The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-06-08
CHAPTER xI.-continued.

lnis 5poor miser father would make it
al q thing Of property and SO provoke
aer 70 resistance. And. n~otwithstand-
ing what he satd-that she would do as
sne was bid thought I knew her tenn
per well enough to prophesy a hitch.
Eor made sure of one thing, that IL
sne put her Will against the world, the
world would neve move her,
Twas past midnight, with Tybee doz-
ing IN his chair, when next I heard
some STRINGS in the corridor. AS be-
Lore. It was he lifting Of the wooden
oar that reused my friendly guard.
n when he went to parley at the
door l stood apart and turned my back.
When I looked again my company
was come. At the table, busted with a
aucal title deed for size, stood Gilbert
STAR and the factor-lawyer, Owen
P~engarvin. A little back of them the
good old Father Matthew had Margery
On his arm. And in the corner Tybee
stood to keep the door.
! grouped them all in one swift eye
sweep, n having listed them, strove
70 read some lessoning Of my part in
my dear lady's face. She gave me
nothing Of encouragement, nor yet q
cue OF In kind to lead to what it was
that she would have me to say or do.
AS I had seen it last, under the light of
cling IOAC1SS Ill Tie room O6lOW,
ner race was cold and still; and she
was standing motionless beside the
priest, looking straight al me, it SEEM
ed, with eyes that saw nothing.
1t was the fa~ctor-Iawyer who broke
the silence, saying, with his predeter-
mined smirk, that the parchment was
ready for my signature. Thinking it
well beneath me to measure words with
this knavish pettifogger, T looked be-
You'd him and spoke to his master.
Il would have a word or two in priv
ate with your daughter before this
matter ripens further, Mr.. STAIR" 1
said.
My lady dropped the priests arm and
came to stand beside me in the win
dow-bay. I offered her a chair but she
refused to sit. There was SO little time
to spare that l must needs begin with
out preliminary.
What has your father told you,
Margery?" I asked.
know"
But he has told you what you must
dor"
Yes" She looked with eyes that
saw me not.
"And you are here to do it of your
own free will?"
mo"
Yet 1t must be DONE @
$50 he says, and so you say. But I
had rather die"
""Tis not a pleasing thing, I grant
you, Margery; Notwithstanding, Of our
two evils it is by far the less. Be
think you a moment; tits but the say
ing Of a few words by the priest, and
the hearing of my name for some short
while till you can change it for a bet
ter"
Her deep-welled eyes met mine, and
in them was a flash of anger.
"Is hat what marriage means to
you, Captain Ireton?"
mo truly. But we have no choice.
TITS this, or I must leave you in the
morning to worse things than the bear
ing of my name. I would 1t had not
thus been thrust upon us, but I could
see no other way"
See what comes Of tampering with
the TRUTH" she said, and I could see
her short lip curl with scorn. why
should you lie and lie again, when any
one could see that it must come to this
or worse?"
at saw it not" I said. But had I
stopped to look beyond the moments
need and seen the end from the begin
ming, I fear I should have lied yet other
times. Your honor was at stake, dear
lady"
my honor!"-this in bitterest irony.
what is q woman's honor, sir, when
you or any man has patched and sewed
and sought to make it whole again? I
will not say the word you'd have me
say!"
"But you must say it, Margery. IT'S
but the merest form; you forget that
you will be a wife only in name. I
shall not live to make you rue it,"
"You make me rue it now, before
hand. Mon Dieu! is a woman but a
thing, to stand before the priest and
plight her troth for interest form?'
You'll make me hate you while I live
and after!"
You'd hate me worse. Margery dear,
II I should leave you drowning In this
ditch. And I can bear your hatred for
some few hours, knowing that If I
sinned and robbed you, / did make
restitution as I could"
She heard me through with eyelfds
down and some fierce storm Of passion
shaking her. And when she answered
her voice was low and soft; yet it cut
me like a knife.
You drive me to 1t-listen, sir, you
drive me to it! And I have said that I
shall hate you for it. Come: tbs but a
mockery, as you say; and they are
waiting"
I sought to take her hand and lead
her forth, but this she would not suf-
fer. She walked beside me, proud and
cold and scornful; stood beside me
while I sat and read the parchment
over It was no marriage settlement;
it was a will. drawn out in legal form.
And in 1t I bequeathed to Margery
Ireton as her true %jointure, not any
claim of mine to Appleby Hundred. but
the estate Itself.
I read 1t through as I have said. and,
looking across to these two plotters.
the miser-master and his henchman,
smiled as Ithad never thought to smile
again.
$50" said I, 9Th truth is out at last.
I wondered If the conflscation act had
left you wholly scatheless, M. Stair.
Well, I am content. I snail die the
easier for knowing that I have lain a
uest in my w house. Give me the
pen."
Twas given quickly, and I signed the
will, with Tybee and the lawyer for
the witnesses; Margery standing by
the while and looking on; though not,
[ made sure, with any realizing Of the
business matter.
When all was done the priest found
his book, and we stood before him;
the woman vino had sworn to hate. and
the man who, loving her to full for
retfulness Of death itself, must yet be
cold and formal, masking his love for
her dear sake, and for the sake OF 10y
slty to his friend. And here again
twas Tybee and the lawyer who were;
the Witnesses; the one well hated. n