The Illegal Marriage — page 226: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ehh) ue GIR, OR Ae aE LER A ee oe, PO Re 2 tn SOA Fo ha gd Pe eos | (RS e wagt a She) 7 Tihde Cel Ve Sh ET en eee ; * fe | argh Ria se ee yt br OEY 4 hee | Ye "5 uber mt ee is a , . “ Ye ke og . ? > ee - A 7. + é A oO eae : rane {se : 4 f : aa =. . be - 218 THE ILLEGAL MARRIAGE. “Wait a minnit, and I’ll tell ve. I followed you to France.” “Followed me, Hawks!” Stannard exclaimed, in surprise. “What did you follow me for?’ “Read this and you’ll see,” said Hawks, extending a note, worn and soiled from long use, and bearing a date some years before. Stannard unfolded the yellow paper and glanced at the signature, then hastily run his eyes over the words. ‘The first part was blurred and torn. ‘cc * * * * blow you shall give me, and henceforth you may consid * * * * ghall leave the country forever and go to France, where * * * will take care of me,” The name and many of the words were illegible. “Hawks, whose name was there when you got it?” “J don’t know; it was jist so then. It was wet and torn when J found it first.” Stannard saw that the letter was intended to de- ceive, and read on. ‘¢You need not try to find me for I shall change both country and pame. He has always been good and kind to me, and I am foreed to seek his protection now from my own father. Your suspicions of me are all untrue. “Tf ever you think of me think thata blow from your own hand killed your daughter. Mary.” “Did you beat her, Hawks?” | “T was mad—I was mad! Idid not know what I was doing, colonel. I would have given my life to have got her back.” The old man buried his face in his hands, and sobbed out his self accusations. : As well as he could, interrupted both by fits of remorse and fits of coughing, Hawks told the story of his daughter’s flight. It would be painful to follow the old man’s words, broken as they were, and slowly uttered, and the story can be more briefly told. Stannard was still abroad when Mary Hawks left her home, driven away by her father’s violence and suspicions; and knowing that she could find no acquaintance but him in France, naturally sup- posed that Mary had gone to join him. Hawks determined to follow her, but lacked the ecomichooks.com