登陆注册
5159200000064

第64章

"Yes, Kate, it was," answered Colonel Ashley."You are his lawful wife.""And he only told me I wasn't, so as to shame me - to make me leave him, and render me desperate?""That, and for other reasons.But the fact remains that you are hiswife."

"And this other ceremony - this other woman?" "No legal wife at all.""I am sorry for her."

"Yes, she is but a girl.If I had known in time I might have stopped it.But it is too late now.Is he there, Jack?" he asked, as he joined the man in the panama hat.

"Yes, sitting outside with Mazi.Going to close in?""Might as well.Watch him carefully.He's desperate, and - " "I know - full of dope.Well I`m ready for him."And so the trio - the last of the procession, if we except Fate - went closer to the cottage whence so cheerfully gleamed the light.

"Who is there? What do you want?"

It was the snarling voice of Jean Forette, late chauffeur for the Carwells, challenging.

"Who is it?" he cried.

The three figures came on.

Suddenly there was a blinding flash, and the gleam from a powerful electric torch shone in the faces of Jack Young, Morocco Kate and Colonel Ashley.

There was a gasp of surprise and terror trom the man beside Mazi - the man who had thrust out the torch to see who it was advancing and closing in on him through the darkness.

"Ah!" sneered the Frenchman, recovering his self-possession."It is my friend the officer.Ah, I am glad to see you - but just now - not!" and he seemed to spit out the words.

"Maybe not.I can't always come when I'm expected, nor where I'm wanted," said Colonel Ashley coolly."Now, my friend - Jack!" he cried sharply.

"I've got him, Colonel," was the cool answer, and there was a cry of agony from the chauffeur as his wrist was turned, almost to the breaking point, while there dropped from his paralyzed hand a magazine pistol, thudding to the sand at his feet.

"Go on, Colonel," said Jack, who had slipped off to one side, out of thefocus of the glaring light, just in time to prevent Jean Forette from using the weapon he had quickly taken from a side pocket."Go on, close in.I've drawn his stinger.""Messieurs, what does this mean?" demanded the girl beside Jean."Who are you? What do you want? Ah, it is you - and you !" and she turned first to Colonel Ashley and then to Jack Young."You who have talked so kindly to me - who have asked me so much about - about my husband! It is you who come like thieves and assassins! Speak to them, Jean! Tell them to go!"The Frenchman was breathing heavily, for Jack had a merciless grip on him.

"Speak to them, Jean!" implored the girl, while her mother, standing in the door with her knitting, looked wonderingly on."Why do they come to take you like a traitor?""It - it's all a mistake !" panted the chauffeur.

"You've got me wrong, messieurs.I - I didn't do it.It was all an accident.He - I - Oh, my God! You!" and he started back as Morocco Kate stepped toward him, pulling from her face the veil that had covered it when the glaring light showed.Jack Young now held the electric torch.

"You!" he murmured hoarsely.

"Yes, I!" she cried."The woman you kicked out like a sick dog! I've found you at last, and now I'll make you suffer all I did and more - you - devil!""Softly, Kate, softly!" murmured the colonel.But she did not heed him.

"You - you spawn of hell !" she cried."It was you who sent me down where I am - where not a decent woman will look at me and a decent man won't speak to me.You did it - you left me to rot in my shame so you could find some one else - some one younger and prettier to fondle and kiss and -Oh, God!"She sank in a shuddering heap on the sand at the feet of the man who had broken her body and spirit, and lay there, sobbing out her anger.

"Let her stay there a little," said the colonel softly."She'll feel better after this outburst.""Jean! Jean! What is it all about?" begged the girl who still maintained her place beside him."Oh, speak to me! Tell me! Who is she?" and she pointed to the huddled figure on the sand.

"I'll tell you who she is," said Colonel Ashley."She is the legal wife of Jean Carnot, alias Jean Forette, and - "A scream from Mazi stopped him.

"Tell me it isn't true, Jean!Tell me it isn't true!" begged the girl.Jean Carnot did not speak.

"He knows it is true," said the colonel."And now, my French auto friend, I've come to take you into custody on a charge of - ""I didn't do it! I didn't do it!" cried the man."I swear I didn't do it.I was going to throw the glass away but he grabbed it from me, and - ""I arrest you on a charge of bigamy," went on the calm voice of Colonel Ashley.And then, as he saw Mazi stagger as though about to fall, he added:

"All right, Jack.I'll take care of her.You put the bracelets on him.And see that they're good and tight.We don't want him slipping out and getting married again.He doesn't have much regard for bonds of any sort, matrimonial or legal."And then he lifted poor, little Mazi up and carried her into the cottage, while Morocco Kate got slowly to her feet and sat down on the bench in the darkest shadows, sobbing.

