The Illegal Marriage — page 244: what you’re looking at

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

236 THE ILLEGAL MARRIAGE. “Her father—you, Hawks, suspected these meet- ings, and began to persecute her about them. More than once he struck her, Stannard; and at best he made a perfect hell of her home. “One day he determined to watch her, and just as he came upen them, I happened to ride by. The young man escaped unseen; but Hawks—I tell the story as if you were not here—but her father saw me, it seems, and accused Mary of coming to meet me. “Tt made me shudder to hear her tell the story of his wrath. He continued to beat her until she was bruised from head to foot, and called her the vilest names until he, himself, was wearied. “The next day, Mary told all to her lover, and he induced her to yo away with him. That night she met him, and together they drove to the city; but once in his power, this young devil laughed at the idea of marrying her, and made infamous proposals. “Making him repeat his words, and asking him to say again if he really meant it, Mary learned the truth, and immediately fled from him.” “Who was he? Tell me who the villain was?” screamed old Hawks, springing to his feet with clenched hands. “Take care, Hawks,” Trippe said, calmly. “No more violence, remember. Unless you promise me now to curb your temper, I shall tell you no more.” The old man sank back into his chair, and eagerly gave the required promise. “ All that night Mary wandered about the streets, and it was in the morning that I found her. She had left a note at home, telling her father that she was going abroad, purposely blotting out the name of her lover. : “With her tears flowing freely, Mary told me this story, and begged me not to tell her father where she was. She feared that he would kill her, even; and I think that he would have done it then. “Taking Mary to my brother John’s house, a new name was given her, and in a week John sent her to Milledgeville to be acompanion and friend for our aged mother, } comicbooks.com —