The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-12-15
\ 8 Bound by a Spell sri

beloved wlfe's death. He has brought
her home to fill the position of house
keeper, and in a short time she reigns
absolute and undisputed mistress over
him and the household.
From the moment she is first introduc-
ed, to Edward Morant, she conceives
hatred for him. The gay. light, mischiev-
Gus bearing, even subdued as it is now
by the sorrow of his mothers death, is
repulsive to her gloomy soul. There is
soon open war between them But Ed
ward is no match for his powerful adj
versary. His father, under the prose
iytism of Madame Berne has becon
as gloomy a fanatic as herself; all gaiet,
of heart all amusements, are sins in his
belief The Willows soon become an
uncomfortable home for the young man,
and were it not for one all-powerful at
traction, he would have Quilted it long
ago.
That attraction is Frances, Madame
Berne's daughter, beautiful. melan-
choly girl of sixteen. He loves her pas
sionately, possibly because she is so en-
tirely opposite to himself; and she loves
him, possibly for the same reason. In
the course of time Edward prevails on
riage. They are quietly married at "a
suburban church, and return to The VIII
lows the same night.
A fortnight afterwards, yielding to the
prayers of his young wife, Edward de-
clares his marriage to his father. The
old man is willing to forgive the act, but
Madame Berne is furious. Her daugh-
ter shall not be delivered over to the
satanic influences of this vicious man.
A terrible scene ensues. Edwards
fiery temper is thoroughly aroused. and
all the bitterness and hatred that have
been seething in his heart burst forth.
There is not an insult, an epithet Of
oathing. that he spares his enemy. The
end of all is a fathers curse, and his
expulsion from the home. the doors of
which he will never darken again. He
would claim his wife by force of law. but
he has no home to take her to-he is
penniless and an outcast She is kent
close prisoner-he will never SEQ her
face again.
Very soon he falls into vaget5ndage.
and. gnawed by the burning sense of the
wrong that has been done him-savage-
ly reckless, from yagabondage he sinks
into crime. becomes implicated. through
his associates. in d robbery, and is con-
demned to three years penal servitude.
In the meantime, child has been
born to him, of whose existence or prob
able existence, he is ignorant. A sad
life is that of the mother Mr.. Morant
would have been kind and good to her.
but Madame Berne cannot pardon her.
In the eyes of that fanatic, she is a
lost soul-she has strayed from the paths
of righteousness, and to show mercy to
her would be to participate in her guilt.
In this daughter she had hoped to Gre
ate second self-a perpetuation of her
own austere bigotry-a mirror in whose
reflection she could worship her own i'm
age.
Frances only consolation was her in
FAINT son; Madame Berne would have de-
prived her even of this had not Mr.. Mo-
rant interfered, and for once carried his
point At the end of three years the
poor girl died of lingering decline.
When, at the end of his term of i'm
prisonment, the unfortunate husband
now thoroughly vicious and hardened,
came back to The Willows to claim his
wife, a funeral procession stopped the
way. An awful scene ensued; not even
the sacred presence of the dead could
check the wild tempest of passion that
burst from the wretched mans lips. He
knelt down and cursed the woman the
cause OF all his sufferings. From that
time he was utterly lost-remorse, con-
science. every better feeling. were crush
ed out of his nature.
After the mothers death, the child
fo1<
ulent hatred, only exceeded by that
which she felt for the father-spite of a
weak opposition the part Of Mr. Mo-
rant was banished to the care OF a
nurse. Two years afterwards the poor
little unfortunate was consigned to the
guardianship Of the Rev. Mr.. Porter.
Madame Berne determined that Ed
ward Morant should never know Of its
existence, neither should the child be
made acquainted with its parentage. Be
fore it left the care of the nurse a friend
of the lovers. and who frequently paid
n secret visit to the child, sewed up in
its frock locket containing its mothers
portrait and a lock of her hair. adding
thereto the scrap of writing which Mont
gomery had now so strangely discov-
cred. The locket had been given her by
poor Frances on her deathbed. 1t was
all she could do-dared do. Slight as
was the link, it might one day prove USE
full to the boy in establishing his iden-
tity.
When, after his death, Mr.. Morant's
will was opened, Madame Berne was dis
covered to have inherited his estate and
fortune; but attached was a codicil Of a
very recent date. making chargeabIe up
on the same an annuity Of $500 a year
to Silas Morant, known as Silas Cars
ton.
The unlocking and opening of the door
aroused the dreamer, calling him back
from ghosts of the past to the horrors
of the future, in the person of Mr.. John
Rodwell, who at that moment re-entered
the room.
Well" was Rodwelrs first word; do
you consent?"
Needs must answered Montgomery
sulIenly; he feared to change his tone
too suddenly. by the bye" he added,
Il am forgetting all about the CORN
THAN. l am due there at seven, and is
is now fve.'
THE public viii certainly be deprived
Of your brilliant talents this evening"
sneered Rodwell I'VE shall start about
ten. You do not suppose that l would
trust you to go alone after what has
passed? The night air might affect your
delicate conscience il you had not a
friend by your side"
But who will carry out the second
part of your scheme? Who win be your
messenger to your uncley
would not a telegram serve the pur-