Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1905-06-16

DuL lne only one. But WOulO ttO0Weu
implicitly trust to so sudden a CONVEX
sion?
All this time he held the portrait Of
his wife In his hand, never taking his
gaze from off it. And amidst all these
racking doubts and fears OF the present
there rose up images Of the past-brlght,
beautiful, gloomy, and sad. Let us pho
tograph some Of these pictures, connect
ing them by links that have dropped
out Of his memory, and adding many de-
tails Of which he is ignorant.
He Is one-and-twenty, wild, and some
what dissipated. but not vicious, just
returned from college to his stately
home. But great change has come over
that home since he saw 1t last. His
noble, loving mother is dead. His father
has returned to The Willows; but not
alone. Two strangers-ladies- ac-
companied him from Swltzerland-Mad
anne Berne and her daughter. 1t was
at the house of the former that his
mother resided during her last illness.
She Is a rigid, austere fanatic, acting
up In all things to the letter Of her pro-
fessions, but denying the existence of
any good beyond them; all virtue and
all holiness are confined within the limits
Of her creed-beyond 1t, all Is sin and
death. She has acquired a powerful
ascendancy over Mr.. Morant's mind,
weakened as 1t is by the affection of his
beloved wife's death. He has brought
her home to fill the position Of house
keeper, and in short time she reigns
absolute and undisputed mistress over
him and the household.
ErOpn tho rnornanf oh a te 6rot introduce
ed to Edward Morant, she conceives a
hatred for him. The gay, light, mischiev-
Gus bearing, even subdued as 1t 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-
lytlsm Of Madame Berne has become
as gloomy fanatic as herself; all gaiety
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, a 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
Frances to consent TO a clandestine mar
rage. 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
loathing, 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
I a close prisoner-he will never SEQ kei
face again.
Very soon he falls into vagebondage
and, gnawed by the burning sense of the
wroag that has been done him-savage
ly reckless, from vagabondage he sirks
into crime, becomes implicated, through
his associates. in a robbery, and is con
demned to three years penal servitlde
In the meantime, a child has beer
born to him. of whose existence, or prob
able existence. he Is ignorant. A sac
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
lost soul-she has strayed from the path
of righteousness, and to show mercy I,
her would be to participate In her guilt
In this daughter she had hoped to ere
ate second self-a perpetuation of he
own austere bigotry-a mirror in whos'
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 hi
point. At the end of three years tn
poor girl died of a 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 hi
wife. a funeral procession stopped tn
way. An awful scene ensued; not eve
the sacred presence Of the dead coul,
check the wild tempest of passion tina
burst from the wretched mans lips. II
knelt down and cursed the woman tn
cause of all his sufferings. From tina
time he was utterly lost-remorse, cor
science, every better feeling. were crush
ed out of his nature.
After the mothers death, the child
against whom Madame Berne felt vii
ulent hatred, only exceeded by tina
which she felt for the father--spite Of
weak opposition on the part OF Mr.. Nc
rant. was banished to the care OF
nurse. Two years afterwards tina noo