The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-23

YET ConIueO IN nlIps tnat ne was sui en-
tangled in my lie. So I thought it well to
probe him deeper while might.
What would you call the best if may
ask ask, said l. growing the cooler with some
The marriage settlements. he cried
shrilly. coming to the point at once. as the
f m,ser would; lis the merest ,,i matter OF
pleby Hundred is well burnt out. l promise
you But for the decent look of it you
might make over your quit claim to your
WIFE"
AYE. truly; so might"
And so you should, str; that you should.
We miserable, spying runag'-he choked
and coughed behind his hand and then be-
gan again without the epithets: IT'S the
very least We can do for her now, when you
have the rope fair around your curs-ahem
--your-your rebel neck. Only for the
forms sake. to be sure, We understand, for
shed inherit after you in any case"
l saw his drift at last. and not caring to
spare him sped the shaft of truth and let
1T find the joint in his harness.
lis as you say. Mr.. Stair. But as 1t
If had flung the candle at him where he
stood fumbling behind him for the door
latch 'twould not have made him shrink or
.Wha-whats that We say?" he piped in
shrillest cadence. mot married? Then
you-you-"
II lied to save her honor-that was all.
A wife might do the thing she did and go
scot free of any scandal, but not a maid,
as you could see and hear"
For some brief time ii smote him speech
less, and in the depth of his establishment
he forgot his foolish fear of me and fell to
pacing up and down, though always with
the table cannily between U.s. And as he
shuffied back and forth the thin lips NUT
tered foolish nothiIgs, with here and there
tremulous oath. When all was done he
dropped into chair and stared across at
me with leaden eyes; and truly he had the
look of one struck with a mortal sickness.
q
now beyond your keeping, Captain Ireton,"
he quavered at length, mumbling the words
as do the palSied.
Since you are Margery's father, I owe
you anything dying man can pay,"'said I.
Words. empty words he fumed. IF 1t
were thing to do, now"
You need but name the thing and I will
do it willingly"
Instead of naming 1t he shot question
at me, driving it home with certain random
thrustings of the shifty eyes.
ton?'
'Septimus. of the same name, master of
Iretondene, on the James river, and major
in the Virginia line" l answered, wonder
ing how my cousin once removed should
Stairs next question dispelled the mystery.
IF you should die intestate this Septimus
would be your heir?
LAS next of kin 1 should suppose he
would. But l have nothing to devise
True, and yet"-he paused again as IL
the wording of 1t were not easy.
BE free to speak your mind, Mr.. STAIR"
"'Tis this" he cried. gathering himself
az with an effort. you've claimed my
daughter as your wife before them all, and
when you die tomorrow morning you'll
leave her neither wife nor maid. think-I
think you'd better make that lie of yours
the truth"
If one of his thin hands that clutched the
chair arms had pressed secret spring and
loosed trap to send me gasping down an
oubliette / should have been the less
astounded Indeed, for some short space 1
thought him mad; yet on second thought /
saw the method in his madness. Could
Margery be brought to view it calmly, this
was sword to cut the knot of all entangle-
mentS.
AS matters stood, the world would call
her widow at my death: and since wom-
an is first of all the keeper of her own
good name she would never dare aver the
truth. So in common justice she should
own the name the world would call her by.
Again, as matters stood no wrong could
come of it to her or Richard Jennifer or
because a dying man had given her his
name for some few hours. And IL at any
future time the Ireton title should revive
and this poor double dealing miser should
be forced to quit his hold on Appleby Hun
dred my fathers acres would be hers in
her own right. One breach in all this sud-
den-builded wall / saw, but could not mend
it. With the Ireton acres hers by double
right the baronet would press his suit with
greater vigor than before. But as to this,
no further act of mine could help or him
der; and if 1 died her husband she would
in decency delay while.
So summing up in far less time than K
has cost to write 1t out for you. 1 gave my
host his answer.
'T told you you might name the deed and
would do it. Mr.. Stair. If you can make
your daughter understand
THE jade will do as she is bid" he cut
name in the mire I'm damned if she sha'n't
pay the scot And now about the settle
ments. Captain Ireton; you'll be making
At this | saw his drift again most clearly;
that he would never sickle for his daugh-
ters honor, but for the quoting of his title
to my fathers lands-a title that my cousin
set me obstinate against him. but 1 con-
strained myself to think of Margery and
Richard Jennifer and not at all of this poor.
petty miser.
.Ill sign a quit claim i'm her favor If that
is what you mean," 1 said. But It's a
mere pen scratch for the lawyers to haggle
over AS you said a while ago, the wife
will be the husbands heir-at-law in any
event"
"True. but we'd best be at it in due and
anS WAS so set upon hase that t hs
shaking hand played a rafting tattoo on
the latch. "I-Il go and have the papers
drawn and you will sign them, Captain Ire
ton: have your passed word that you will
sign Them?
AYE they shall be signed"
He went away at that and Tybee entered
Much to my comfort, the lieutenant asked
no questions; SO far from IL. he crossed the
room without word. flung himself into
the great chair and left me to my own
cOmmuningS.
These were NOT altogether of assurance.
Though 1 had promised readily enough to
make my lie a truth, l saw that ali was
yet contingent upon my ladys viewing of
the proposal. That / could win her over I
had some hope If only they would leave
fear that this poor miser father would
make il all thing of property and so pro-
woke her to resistance. And notwithstand-
ing what he said-that she would do as she
was bid thought l knew her temper well
enough to prophesy hitch For 1 made
sure of one thing: that If she put her will
against the world the world would never
move her.
Twas past midnight. with Tybee doing
in his chair, when next / heard some stir
rings in the corridor. AS before, IL was the
lifting of the wooden bar that reused my
friendly guard. and when he went TO parley
at the door 1 stood apart and turned my
back.
When I looked again my company was
come. At the table. busted with a parch-
ment that might have been a ducal title
deed for size, stood Gilbert Stair and the
Owen Pengarvin. A little
back OF them the good old Father Matthew
had Margery on his arm. And in the cor
ner Tybee stood to keep the door.
/ grouped them all in one swift eye sweep
and having listed them stroye to read some
lessoning of my part in my dear lady's
face She gave me nothing of encourage
ment nor yet cue of any kind to lead to
what IL was that she would have me say or
do. AS / had seen IL last under the light
Of he daring torches the room helou