The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1907-05-10

with 2 taIt4F lENysF 4ti o'"' "N
hour.
4 am sorry Hugh he said kindly.
II it hadn't been yaur fathers dying
request / would have told gon sooner,
or-not al all"
4 was a heliish thing TO do NUT
tered the young man through closed
teeth TO wait until a man is about
TO he married, and then to tell him
M Cod 7 cannot bear to think ofit!'
Il know, know" said the lawyer
soothingiy, and so | reasoned with
your father at the time, But, having
passed through the fiery furnace OF
affection, 1t was his only aim to save
you, his only sen, from a similar fate
If possible"
My poor mother, did-did she know
Of this before she married my father?"
he asked,
The lawyer shook his head with
SLOW dissent.
No, / think not, he answered. Il
have reason to believe she WAS kept
in ignorance until after the birth Of
her first child"
And that was. of course, |. But
why was she told them"
Your mother had two children"
said the lawyer briefly.
Hugh wheeled in his chair and fixed
his penetrating eyes upon the mask
like face of the old man.
My mother had two children he
gasped incredulously.
Your sister-for 1t was a girl, died
many years ago in a private asylum,
where she had been placed by your
parents as soon as they found her
reason was d%ethroned,"
Hugh groaned aloud, and once more
his head fell upon his arms.
And my mother?" he whispered.
Died of grief when you were four
years old"
Poor mother" he murmured pity.
ingly, what a life! Was-was my
father ever y%iolent?"
Only once that | know of. | was
there at the time" explained the law
yer, when your father, in a sudden
frenzy, turned on your mother-who
was then in a delicate condition--with
clenched fist, and would have felled
her to the floor had | not interposed.
He was a big man, while your mother
loked like a mere girl. She made all
kinds of excuses for him, but in the
end 1t broke her heart. And he was
a changed man from that time until
his death, which occurred a few
months afte. that Of your mother,
He, who had once been SO iovial, be.
gan to avoid strangers, and would sit
for hours in his study brooding over
the wrong he had done his young
wife by marrying her and thus per.
petuating the family curse"
but don't see how he kept every
thing so quiet" Hugh said curiously.
Your father was irrational only at
tines replied the lawyer. with the
cunning of insanity he would deny
himself to all callers whenever he felt
the paroxysms coming on. So that
none of his friends or acQuaintances
ever knew the terrible secret which he
SO carefully guarded, Even your sis.
ter was taken to another state and en-.
tered in a private retreat under an
name. Very few were aware
Of her existence
Was it before my sisters birth
that-that-"
II was" replied the lawyer, sur
missing the question the young man
feared to ask. And there was no
doubt but your fathers murderous at.
tack on your mother at that time was
the cause Of your sisters de-
mentia. You can see why he left that
request. In all probability vol will
the family a~fiiction-for you
are the image of your mother, and all
her people were strong-minded and
healthy, But your children, IL you
have any, might inherit your
fathers tendencies. So If you marry
Estelle Carter, and | admire your
and believe she would wed Won
even If she knew of the grim spectre
has haunted your family for gen.
erations, it must be with the full
knowledge of the gruesome story
just related. But as a friend Of
yours, Hugh, and | love you as well
If you were my w son, don't put
sweet girl to the test. Make
some plausible excuse to break the
engagement, and then so abroad for a
lew years. | know she loves you
truly, but she is young, and better a
little unhappiness now than a broken
heart and a wrecked life in the years
10 come"
As the lawyer finished speaking he
carefully placed his legal documents
n a leather bag and left the room.
IVA I
An hour passed, and then another.
lothing broke the stiffness but an oc.
,asional groan. Hugh Conway was
wrestling with his soul.
A timid knock on the door aroused
at last, but the battle was won,
We had conquered himself.
who is it?' he asked In a u,.,nz.
one.
The door slowly opened and his
Iunt entered the room.
Hugh. dear. | have been looking in
place for you" she said. as she
approached him. "Estelle is here: she
over a basket of early straw.
'erries from their garden, and | knew
would want to see her before she
eft. SO r."
AS she caught sight Of his paid