-
haps still he loved. ~..
/ This sharp sound served to break also
the spell under which Law himself seemed
, held. He cast aloft his arms, as In re-
morse or in despair. Then he extended a
hand to the woman who would have sunk
| before him.
God forgive me! Madam he cried.
, Il had forgot. Savage indeed you are
, and have been, but It's not for me to
, treat you brutality -
, Your grace" said he, turning toward
the regent. II crave your pardon. Our
y explanations shall reach you on the NOR
row."
He turned and taking his brother by the
. arm, advanced toward the door at which
he had recently entered, pausing not to
look behind him. Had his eye been more
, curious as he and :, his half-fainting
brother bowed before passing through the
door, it might have seen that which he
must long have borne in memory.
Mary Connlnge, trembling pallid, ut
> terly broken, never found her way back
, to the right hand of the regent. She
half stumbled into chair near the foot
T Of the table. Her bosom duttered at the
base Of the throat. Half blindly she
| reached out her hand toward a glass Of
wine which stood near by, foaming and
, sparkling, it's gem-like drops of keen
pungency swimming continuously up to
] the surface. Her hand caught at the slen-
J der stem of the glass. Leaning upon her
, left ARM she half rose as though to put
it to her lips. Her head moved, as
though she would follow the retreatng
, figure of the man who had thus scorn-
fully used her. All at once, slowly, and
, then with a sudden crash, she sank down
upon her seat and fell forward across
the table. The fragile glass snapped in
| her fingers The amber wine rushed in