同类推荐
  • 隋唐演义

    隋唐演义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 肯堂医论

    肯堂医论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 竹庵草录

    竹庵草录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • A Fancy of Hers

    A Fancy of Hers

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 警富新书

    警富新书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 小祸水的绝色桃花

    小祸水的绝色桃花

    上部简介:他是她的主,有着绝世容颜不菲身家,却脾气火爆,第一次见面她便毫不犹豫赏了他一巴掌;他似极她前世的恋人,神秘的身世雄厚的背景,银丝白发灼灼其华,第一次见便让她迷了眼醉了心;他们之中到底谁才是她真正宿命的恋人?千世的情缘纠缠,穿越,只为斩断情丝,寻一个开始......下部简介:什,什么?成亲?这么大的事为什么没有人通知我?丫的,也太不把我这个准新娘放在眼里了吧?哼,后果很严重,姑娘我很生气!啊?问我要干什么?当然是背着我的小包包浪迹天涯去......本文小白,纯属恶搞,不喜勿入......
  • 末世之极限系统

    末世之极限系统

    进化还是妹子,这是个问题简介无力,各位看官姥爷还请里边看
  • 升庵诗话

    升庵诗话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 风语2

    风语2

    《风语(2)》著述的正是中国黑室的故事。主人公是一个惊世骇俗的数学奇人、天才破译家,他手无缚鸡之力,却令敌人闻风丧胆,谈之色变;他不识枪炮,却是那场战争中最大的战斗英雄;他在纸上谈兵,却歼敌于千里之外;他孤身一人,但起的作用却抵得过一个野战军团;他门外有重兵把守,抽屉里有各种保健良药,却依然命悬一线,命运多舛。这是一个神奇的人,黑室让他变得更加神奇。他活着,就有更多的人能够幸免于死;他活着,就有更多的人要为他而死;他活着,就有传奇,就有故事,就有人世间最欢心的事、最揪心的痛。他是中国一代精英知识分子的代表,在历史的风云际会之中尽显热情与智慧,也深感无辜与无助。
  • 穿越交易网

    穿越交易网

    开新书了,《诸天神秘商人》,希望大家能够支持一下!!!求收藏!求推荐!求支持!
  • 重生国民男神:离爷撩不停

    重生国民男神:离爷撩不停

    【1v1甜宠文】【微虐】一代军营女王,执行任务中光荣牺牲。重生到伪男身上,看她如何在娱乐圈掀起腥风血雨,打脸虐渣。然而,她和某人的牵扯,却是剪不断理还乱。佛曰:放下屠刀,立地成佛。离封:我的手里没有屠刀,执念早已成魔。因为我不知道,下一辈子还是否能遇见你,所以我今生才会,那么努力,把最好的都给你。#紧紧地咬着牙,强忍着疼痛,心痛得却像被千万根尖针扎过:我这样的人,连死都不怕,却害怕着黑夜,怕黑夜过去后,物是人非的一切。#身影渐渐消失在风雪中,心中冰冷得无以复加:下一次可不可以,换你褪去一身骄傲,喜欢我到疯掉?(此文原创,禁止转载,云起书院首发,作者酸奶q,抄袭必究,不喜勿喷。)
  • 重生之富贵闲人

    重生之富贵闲人

    前世,穿越女乔珍是尊贵无比的国公府世子夫人。投身宅斗事业,功成名就之时却心力交瘁而亡。这一世重生她再也不想尔虞我诈,斗来斗去。只想做个富贵闲人。可是重生了,准备向着新的人生目标全速前进时,却是满头黑线,鸭梨山大。这要怎么说?她真的不好意思说,没胆量说……
  • 侠客行(全两册)(纯文字新修版)

    侠客行(全两册)(纯文字新修版)

    此书上下共两册,《侠客行》中最独特的一点,是女主角丁珰对待爱情的态度。她明知所爱的人是浮滑浪子,但仍然爱他,而不爱另一个外貌完全一样的正诚君子,说明了爱情和理智是两回事。《侠客行》主角石中坚是一个完全不识字、完全不通世情的人,反而能领略到上乘武功的真谛,而许许多多博学多才之士,反倒钻进了牛角尖中,走不出来。至巧不如拙,再蠢笨的人,也自有他的际遇,《侠客行》中表现的哲理至深。
  • 中国古代政治文化研究

    中国古代政治文化研究

    中国古代政治文化,在其形成和发展的数千年历史中,一脉相承。《中国古代政治文化研究》所揭示的谶纬对东汉主流政治文化的影响、帝国的日常运作及其意义、东晋南朝文化的特点和来源、十六国北朝的胡族政策、唐初对周边民族文化的整合、中晚唐对南朝政治文化的继承和发展、赵宋“祖宗之法”的基本精神、宋代士大夫对为政之道的探索和实践、元明政治的君主集权专制特征、宋明之际传统政治文化嬗变等,已大致显现出这一漫长历史时期中政治文化的基本走向和发展脉络,提出了一些有新意、有价值的观点,对中国古代政治文化的基础研究有所贡献。
  • 为自己着想

    为自己着想

    企业就是你的船,你的每一次航行都离不开它,是它载你驶进浩瀚的 海洋,所以你要与它共命运。只有你的船安安稳稳地行驶,你才能踏踏实 实,如果你的船出现了什么漏洞,那么一定会殃及你。本书站在现实的角 度,从多个方面讲述“为企业着想就是为自己着想”的观念,既有耳熟能 详的经典案例,又有深入浅出的分析展开,希望能对大家培养良好的工作 习惯、提升工作能力有所帮助。