The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-09-28
4 BROKEN BONDAGE.

Boston have. Just brought out Mrs
Nancy Keen Browns novel, which IL
a story of the Carolina's, and mos
of which was written by Mrs. Brown
while she was living in Henderson,
vile last.
This is a complicated plot, vel
executed, and proves Mrs. Brown 9
close student of human nature. She
introduces many characters, and hand
les them in clever manner
The opening scene Of this story is
laid in historic Lafayette Hall neal
Camden, S. G. which is Mrs. Browns
home town. Marion Cameron is the
heroine of the story. she resides with
her father at Lafayette. At the open
ing of the story, Herman Fletcher is
her fathers guest, declares his love
for her, and when she refuses to con-
slider his proposal, he threatens to
make public a terrible secret which
will involve her father in ruin and
disgrace, For her fathers sake and
for the honor of the name, she pro-
misses to marry the william o fthe story.
To her, her father avows his inno-
cence, but declares he has no means
of proving his innocence.
The reader is introduced to Null
berry, the Camden home of the Pages,
and to Arnold Page, Marion's afianced
husband. After the painful scene in
which Marion attempts to break her
engagement with Arnold Page, but
fails in trying to deny that she still
loves him, she is stricken with brain
fever, and is taken by her father tc a
Charlotte hospital, to an eminent
physician, who is also an old friend.
Arnold Page follows her there, and
when he arrives, Marion is Thought to
be dying. Because he wished it sc.
earnestly and. because the physician
announced that there was no hope for
Marion a marriage ceremony was
read by the minister who was present
This was not a legal marriage accord
ing to North Carolina laws, but mere
Iy typical of their spiritual union.
Marion recovered. After she had
returned with her father to Camden,
Page, unable to face the situation
went away to New York. Father and
daughter finally decide to go away
secretly and lose their identity in
some large city. They decide upon
Chicago.
Fletcher's legal wife is introduced,
first in Mobile, where Fletcher ap-
pears and takes her away to Saluda,
n. c. He establishes her there with
her child, and her Negro Nanny"
whose dialect, by the way is very
good indeed.) He represents himself
to be her brother and leaves her
there with many promises to return
shortly and take her away with him.
Late one night, he goes to the
church where they were married, and
steals the record, after which he
writes ner that they we're Never le-
gally married, and that he has de-
1ide1 to abandon her.
There is a mysterious character,
j2na Lesport, who has suffered
greatly at Fetcher's hand, and seeks
eyenge. There is also Fletcher's
Mysterious valet, who like an aveng-
Ing spirit, is continuously turning III
Just in time to witness Pitchers
darkest crimes. 1t vas he who wit.
| aecsed Fletcher's attempt to destroy
the marriage record, and secured i
tiinself. He saw Fletcher burn Ma
icn's home, and later, wien h
~ gnt Charles Cameron was burn
ID to death, abduct Marion.
Marion was chloriformed an
taken to a house outside Chicag,
where she was &er clo2r iIs
ed in her room by an old woman
Fletcher was going to force her .Ha
clarifying him. and the day before TIL
ceremony was to take place, the mys
terious va4et appears in her room
through a sliding panel, and pr rise
to rescue her that night. He wa
aided by the old woman, who turne
Dut to be an unfortunate, whom Mari
on's father had b%efriended years be
% q.
Marion succeeded in escaping
having left the impression tral
committed suicide by drowning in
nearby pond.
She is next introduced under an as
sumed name as governess for a yer
avghty woman in Richmond, Va. TIL
son falls in love with Marion, and
'mploring her to marrying him whe
his mother appears, and Marion
ordered from the house.
While wandering hopelessly aboJ
the street sshe comes face to fac
with her father, and while in the frs
joy. of their greeting, Herman Fletcl
er c~onfronts them. He refuses |
trust them further, and threatens I
call a police and have Charles Can
aron arrested, but desists upon the
promise to return at once to LaFa!
cite Hall and prepare for the wet
ding.
They return home. Arnold Pas
has never returned from New Yor
Marion is very bitter towards He
man Fletcher and has become indi
ferent to her fate. -
The day and hour of the ceremor
arrive. Just as the wedding is takir
place, a great commc.5ion arises, q
old grey-haired man rushes in follow
, ed by several other people. Arno-
: Page is there, Fletcehr's wife ar
! child, also, and the mysterious vale
who turns out to be one and the san
with Julia Lesport, the young woms
Fletcher had wronged. Fletcher
~handcuffed, the rightful bridegroo
substituted, and the ceremony col