> NOVELS* THEIR ARRIAGEBOND RT R . 9* / !4t > THE ALBATROSS NOVELS By ALBERT ROSS 23 Volumes May be had wherever book* are sold at the price you paid for this volume Black Adonis, A Garston Bigamy, The Her Husband's Friend His Foster Sister His Private Character In Stella's Shadow Love at Seventy Love Gone Astray Moulding a Maiden. Naked Truth, The New Sensation, A Original Shiner, An Out of Wedlock Speaking of Ellen Stranger Than Fiction Sugar Princess, A That Gay Deceiver Their Marriage Bond Thou Shalt Not Thy Neighbor's Wife Why I'm Single Young Fawcett's Mabel Young Miss Giddy G. W. DILLINGH AM CO. Publishers :: :: New York THEIR MARRIAGE BOND, BY ALBERT Ross. AUTHOR OF u His FOSTER SISTER," " SPEAKING OF ELLIN," THOU SHALT NOT," "WHY I'M SINGLE," " His PRIVATE CHARACTER." ETC. NEW YORK: COPYRIGHT, 1817, tf G. W. Dillingham Co., Publishers. [All rights reserved.} CONTENTS. CHAPTXK 'AGE I. A Contemplated Union . . .11. II. Ida Strokes the Kitten . . . 23 III. "You know my wishes" . . .34 IV. Margaret Refuses to Listen . . .44 V. " Then I must live single " . . .56 VI. The Dangers of London . . .64 VII. Gordon occupies his Time . . 73 VIII. " Kiss me, Kingdon !" ... 82 IX. Two Rooms Connecting . . .91 X. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor . . . .100 XL "Come and let us talk" . . .106 XII. Lost in New York . . . .113 XIII. "You are a sick man" . . .122 XIV. Mrs. Bruce's Advice . . . .129 XV. Ida Warned 140 XVI. Matrimonial Perjuries .... 150 XVII. What do you expect ?" 161 XVIII. The Angel of Death . . . .172 XIX. Watching for his Prey . . . .182 XX. A Few Little Lies . . . .191 XXI. Sidney Brooks Takes a Hand . . 200 XXII. " Whom does he resemble?" . .208 XXIII. A Face in the Elevator . .219 u 2061938 6 CONTENTS. CHAPTER FAGK XXIV. In the Lawyer's Office . . .231 XXV. "It's not a case of love" . . .237 XXVI. "Whose child is that?" . . .246 XXVII. Ida Roused to Anger . . . .256 XXVIII. "That is amusing, my dear!" . .264 XXIX. The Two Wives Meet . . . .274 XXX. " When did you begin to love me ?" . 284 TO MY READERS. Since the date of the publication of my last novel, " His Foster Sister," the press of the country has been extensively victimized through a bogus statement which appeared originally in two of the New York newspapers and was telegraphed far and wide in all directions. Dis- patches were sent by Boston correspondents to those sheets in February, alleging that I had become insane and was " confined in a madhouse/' A denial, coupled with physicians' certificates, which I sent to the press, was printed in some cases, but the original story gained by far the larger circulation. The flimsy basis of the injurious statement was the fact that I had suffered severely from insomnia, and had placed myself under the special care of an expert phys- ician at his residence. Friends in many States sent sympathizing letters to my family, who were much dis- turbed and annoyed at the falsehoods. The publica- tions, which included in one instance an imaginary por- trait of myself in an insane state, with an article by an expert on the causes of my dementia, greatly aggravated my symptoms and has undoubtedly delayed my recovery. I am at present getting back to health very slowly, but I think surely, and owing to a habit of keeping my work M 8 TO MY READERS. well ahead, I am able to give you my usual July novel in time. You will notice that I have returned in the present in- stance to a discussion of those relations between men and women which make a very large share of the troubles of the world. I intend to emphasize the folly of com- pelling marriage between unwilling people, and also to ehow once more the inevitable suffering which is certain to follow infringements of the moral law. For, although my hero and heroine outlive their transgressions, the ex- periences through which they pass will not encourage any one to tread in their footsteps. I have also en- deavored to give due compensation to the wronged ones, who suffered from no fault of their own. Neither writers nor readers are likely to agree as to the kind of novel that is most interesting and instruc- tive, but I see no reason to make any permanent change in my own methods. I have failed utterly to find enter- tainment in the new style of romance which deals with frequent broadsword combats and wearisome confine- ments of military gentlemen in pitch-dark dungeons. I am even impervious to the delights of tales wherein pri- vate persons are mistaken for sovereigns of foreign coun- tries, on account of red hair brought into their families through the fault of their grandmothers. The every- day affairs of common life are enough for me, and the language of the present hour is more pleasing to my ear than the mixture of fifteenth century English and boule- vard French which those impossible cavaliers present. The handsome, complete edition in cloth binding, which my publishers have lately issued, will enable all who wish to do so to obtain my novels in that form. The constant demand for even the very earliest ones indi- cates that they have found a permanent place. I only TO MY READERS. 