The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-23
'ttifogger, looked beyond him and spoke

pettifogger, looked beyond him and spoke
to his master
II would have word or two in private
with your. daughter before this matter
ripens further. Mr.. Stair" I said.
My lady dropped the priests arm and
came to stand beside me in the window bay.
| offered her chair, but she refused TO sit.
There was so little time TO spare that I
must needs begin without preliminary.
What has your father told you, Mar
gery?" 1 asked.
HE tells me nothing that 1 care to
know"
but he has told you what you must do?'
Yes" She looked with eyes that saw me
| not.
"And you are here to do it of your own
free .S0 wlllT"
"Yet il must be done"
$50 he says and say you. But I had
| rather die"
Its not pleasing thing. l grant you.
M;argery' notwithstandipg OF our Two evl WIS
| ment: tbs but the saying or rev words
| by the priest and the bearing OF my name
| for some short while till you can change II
| for a better
Her deep-welled eyes met mine. and In
| them was a flash of anger
is that what marriage means TO !ou'
| Captain Ireton?"
mo. truly. But we have choice. IT'S
this or / must leave you in the morning
to worse things than the bearing OF my
| upon us, but could see no other way.
| See what comes of tampering with the
truth. she said. and ! could see her sn1 9,s
and lie again when any one could see that
| it must come to this-or worse?'
| II saw it not 1 said. But had |
| stopped to look beyond the moments need
and seen the end from the beginning fear
| l should have lied yet other times. Your
honor was at stake. dear lady"
| my honor!'-this In bitterest irony.
What is womans honor, sir. when you
| or any man has patched and sewed and
| sought to make 1t whole again? | will not
( say the word you'd have me say!
But you must say Ii. Margery. lis but
the merest form; you forget that you will
be wife only in name. shall not live 10
| make you rue it,
You make me rue 1t now, beforehand.
| Mon Dieu! is a woman but q thing to stand
before the priest and plight her troth for
interest form?' You'll make me hate you
while / live-and after! .
YOU'D hate me worse, Margery dear, III
| should leave you drowning In this ditcn.
And can bear your hatred Tor some rev
| hours knowing that If sinned and robbed
| you did make restitution as could
She heard me through with eyelids down
! and some fierce storm Of passion shaking
| her. And when she answered her voice was
| low and soft. yet it cut me like knife
''You drive me to it-listen, sir, you drive
me to it! And / have said that l shall
hate you for it. Come; It's but mockery'
as you say, and they are waiting.
/ sought to take her hand and lead her
| forth, but this she would not suffer. she
walked beside me, proud and cold and
scornful; stood beside me Whiie l sat anu
rage settlement; Ii was Will drawn out
| in legal form. And in 1t L bequeathed TO
Margery Ireton as her true jointure not
any claim OF mine 10 AppleDy Huhoreo' pu'
| the estate itself.
1 read it through as 1 have said. and
/ looking across to these two plotters, the
| miser-master and his henchman. smiled as
| 1 had never thought to smile again.
So" said l.; 1.-THE truth is out at last
| 1 wondered If the confscation act had ieft
you wholly scatheless. Mr.. star; Wen,
| ing that l have lain guest In my own
house. Give me the pen."
Twas given quickly, and l signed me
will with Tybee and the lawyer Tor the
| witnesses: Margery standing by the while
| and looking on; though not. l made sure,
| with any realizing of the business matter.
book. and we stood before him: the woman
| who had sworn to hate, and the man who,
| loving her to full forgetfulness of death
| itself. must yet be cold and formal. MASK
| ing his love for her dear sake, and for the
| sake of loyalty to his friend. And here
| again twas Tybee and the lawyer VINO
the the h one for wen this tbat
| when the time came for the giving of the
| ring, he drew a gold band from his little
| finger and made me take and use II.
And SO that deed was done in some such
| sorry fashion as the time and place con-
| strained; and had you stood within the four
walls of that upper room you would nave
| thought the chill of death had touched US,
| and that the low-voiced priest was shriv-
| ing us while we knelt to take his benedic-
| ton All through this farce-which was. In
| truth, the grimmest of all tragedies-my
| lady played her part as one who walks In
| sleep; and at the end she let her father
| lead her out with not word or look or
sign to me.
You'd guess that would take 1T hard
| her leaving me thus, as / made sure. for all
| eternity; and did take 1t hard. For. when
| the strain was off. and there was no one by
| to see or hear save my good-hearted DEATH
watch, I must needs go down upon my
knees beside the bed in childish weakness.
| and sob and choke and let the hot tears
| come as / had not since at this same bed
| side 1 had knelt little lad to take my
| mothers dying love.
RIO Be Continued