Thrice Wedded, but Only Once a Wife — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

50 THRICE WEDDED, lieves every word I have told him, and being brought up, you know, under right influences, he enters heartily into my plans for vengeance.” Nothing could have been more fiendish than the expres- sion with which Squire Moulton concluded these dark revel- ations. ‘Heaven pity me that I was ever born, or that I ever gave birth to a child for you to bring up to such wick- edness and woe,” groaned the poor woman, in a voice of de- spair. Then suddenly springing to her feet, she shrieked: “Tt shall not be, you villain! I will thwart your fell de- sions; I will go to my boy and reveal the whole plot—tell him what afoul le you have told him, and that you are but making a tool of him. I will reveal myself to him and ex- pose your villainy. You shall not ruin my boy!” “You will reveal yourself to your son, will you?” sneered - the other. ‘‘What a revelation that will be! Do you think he will believe that you are his mother? You look like the mother of the boy who is to inherit a million! He would be proud of you, no doubt!” She flushed deeply at his cruel insinuations, but replied, sadly: Tf there is one particle of filial affection in his heart he will show it, and believe me when I show him this.” She held up the brooch before him. He had forgotten she had it, but he now knew that she could prove her story with it, and he resolved to gain pos- session of it by fair means or foul. | ‘“You said you were destitute,” he said, trying to assume a more friendly air; ‘‘what will you sell me that bauble for? I will give you a good price for it.” ‘‘] thank you, sir.” she replied, with biting scorn. ‘“‘But I do not choose to part with such valuable evidence in my © behalf. No, sir! this will prove my story, and I will use it. _. Such wickedness as you meditate shall not go on.” “You talk well of wickedness; pray, how long since you became such a saint? But enough of this,” he added, sternly. ‘‘How do you suppose Ralph would receive your story? Do you think he. would love a woman who had brought him into the world to suffer shame and disgrace? _ Do you think he would feel tenderly toward a mother who - confesses she deserted hlm in infancy, and led a dissolute, comicbooks.co