The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1914-02-20
The Fair Cre0le'C Fortune
By SIR WALTER BESANT and JAMES RICE
The Scheming Of a Desperate
Woman For the Sake of a
Profligate Brother and the
Resulting Adventures Of
Winsome Virginie Ferrier:

nothing at your hands without consid-
GRAFTON. He reminds me too-cOuld l
have forgotten it?-that your offer to
me is 4 mQckery. How should l mar
ry. having to tell that boy his secret?
How should l commit this dreadful
crime that you propose and dare to
look upon the boy and to tell him that
secret? How could l bring upon the
innocent child shame for his mother?
That shame, at least, he shall never
feel. am an actress: that l cannot
help. Why. if l could help it would
not. because it is my pride and joy.
l do not think the boy will ever be
ashamed of his mothers profession. If
he is to be ashamed it shall be Of his
father. Sol refuse your proposal"
"Eiolet. you are Il fool; you do not
know what you are doing-you do not
consider. R~emember-I do not use idle
threats
DO what you like-what you an.
I refuse your offer. Offer? 1t is no
offer. 1t is not in your power to give
me back my freedom. What a fool |
was not to see that from the first. No
one can. Nothing but death can cut
that miserable tie. There is my an
swer. And now. if you please. go"
One moment. Violet. You can, If
you please. set up your back and re-
fuse your consent. but YOU had better
not. Now l modify my offer. You
will do as you like. l care nothing at
all whether you marry or whether you
do not. All I say is. let me do what I
please without molestation or fear Of
interference. Yes, l know what YOU
are going to say. Who is there who
will tell YOU that the man you married
six years ago has married again:
Don't interfere with me. and then l
will not interfere with you. If YOU
stand between me and my proposed
marriage. then-Miss Violet Lovelace
or Mrs. Terrier or whatever YOU call
yourself-remember that YOU have q
desperate man to deal with"
And vet l will not promise any
thing. No; l will consider before all
the rights Of the boy. But l will think
it over. If it We're not for him l would
let you commit this crime without a
word. Because Of my boy, because l
am a mother. l think not only Of him.
but OF the other poor creature whom
you are going to deludc and lead into
misery. Oh, Guy. if you could see
yourself as those who know YOU see
you. If you could see the miserable.
contemplate figure you cut, when no
doubt you think you are a gallant gen
tleman. Go. You are but u sneak and
a coward"
Three ~1ays-four days-a fortnight
passed over, during which Violet sent
no message Of submission at all, and
her husband felt more i'll used and
more indignant.
She was afraid. She might let her
husband do what he proposed to do
that is, marry again, just as if she did
not exist. or she might forbid the mar
riage. In the former case she would
be rewarded by an pen acknowledge
ment or her sons true position after
sixteen years, but how was she to
prove after sixteen years that 'Isichard
johnson" was Guy Ferrier? And if
she could not prove that, her boys
rights would have been wilfully and
wastefully thrown away. In the lat
ter case, if she refused her consent,
who would protect her and the boy
from her husbands interference?
After Il fortnight of anxious cOnSil-
Grafton she tool Paul Perigal into her
counsels, but he was of little help.
Violet %returned'to her silent musings
and found no help there.
"What is the matter:' asked Elsie,
| who had observed with concern the
most unusual phenomenon of Il failure
in her employers usually robust appe-
| tite.
Elsie, l am truly miserable."
II have seen it, said Elsie, "for Il
week and more. Can help you:"
mo, child, you cannot. unless you
find me Il man to advise with. | want
an honest man and 4 wise man,
II think | know the very man-that
is. if you would consult with a friend
of mine. He e a gcntleman-a univer-
| sity scholar, and he is going to be Il
| great writer. He lives with u.s." Here
she remembered her dreadful deccp-
ton, and she blushed Il rosy red and
went on. speaking fast-"And, oh, VIC
let, l must confess to you! When you
said you wanted a real lady ! ought
| not to have come because my father
was only n small clerk and my mother
lets lodgings, and if it had not been
| for Mr.. Percival l should never have
been educated at all. Now, please.
send me away because l have deceived
vou."