The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-04-03


into Moreau's keeping. And l have
him. I've got him here" He made a
gesture with his thumb as though
pressing the ball of it down on some
thing Then he looked at Mariposa
with eyes full of an eager cupidity.
She did not respond with the show of
interest he had expected, but stood
looking down, pale and motionless.
Her brain was in an appalled, chaos
from which stood out only a. few facts.
This terrible man knew her secret-the
secret of her mothers life and honor
that she would have died TO hide in the
sacredness of her love for the dead man
and woman who could no longer de-
fend themselves.
1T seems as if fate had sent me to
help you" he went on; you couldn' t
do it alone"
DO what?" she asked without NOV
ing.
Establish your claim as the real
heir. OF course you're the chief heir.
I've been looking it up. The others will
get share as acknowledged children.
But you ought to get, the bulk of the
fortune IS the only legitimate child"
Establish my claim?" she repeated.
do you mean, prove that I'm Jake
Shackleton's daughter"
Yes. And there's tremendously
important point Did your mother have
papers or letters showing that she had
been Shackleton's wife?"
She left her marriage certificate, .
she said DULY, hardly conscious of her
words. IT have it."
Hereby you?" with quick curl
osity.
Yes; upstairs-in my little desk
All" he said, with almost a laugh of
relief. That settles it. You with the
certificate and I with Harvey! Why,
we've got them"
WEEP she said. locking up as
though waking. ''We?"
Yes; we,' he answered.
He had come close to her and, stand
ing al her side. bent his head in order TO
look more directly into her face.
This ought to put,an end, dear. to
your objections he said gently; you
can't do it alone. No woman could,
much less one bike you-young, mex
perienced, ignorant of the world.
You've got no idea what a big con-
test like this means. There must be a
man TO help you. and / must be that
man. Mariposa. We can marry quietly
as soon as you are ready. 1t would be
better not to make any move until after
that, as il would be much easier for me
to conduct the campaign as your hus-
band than as your fiance. I'd take the
whole thing off your shoulders. You'd
have almost nothing to do, except be
fof of 10 cc
and I'd see TO it that you were letter
perfect in that when the time came.
I'd stand between you and everything
that was disegreeable."
He took her hand, which for the Tlo-
ment was passive in his.
When will it be?' he said, giving it
a gentle squeeze; when. sweetheart? %
She tore her hand away.
why, you're crazy" she cried.
'sThere'n never be any OF it. Never be
any claim made or contest, or anything
that you talk of. You want me to
make money out Of my mothers story
that was a tragedy-that I can hardly
think of myself Obi" She turned
around. speeches., and put her hand
to her mouth.
She thought of her dying mother. and
grief for that smitten soul, so deeply
loved, so tenderly loving, rent her with
a throe of pity, poignant as bodily
pain.
Your mother is dead he said, IN
Outstanding her and feeling some real
sympathy for her. 1T can't hurt her
now"
Drag it all out into the light" she
went on. Fight in a court with those
horrible Shackletons, Have it in the
papers and all the mean low people in
California, who couldn't for one mo-
ment understand anything that was
pure and noble, jeering and talking
over my father and motherl That's
what you call establishing my claim.
isn't it?''
That's not all of it, he stamnered,
taken aback by her violence. And,
anyway, it's all true"
We'll. then, I'll lie and say il was
false. If it came to fighting I'd say it
was false That 1 was not Jake Shack
leton's daughter. and that my mother
never knew him, or saw him, or heard
of him. I'd burn that certificate and
say that there was never such thing
and that anybody who suggested it was
a liar CT a mailman. And when it
comes tosyou, there's just one thing TO
say: l wouldn't marry you if forty
fortunes hung on it. I'd rather beg or
steal than be your wife if you owned
all the Comstock mines. That's the
future you think is going to tempt me
you for husband and fortune for
us both. made by proving that my
mother was never really married to the
man 1 called my fatberi"
'But-but," he said. not needing her
anger in his bewildered amazement,
you intended it sooner or later your
self"
"I?-I?-Betray my parents for
money? do that?"
She stared at him with eyes of wild
indignation. He began to have a cold
comprehension Of what she felt, and 1t
shook him as violently as his passion
for her had ever done.
But you don't understand" he cried.
YES, 1 understand you now" she
said in a low voice; you've made me
understand YOU"
Il only want to make you under
stand one thing-how much love you. -
She drew back with a movement of
uso ronr,onan1a erIddonlu