The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-28

ly It had been settled that they would
 leave Thornfield and make a tour abroad
 after the wedding, which was to take
 place IF the little church near the park
 gates, and was to be private.
 The night before her wedding Jane had
 an experience which, for time. filled her
 with doubt and dread. She awoke in the
 middle of the night to find a woman with
 a candle in her hand standing before her
 dressing table The woman turned. dis
 closing a dark, swollen, hideous counte-
 nance, and taking James bridal veil from
 the chair over which it had been thrown,
 tore 1t in pieces and trampled it under , foot. Then the apparation held the can
 dl5 close to Jane's face, glared at her.
 blew out the light and went out of the
 room, leaving Jane insensible from ter TOT.
 She told the story of her midnight vis-
 itant to Rochester the next morning, but
 he pursuaded her that 1t was only Grace Poole and that, in a half-walking half
 sleeping condition she had imagined the distorted countenance. Why Grace was kept in the house, he said, was a secret
 which he would disclose to her a year
 and day after their marriage-not be-
 fore.
 Though not entirely satisfied Jane, being
 in love, accepted Rochester's explanation
 as the only possible one and smiled con
 
 easily fooled on their wedding morning.
 Hand in hand Jane and Rochester walked down to the little church, where tle curate and the clerk were waiting, an the marriage ceremony was begun. Then two strangers who had been stand ing in dark corner of the church came forward and a voice said "The marriage cannot go on."
 One of the strangers was MT. Mason. the other London lawyer. It was the lawyer who had spoken The clergyman and his clerk looked up at the speaker and stood mute
 Rochester swayed a little and then, taking firmer footing and without turn ing his head, said "Proceedi" "I cannot proceed without investiga- tion," replied the astonlshed curate. , What is the nature of the objection?' ?'' continued he, turning to the lawyer. Tt simply consists in the existence of a previous marriage. Mir Rochester has
 q wife living
 Jane felt a chill strike her heart, but she was collected and in no danger of swooning She looked at Rochester His face was like colorless rock. The lawyer then produced an affidavit signed by Rich | ard Mason. which stated that fifteen years before Rochester had married his sister, Bertha Mason of Spanish Town. 1 Jamaica. and that he had recently seen 1 her alive
 As Mason stepped forward to corrobo- , rate this. Rochester's whole frame shook 1 with convulslve shiver. Where did you see her?" asked the clergyman.
 At Thornfield Hall" answered Mason. Impossible replied the curate. 'I am | an old resident here and never heard of l a ATS. Rochester at Thornfield Hall" NO" cried Rochester. 'I took care | that none should hear of it. The ser wants knew I had crazy woman there l but not who she was Close your book | and take off your surplice. There shall l be no wedding today. Bigamy is an ugly | word. l meant. however, to be a biga- l mist. but fate has outmaneuvred me-or | Providence checked me. Bertha Mason l Is mad; and she comes of mad family | idiots and maniacs through three genera
 tions. Her mother was both mad and a