The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-29

ahem-your-your rebel neck. Only fof
| the FORMS sake, to be sure. 70 understand
for she'd inherit after you in any case.
I saw his drift at last. and. not caring 70
spare him, sped the shaft Of truth and
let It find the joint in his harness. >.
TITS as you say. Mr.. Stair. Bus as II
chances Mistress Margery Is not my
wife"
II had flung the candle at him where
he stood .fuybling behind him for the door
latch, 'twoGld not have made him shrink
or dodge the more. -
"wha--what's that ye say?' he piped ip
| shrlllest cadence. Not married? Then you
-you-"
| IT 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 maid.
as you could see and hear"
For some brief time 1t smote him speech
less. and in the depth OF his astoundment
he forgot his foolish fear Of me and fell
to pacing up and down, though always with
the table canniy between us. And as he
shufned back and forth the thin lips NUT
tered foolish nothings, with here and there
n tremuious oath. When all was done he
dropped into chair and stared across at
me with Ieaden eyes; and truly he had the
look of one struck with mortal sickness.
Il think-I think you owe me something
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 7.
Words: empty words.'' he fumed. III It
were a thing TO do now -
You need but name the thing. and will
do 1t willingly. -,
Instead Of naming It he shot q question
at me, driving it bome with certain ran
dom furnishings Of the shifty eyes.
who is your next Of kin. Captain Ire
ton?" Yr.-.
"septimus. of the same name. master Of
Iretondene. on the James River, and =
Major In the Virginia line" answered.
wondering how my cousin once removed
should figure in the present coil. But GIL
bert Stairs next question dispelled the mys-
terry.
IF you should die intestate. this Sep
timus would be your -heir?' v.
las next Of kin, I should suppose he
would. Butt have nothing to. devfse."
True; and yet"-he paused again as II
the wording of 1t were not easy.
BE free to speak your mind, MI: Stair. ("
said I.
"'Tis this" he cried. gathering himself
as 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
think you'd best mako that lie OF yours
the truth" y
II one of his thin hands that clutched the
chair arms had pressed q secret spring
and loosed trap to send me gaspinR
down an oubliette. should have been the
less astounded Indeed, for some short space
thought him mad: yet. on second thought.
I saw the method in his madness. Could
Margery be brought to view It calmly, this
was sword to cut the knot Of all en-
tanglements.
AS matters stood. the world would call
her widow at my death: and since q wom-
an is first Of all the keeper Of her Own
good name. she would never dare aver tbs
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
any. Dick would love her none the less
, because a dying man had given her his
name for some few hours. And II. 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 I 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 hinder: and II I died her husband
she would in decency delay awhile.
So summing up in far less time than Il
has cost to write 1t out for you, gave my
host his answer.
81 told you you might name the deed
and I would do 1t. Mr.. Stair. II you can
make your daughter understand"
THE Jade will do as she is bid" he cut
in wrathfully. TT she will drag my good
name in the mire, I'm damned II she
shan't pay the scot. And now about the
settlements, Captain Ireton: you'll be maxi
ing her legatee residuaryT'
At this 1 saw his drift again, most clear
ly; that he would never sickle for his
daughters honor, but for the Queting of
his title to my fathers lands-a title that
my cousin Septimus might dispute. 1t was
enough to set me obstinate against him
but constrained myself to think of Mar
gerry and Richard Jennifer. and not at all
of this poor petty miser.
I'll sign q quitclaim In her favor, II
that Is what you mean" I said. "But 'tis
a mere pen-scratch for the lawyers to hag-
gle over. AS you said awhile ago. the wife
will be the husbands heir-at-iaw. in any
event"
"True: but we'd best be at It In due and
proper form" He rose and hobbled. to the
door and was so set upon haste Shat his
shaking hand played a rafting tattoo on the
latch. It'll go and have the papers
drawn. and you will sign them. Captain
Ireton; l have your passed word that you
will sign them
AYE; they shall be signed"
He went away at that. and Tybee en-
tered. Much to my comfort, che Leuten-
ant asked no questions; SO far from 1t, he
crossed the room without word, flung
himself into the great chair and left me to
my own communings.
These were not altogether Of assurances.
Though had promised readily enough to
make my lie truth, saw that all was
yet contingent upon my lady's viewing Of
the proposal. That could win her over I
had some hope, II only they would leave
the task for me. But there was room to
fear that this poor miser father would make
1t all thing Of property and SO provoke
her to resistance. And. Notwithstanding
what he said-that she would do as she was
bid-I thought I knew her temper we'll
enough to prophesy a hitch. For I made
sure Of one thing. that II 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, It was the
lifting of the wooden bar that reused my
friendly guard, and when he went to parley
at the door 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
factor-lawyer, Owen Pengarvin. A little
back Of them the good old Father Matthieu
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, strove to read
some lessoning Of my part in my dear
lady's face. She gave me nothing Of en-