9 ask those critics who feel it necessary to attack my stories violently to read at least a portion of some volume before they sharpen their stilettos; and to those who have so often given me more praise than I deserve, I eay, credit me with the intention and desire of entertain- ing and benefiting my readers, and I shall be content. At this date I am convalescing, but unable to do much work. To those who have sent expressions of sympathy I return heartfelt thanks. It is much to know that so many whom I have never met were induced to send messages of condolence to my loved ones, when they sup- posed me beyond the reach of their words. When I am sufficiently recovered I shall be impelled to renewed efforts to please my million readers, who have been so steadfast and loyal to me. ALBERT ROSS. Cambridge, Mass., May, 1897. THEIR MARRIAGE BOND. CHAPTER I. A CONTEMPLATED UNION. The handsome, old-fashioned parlors of Mrs. Walden Bruce, at Newton, near Boston, were filled with a happy company. Mrs. Bruce had heen a resident of the town for many years, and invitations to her "evenings" were held in high esteem by residents for many miles around. The people one was likely to meet there were seldom either snobs or lions, but were selected with the idea of making a cheerful group capable of imparting pleasure to each other and insuring occasions where the danger of being bored was reduced to a minimum. Mrs. Bruce, though hardly yet out of the thirties, had been long a widow. At the moment when our story opens she was standing, with her handsome daughter, in the centre of an animated circle engaged in conversation. Though still so young, she had an abundance of silvery hair, which she had never taken any pains to conceal. 12 THEIR MARRIAGE BOND. She was of matronly build, with a good color, a bright pair of dark eyes and a charming expression of counte- nance. In her dress she was tasteful, but simple. She was not a believer in the school which throws a young woman back into the frivolities of youth merely because she happens to be bereft of her husband. Neither did she think it seemly to parade her loss on all possible occasions, though she felt the blow keenly. She had steered, with great discernment, between the perpetual black crape and veil that make one shudder at a certain species of woman and the frivolous actions of another variety which becomes a sort of ballet dancer for the delectation of the rising generation. She was reputed possessed of a fair fortune, and the estate on which her residence was situated was a beautiful old place, com- prising many acres, which seemed destined, with the growth of Boston, to be very valuable at some time in the future. Miss Ida Bruce, the only daughter of the lady, then in her nineteenth year, was unquestionably the fairest ob- ject among the many good-looking women present. Plump without being stout, a little above the average in height, with a lovely complexion, and an abundance of fair hair arranged with exquisite taste, she was as pretty a girl as one might find in a long journey. She was gowned most becomingly, and her manners were a happy medium between the simpering ways of the grammar- chool graduate and the airy pretensions that so many of her sex think it best to affect. "Simply charming!' 5 was the expression of all the men who saw her; and the same verdict was wrung unwilling- ly from the lips of many women whose envious eyes wandered over the beautiful picture. "Oh, there's no denying that Ida Bruce is pretty!" THEIR MARRIAGE BOND. 13 ihey would say, in despair. "And I wonder who taught her to dress with such perfection. I never saw her when she wasn't a model for a costumer, though I don't be- lieve she spends any more on her clothes than hundreds who can't approach them in effect." Two young men stood on opposite sides of the room from Mrs. Bruce and her daughter, eying them as closely as was consistent with good breeding, between the pauses in the conversation they were having. "How wondrously beautiful Ida is to-night!" said one of them, whose name was Carroll Thorpe, as if the ex- pression was forced from him in spite of himself. Gordon Hayne, to whom the remark was addressed, did not take his gaze from the object of its apostrophe. "She is, on the whole, the finest girl of her age I ever saw," he responded, in a low tone. "She would be proud to know that you said so," re- plied Carroll, with a laugh. "I believe you are consid- ered the best judge in the State. Feminine beauty, ac- cording to all accounts, is one of your specialties." Hayne reddened, as if he did not like the intended compliment in this connection. "I wonder on what the gossips base their informa- tion," he said, with a shade of coldness. "I know well enough that my name gets mixed up in half the scandals in the neighborhood of Boston; and yet, nine times out of ten, there's not the faintest excuse for the talk. Perhaps the reason is that I have a sharp eye and a quick ear. Nothing entertains me more than an interesting woman who has begun to take the bit in her teeth. I like to know one of that sort, to converse with her, to litter veiled allusions and watch the effect, even to widen somewhat the scope of her imagination. But to lay every faux pas to me is a gross injustice, not only to H THEIR MARRIAGE BOND. myself, but to others who boast of their 'conquests' and are cheated out of the 'credit' that properly belongs to them." There was no mistaking the ironical vein in which the closing words were uttered. "I have evidently fallen into the popular error/' smiled Thorpe. "I should have said that your shoulders were broad enough to carry all the weight piled on them. Still, if I were put on the stand, I can't recollect a single bit of proof in any case. It has puzzled me a little, too, that I never heard you speak slightingly of a woman." The aquiline nostrils of Mr. Hayne distended. He talked in a very low