Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-04-06
for The Term of His Natural Life
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CHAPTER l.
BY MARCUS CLARKE

OF domestic tragedy. Three persons
were the actors in it. One was an old
man, whose white hair and wrlnkled face
gave token that he was at least sixty
years Of age. He stood erect, in the
attitude of one surprised into sudden
passion, and held uplifted the heavy
Cbon cane upon which he was ordinarily
accustomed to lean. He was confronted
by man Of two-and-twenty, unusually
tall and athletic of figure, dressed in
rough seafaring clothes, and who held in
his arms, protecting her. a lady of
middle age. The face Of the young man
wore an expression of establishment,
and the slight frame of the gray-haired
woman was cOnvulsed with sobs.
These three people were Sir Richard
Devine, his wife, and his only son Rich
ard, who had returned from abroad that
morning.
$50. madam" said Sir Richard, IN the
high-strung accent which In crises of
great mental agony are common to the
most self-restrained Of us, you have
been for twenty years a living lie! For
twenty years you have cheated and
Knocked me. For twenty years you have
laughed at me for a credulous fool; and
now. because l dared to raise my hand
to that reckless boy, you admit it, and
glory in the confession"
Mother, dear mOtherw cried the
young man, in a paroxysm of grief, "say
that Won did not mean those words; you
said them but in anger! See, l am calm
now, and he may strike me if he will. "
Lady Devine shuddered, creeping
close, as though to hide herself in the
broad bosom of her son.
The old man continued: 81 married
you, Elllnor Wade, for your beauty; you
married me for my fortune. was
plebeian, a ships carpenter! you were
well born, your father was a man of
fashion. the friend Of prodigals. l was
rich, | had been knighted. / was in
favor at court. He wanted money and
he sold you. / paid the price he asked,
but there was nothing Of your cousin.
my lord Bellasis in the bond"
Spare me, sir, spare metz said Lady
Ellinor, family.
'spare you! Ay, you have spared
me, have You not? LOOkye," he cried
in sudden fury Il am not to be fooled
80 easily Your family are proud. Col
Wade has other daughters. My lord
Bellasis even now thinks to retrieve
his broken fortunes by marriage. To-
morrow your father, your sisters. all the
world, shall know the story you have
told me-"
''You will not do this!' burst out the
young man.
"Sllence!' cried Sir Richard.
Lady Devlne slipped through her sons
arms. and fell on her knees at her hus-
bands feet
do not do this, Richard. / have been
faithful to you for two and twenty
years. l have borne all the sights and
insults you have heaped upon me- The
secret of my early love, the confession
that never loved you, broke from me
when, in your rage, you threatened him"
Sir Richard, who had turned to walk
away, stopped suddenly, and his great
white eyebrows came together in mis-
red face with a savage scOwl. He
laughed, and in that laugh his fury
seemed to CONCEAL into a cold and cruel
hate.
"You shall have your wish-upon one
condition"
"What is 1t, sir?" she asked, rising.
but trembling with terror, as she stood
with dropping arms and widely opened
eyes,
/
slant, and then said, slowly:
'That this disOhedient son, who has
wrOngfully sQuandered my money and
eaten my bread shall pack! That he
keep himself from my sight, and never
set foot again In house of mine"
Richard Deylne gently loosed the
arms that again chung around his neck,
kissed the pale face, and turned his
IL .ta
81 owe you no duty" he said. "You
have always hated and reviled me.
When by your violence you drove me
from your house, you set spies to watch
me in the life / had chosen. I have
nothing In common with you. l have
long felt It. accept the terms you
offer. viii go"
Sir Richard DeVine laughed again. at
am glad to see you are so we'll disposed.
Listen now. Tonight l send for Quad
to alter my will My sisters son, Maui
rice Frere, shall be my heir in your
stead. l give you nothing, You leave
this house in an hour. You change your
name; you never by word or deed make
claim on me or mine. l return in an
hour, madam; let me find him gone"
He passed them, upright as if up
borne by passion, strobe down the gar
den with the vigOr that anger lends,
and took the road to London.
Richard" cried the poor mother.
"Forgive me, my sOnl have ruined
you"
Richard Devine tossed his black hair
from his brow in sudden passion Of love
and grief.
Mother, dear mother, do not weep,''
be said II am not worthy Of your
tears. Forgivel 1t Is I-impetuous and
ungrateful during all your years Of sor-
row-who most need forgiveness. Let
me share your burden that may light