Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-10-21
Love $ Conquest
By CHARLES GARVICE

By CHARLES GARVICE


letters from his pocket and struck
them with his shaking hand can
swer him, Marie Tell him that yol
love me, that you'll marry mel"
Marie Werner was no ordinary wo-
man + woman of the usual typ
would have lied, prevaricated, and
most certainly have tainted.
She did none Of these things. Quiet
ly, calmly, she fixed her eyes on
the wretched man, and smiled--a
smile full of contempt and lOathing.
Marry you" she said; 4 would
sooner die! This"-and she touched
Harrys arm-'is my husband"
At these words there arose a sob,
and Lucille staggered out into the
hall.
Marie Werner started and drew
back, and Harry darted forward; but
Lucille, with a gesture, swept past
him, and with lowered head passed
up the stairs"
The group Stood amazed, thunder
struck at this fresh complication.
Marie was the first to recover her
seIf-DOssession.
'eYes," she said, looking around
calmly; this gentleman, Mr.. Herne,
is my future husband. Our marriage
is fixed for tomorrow; that, gentle
neutrality-suspicious. be my excuse
for following him here"
Mr.. Sinclair scarcely waited until
she had finished.
With something between a moan
and shrek, he threw himself at
her feet.
Marie!-Marie! Have mercy on
me! Don't drive me mad! I did it
all for you! I'm rich man now!
twenty-five thousand pounds! DO you
hear?-five and twenty thousand
pounds.-alI yours! They can't keep
me out of it! See, Marie, here is
the check-where is it?-show it to
her! Don't desert me; don't disOwn
me, Marie! All these years I've
waited and loved you"
Marie Werner turned from him,
with a beautiful expression of pain
and establishment.
This is extraordinary" she said.
81 know this person. have known
him for some time; but there is no
thing in our acquain ance to warrant
He broke in with wild laugh.
"YOu hear her! Listen to her! No
thing in our acquaintance Marquis,
gentlemen, if she has promised to be
my wife once she has promised, swore
it, a thousand times! I've lived Tor
nothing but that! Nothing! Worked
and waited And now I'm rich-dO
you bear, Marie, rich!"
She turned to Harry and whis-
pered:
Take me aWay!"
Mr.. Sinclair sprang to his feet.
Take her away!' he shrieked. "Oh
l understand it all now! Take her
away and marry her! Go on! You'll
find she'll fool you as she fooled me!
Do you think she cares for you? No,
it's me she loves, but she'll marry
you because you are the real mar
Quis!" and he laughed wildly.
The marquis started forward.
Get away from here" he said,
hoarsely. The man is mad! Take
him away-stay, he is an old friend,
leave him with me; but go, gentle
men, pray go"
Mad, am I?' yelled Mr.. Sinclair.
Mad I'm not so mad but I can baulk
you, marquis, and you too, my lady"
and lie shook his fist in Marie's face.
You've got the secret, have you;
and you meant to make a fine haul
with it! You threw me over to be
the Marchioness of Merle, did you?
And you thought I'd stand by and
see it and say nothing except Thank
you. But you're mis- aiken. Gentle
men all, look at that man there-
and he pointed to the marquis, as
we must still call him. Look at
him! He gave me that check; he
forged it! He must have done It,
for I didn't. Why did he give me
that? Why?
"Silence." cried the marquis, and
he sprang upon the wretched man:
but Harry seized him in his hercu-
lean grasp and held him off.
"Why?" cried Mr., Sinclair. "To
shut my mouth? Oh, you may look
as black as you like; I'm going to
make a cloan breast Of it. Why
shouldn't 7? The money is no use
to me nOw!" and he glared at Marie
Werner. THAT check was a bride
to me to keep my mouth shut, to
keep the secret I got from old Pol
lard. Gentlemen all, that mans not
the rightful marquis! There stands
the real lord-there!" and he point
ed to Harry.
1T is a madman's raving!" sal
the marquis, wetting his parched
lips.
"Raving, is it? It's the truth! His
mother was married at st. Angelo,
Paris! There is the copy of the GER
tifcate; there in Paris is the entry.
The real marquis is Harry Herne.
and, gasping. he sank into a chair,
glazing at Marie Werner.
Mr.. Head took the certificate
from his nerveless fingers and read
it swiftly.
is this true?" he said IN grave
voice to the marquis. 4 have long
suspected some mystery"