voice, though in the hubbub shout him an ordinary tone would have served to confine his remarks to the ears for which they were intended. Dur- ing the entire time his eyes remained fixed, as if fas- cinated, upon the figure of the pretty girl across the room. "There are two kinds of women," he said, impressive- ly, "against whom no decent man will insinuate any- thing. One class is composed of those about whose lapses he could testify if he liked; the other class is composed of those of whose shortcomings he knows nothing." Carroll Thorpe smiled broadly. "That's sweeping," he said. "You mean that women should, under all circumstances, be exempt from criti- cism." Mr. Hayne nodded. "A woman should have the privilege, with men, of passing for what she pleases to appear." "It is a pity members of their own sex are not so magnanimous," suggested Thorpe. "The greatest of pities," replied Hayne. "Ah!" he added, 'Tic-re cvines Brooke *' THEIR MARRIAGE BOND. 15 The gentleman named was slowly making his way to- ward the pair. He was a little older than the other two, who were perhaps twenty-three or twenty-four, of slen- der build and with the sloping shoulders often associated with the idea of a student. Although his face was rather pale, however, he gave the impression of possessing the normal amount of strength and of being a man of force and determination. His countenance bore lines of care already, as if he had found life a serious matter, and showed a vivid contrast to both the others, who gave equal evidence of having passed their youth in content- ment and ease. His garments were as plain as possible, he eschewed jewelry almost entirely, and he had a hesi- tation in speech that reminded one of an immature girl. Most strangers, if invited to guess, would have set him down as an embryo clergyman, or at least a seminary professor. But he was in reality a lawyer, who was al- ready making a name at the bar and had secured pos- session of a satisfactory practice. He had dark hair, which generally hung, by a contrariness of nature, half across his forehead, and sombre eyes that could not help attracting attention on account of the strange, mys- terious quality that shone from their depths. "Gordon was just saying," remarked Thorpe, when Mr. Brooks reached them, "that he makes it a rule never to speak ill of a woman, whether he knows anything about her or not." "Oh, don't tell Sidney of my rules!" exclaimed Mr. Hayne, impatiently. "He doesn't know anything about women, any way. What he wants is to have people pointed out and named, and get introductions to those he doesn't know." Then, in a tone and manner that showed* his liking for the young attorney, he proceeded from where they stood 16 THEIR MARRIAGE BOND. to impart information regarding those present whom his friend had not met, giving their names, mentioning their occupations and other matters that he imagined might be of interest. "I think you know every man in Boston and vicinity," said Mr. Brooks, pleasantly. "Well, I know a good many; and in a place like thia I make some one tell me about those I don't know. I'm a little quicker than you in some things, and yet I sup- pose you could talk more interestingly to the Supreme Court than I could." Apparently considering that his friend's curiosity was confined mainly to the masculine sex, Mr. Hayne made no allusions to the women except to utter such expres- sions as, "That lady next to him is his wife/' or "That elderly lady in gray is the mother of the representative in the Legislature from Brookline." A fourth gentleman joined the party at this juncture, and was presented to Messrs. Thorpe and Brooks by Mr. Hayne as "Mr. Nelson, one of the Boston Herald staff, whom you ought to know." Mr. Nelson, who was at- tending Mrs. Bruce's receptions for the first time, was also in search of information and knew that he hd reached the right place to find it. "I understand that the elderly gentleman in that cor- ner, who never leaves his chair, is Mr. Edward Dale," he remarked, consulting his notebook. "Yes," said Mr. Hayne. "And that good-looking fel- low on his right the one who was just talking to Mrs. Bruce is his son, Kingdon Dale." The man last pointed out was, indeed, a "good-looking fellow." He was a little past his majority, tall enough and exceedingly well-proportioned. His clothes fitted him to a nicety, ills hair was brown, with a faint tinge THEIR MARRIAGE BOND. 17 of red, and he combed it in a manner that was moet becoming. He had a look of good temper on his fine countenance, mingled at the present moment with a tinge of anxiety, which none but a close observer might have been able to note. "Is it true that his father has arranged with Mrs. Bruce to have him marry Ida?" asked Carroll Thorpe, with the idea that Mr. Nelson might be interested in that question. "I've heard so," responded Mr. Hayne, clearing his throat of something that stuck there. "You know the lands of the Bruces here in Newton join those of the Dales, and some people fancy the English way of con- necting marriages with real estate transactions. Then, they've been thrown together from childhood. He's only twenty-two and she " There seemed nothing to cause the breaking off of the sentence, but the listeners saw that Mr. Hayne had fin- ished all he meant to say on the subject. He was looking again at Miss Ida. "You know young Mr. Dale personally, I presume?" said Mr. Nelson, when the mantel clock had ticked off fifteen or twenty seconds. "What, Kingdon?" Mr. Hayne's face lit up. <