The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-11-15

Everything was done without her will except one point She insisted on being married from the house in Hillsborough. Coventry tried his best to dissuade her. but failed. He was oppressed by this. for with the prize in his grasp he began to feel superstitious.
 Another thing went wrong on the we'd ding day The Rev. Dr. Fynes, who was to have married them, was attacked by sudden illness and sent his new curate to perform the ceremony. Coventry trem- bled like leaf as the hour for the we'd ding approached. He expected something to happen But nothing did. The two were made man and wife and returned 10 the house.
 Then something happened at once Dr. Amboyne, on his way to the house for the wedding took his mall out of his pockets to read it during the drive. The first let ter that he opened had an American post mark He shouted when he opened 1t It was from Henry Little. Henry announced his success, and told Dr. Amboyne that he had written letter after letter to Grace without receiving a reply. At first he had not been surprised, because he had been travelin' 80 constantly that mail could not we'll reach him. But during the last Ao' AAiOAalAS iie adQ WT1IIe1 10 her DTeSS- .ngiy, and was still without an answer. He said plainly that he suspected Coven- ny or undermining him, and asked the doctor to see Grace himself
 pr. Amboyne did not know what to do. but decision was taken from him, for ] even while he was reading his letter a letter to Grace had been delivered at tho iillsborough house. Coventry's servant mad tried to intercept 1t as usual but Jael Dence had seen 1t and snatched it rom n1ln. When Dr. Amboyne arrived 9race knew that she had been tricked.
 pr. Amboyne entered the house to find her Iier on the verge of losing her reason. when Coventry drew near her she tried to stab him with stiletto that had been lylng on her dressing table as an orna- ment.
 when Henry Little returned his sweet heart was in a convent, hiding from all the world. If he could have found Gov entry he would have murdered him: but that scoundrel had vanished For time iie walked the streets of Hillsborough like madman. He cursed the fortune that he had made and he cursed the world. He prooded over consummate devices by which he might extinguish Coventry in some cruel and hideous way.
 How long Henry's mind could with fEand the long-drawn-out agony of hone iessness and hate that filled it day and
 
 minds of his relatives and of Dr. Am ooyne. But when all their efforts to re- store nm to calmness seemed futile A great catastrophe awoke him to his bet ter self.
 Hilisborough obtained It's water supply rem vast reservoir 15 miles away in the hills. There came a period of great rains, such as men had never seen in mat generation. The water in the mighty basin rose to an appalling height. and oelore the engineers realized the danger u burst the dam and swept down inc Vuuiey, leaving one fearful gorge of death 7 to mark its path.
 The great disaster aroueea T,++,., . nature. He risked his life in the flood during it's whole furious reign and .uben u was ended he gave thousand pounds 70 relieve suffering
 when he returned to Hil1sborougb m .he morning after the bursting of the dam ne ne learned that Coventry, who had been living secretly near the town. had been caught in the deluge and had escaned with his life, but at a shocking price. He was paralyzed from the waist down ssTJa niay live Tor years" said Dr. Ambovne
 an inert mass below and a sick heart and a tortured brain above" Ills condition only served to increase ads mangnancy. He swore that if he could not force Grace to be with him. at least he would never free her. His rival should suffer as he did
 henry was in despair when the time Tor the Assfzes came on and changed af- ialrs unexpectedly. Among the criminals rIoushe pefore the visiting judges was a 0otorious London rogue known as Sbif+y Dick. He had been arrested in Iil1sho, "ough. When he was placed on trial be was recognized as being the same man "ho mad acted as c1rate for Dr. Fynes TOT snort time, and then disappeared nysteriously. He admitted his identity ana confessed that he had performed the ceremony between Coventry and Grace Garden without the shadow of right.
 MT Raby, who was sheriff Of the ooun ty immediately asked the chief justice Tor a private interview, and told him the whole story. 'Humph" said the great< lawyer. "In such cases Parliament never 1aiis to pass special act legalizlng the marriage If Coventry petitions at once. and his lawyers will advise this without hesitation, you will not be able to stop 1t by trying to prove the treachery of tbe fellow There is only one thing to do The marriage is Illegal now. and Miss Garden is free in the eyes of the law as well as in the eyes of man. Get A sneoial loense marry Grace Garden to Henry Little, and let him take her away imme diately as his wife. Don't lose an hour,
 MT. Raby told Henry, who at once set the necessary machinery in motion The squire hurried to get Grace and brought Ter to Raby Hall on the following day. Before evening they were married in the old church that Henry had once pro- famed with his forge.
 They were not the only couple to be married that afternoon. Mir Raby, the proudest aristocrat in the county who had sworn by blood and birth all his life, had found something that changed his inbred convictions in trice He had dis covered that Jael Dence was the finest woman in the world besides, in search ing old records he had found that many uges before Sir Richard Raby had once married Dence. So he repeated the ex- pertinent of his ancestor and was proud and delighted man as he walked home with his radiant bride.
 And one day not long afterward Edith Little married pr. Amboyne in the same old church that had played so strange a part in the history of her son.
 Next Sundays one-page classic will be "Cliver Twist" by Charles Dickens.
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