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"Mother of God! What if they should let him escape after all!" Clutching her stiletto, she ran vengefully out into the night. Dave Ballard was the only man in the room who immediately lighted the cigar of Strang's passing; the others seemed indifferent to the blandishments of the odorous goddess for the nonce.
You know this business of the park is perfectly mad! For the first time in this conversation Margaret Strang's face was grave. And when it was grave, some people would have called it fine. 'And just think what it'll cost, said Mrs. Gaddesden despondently, 'even if he had a case which he probably hasn't and if he were to win it. There'll be no money left for Aubrey or any of us soon.
There was no escaping it. Operation successful. Local newspapers got wind of it. You can imagine the rest. I had to hide, so I ran away to Klondike. And well, Tom Daw found me playing whist in a cabin down on the Yukon." Came the day when Strang's bed was carried out of doors and into the sunshine. "Let me tell him now," she said to Linday. "No; wait," he answered.
Mrs. Strang's stiff manner, and the silence of the others showed the Squire that he was deep in his daughters' black books. Was he also charged with Miss Bremerton's headache? Did any of them guess what had happened? He fancied from the puzzled look in Pamela's eyes as she said good-night to him that she guessed something. Well, he wasn't going to tell them anything.
Sending a love-sick lad on sic a fool's errand. And mair, I'm not going to hae Isabel Strang, or Isabel Callendar here. A young woman wi' bridish ways dawdling about the house, I canna, and I willna stand. You'll hae to choose atween Deacon Strang's daughter and your auld cousin, Jenny Callendar."
Something in the terror of her face sent the hot blood from Nathaniel's cheeks. "They sent for her an hour ago," she said. "The king sent Obadiah Price for her! O, my God!" she shrieked suddenly, clutching at her breast, "Tell me what are they doing with Marion " "Shut up!" snarled the old man. "That is Strang's business. She has gone to Strang."
"Do I moind it? I do!" "Did I let the Mormons take you then?" "No, bedad." "When King Strang's constables came galloping down here to arrest you, didn't I run in water to my waist to push you off in your boat?" "You did, bedad!" "I didn't give you up to them, and I won't give this family up to you. They're not doing you any harm. Let them peaceably leave Beaver."
Then less than a month ago the change came, and one day she told me that she had made up her mind to become Strang's wife. From that day her heart was broken. I was dumfounded. I raged and cursed and even threatened. Once I accused her of a shameful thing and though I implored her forgiveness a thousand times I know that she weeps over my brutal words still. But nothing could change her.
Through it came a glory of sunshine and the fresh breath of the forest laden with the perfume of wild flowers and balsam. A thousand birds seemed caroling and twittering in the sunlit solitude about the cabin. Beyond this there was no other sound or sign of life. For many minutes Nathaniel stood in the open, his eyes on the path along which he knew that Strang's wife would come if she came at all.
The next day he would end it. He would go openly into St. James and have done his business with Strang. Then he would return to his ship. What had he, Captain Plum, to do with Strang's wife? But even after he had determined on these things his brain refused to rest.
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