Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 313: what you’re looking at

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

PEACE AT LAST. 309 with a taunting laugh, turning defiantly toward Geoffrey, who was regarding him with more of sorrow than of anger, “What do you mean, my sou?” demanded his father, who saw that something was very wrong between them, and was almosé in despair over his inexplicable conduct. ‘‘Has he not told you how I cheated him, out of his wife?” Everet asked, supposing, of course, that that wrefehed story had been rehearsed. ‘Cheated him out of his wife!’’ repeated Colonel Mapleson, growing pale, and glancing apprelensively from one to the other. His son gave vent to a short, nervous langh, but feeling con- siderably crest-fallen at having so recklessly betrayed himself, since he saw that nothing had been said about his miserable lot. . Mr. Huntress here interposed, seeing that the truth must come ont, and explained in a few brief sentences what had happened. Colonel Mapleson sank back white and nervons, as he listened, realizing, almost at the outset, the terrible thing which his son had so nearly accomplished. : ‘Do vow know what you have done, Everet Mapleson?” he sail, in a solemn, impressive tone, when his visitor concluded, and the young man was startled and awed in spite of his bravado. ‘You have been npon the brink ofa fearful precipice; you have very nearly committed a dreadful crime, for which I could never have forgiven you, for which you would never have forgiven yourself; the girl whom you have sought to make your wife is your sister.” ‘The young man grew pale, but more at his father’s tone than from any conviction of the truth of his statement. But he rallied after a moment. “What stuff are you telling me?” he retorted, contemptuously. “It is no ‘stuff; it is sternest truth; Gladys Huntress is an adopted daughter,” ‘Hu!’ aud now Everet Mapleson seemed suddenly galvanized. “Did Annie Dale have another child?” he demanded, with hue- less lips. | “No; bnt she is your mother’s child, by a former marriage.” ‘‘Great Heaven!’ There was no defiancé or recklessness in his manner now. He sank breathless upon a chair, a horrified look upon his face, a shiver shaking him from head to foot, perspiration starting from every pore. : ‘‘My mother’s child! Jmpossible! Who told you?” he ques- tioned, hoarsely. ‘Your mother herself! She was unexpectedly brought face to face with Mr. Huntress to-night; she recognized him and fainted. Upon recovering she confessed to a former marriage, CONMIe KOOKS. (eO) 3