WEST SHORE.
51
" Crimes arc committed," Burrows went on, " and
month", years, sometimes ages pans More the wrong is
righted; but justice is at length appeased. The eye of
the law never (deeps! "
" Come!" said Tom, impatiently, "Don't U a wag
gin' of yer jaw all night! (lit it out! "
" (icntlemen," Burrows began again, "I will cut
this short. Our business here to-night is to inform
vou, sir," with a profound bow to Hawkes, "that the
lady you married and who is beside you, was not mar
ried under her rightful name. No, No!" as Hawkes,
his face fierce, was only prevented from catching hold
of the lawyer by Marie'B frightened clinging to him.
" The lady thought it was her mime, but it wasn't."
Burrows was so unnerved by the demonstration his
declaration had evoked that he retired a few steps and
wijied the jMTspiration from his brow.
" No, 'twaVt her name," echoed Tom. " Yer a
gittin' at it now! but wot was it, lawyer, wot was it?"
" The lady's name lieforc her marriage was Marie
Marshfield!" Burrows announced.
Hawkes' anger was all gone. He could only gaze
from one to the other of his visitors.
" Yes, that's it!" said Tom. " Don't make no dif
ference if ye want ter or no. Yer name's Marie March
field. The lawyer's hit it!" with an approving grin
toward the legal gentleman.
" Hold on, here!" interrupted Mr. (irillis, some
what excitedly. " Let's have some system to this.
Say what ye want to, Burrows, V lie's long about it as
ye want to, but have ye got proofs?"
" I have my proof!" exclaimed Burrows. "Thom
as will be my first witness toward establishing Mrs.
Hawkes as the heiress of the Marshfield roerty.
May I suggest that you all be seated, as the story is of
considerable length. Thomas, vou will now begin!"
Hawkes leemed nonplussed. Not a word had he
said since the first declaration. Taking the chair that
Burrows passed, he drew his wife clow to him and lis
tened. Tom, grinning at the lawyer's pronunciation
of his Christian name, took the center of the room,
clasped his hands behind him. and his face settled in
to its ugliest scowl as be commenced.
" Years ago I was a sailor. One day I was on a
wharf in I.iverjKM.l 'n' a purty woman eomed up ter
me ter Iwrry 'nough money ter git her n' two hillun,
a ly V gal, ter this country. I'd jest Im-n paid off,
V had some money left, V let her have it, 'n' she gin
me a stone 'n' a letter ter carry ter old man Marshal-
.t , .
" I coined ter America V went ter Kswi. I he old
man gin me all the money I'd paid out, V more, n
used me handsome. There was a joung Mhr
'ith the old man who'd gut 'round him someway; any
way Marshfield was a goin' ter gin him the proj- rty if
all thv young Marshfields was dead. The voungfellef
gut scared fer his chances when I turned up, n he
burned the bouse V the old man 'ith it, then turned
the blame onter me. I run'd away ter the w.I n
the town folks a hunted me fer ten days.
" Id ben a skulkin' fer days 'thotit nothm ter rat,
when I went to a old housr on the outside o the m ttl
ment in the night time. There waVt rolI 1 '""-.
'n' I was a helpinV my If in the rU t, when I hear-I
a man V woman come in. I l-ke d through th crack
in the d.wr V law the man was Crunwjcki. I bear!
'em talk alxnit a baby as had len washed ashore from
the wreck off black ruck, V the woman told Cn
wicks as how she'd th rowed the baby back in the wa
ter agin and how it d rounded. Tlie woman called
Crosswicks brother, 'n' he gin her smc money, V said
the sea would throw the lahy drowndd. 'n' no one
would know, V he'd git the prop'ty, V he'd divy.
When Crosswicks went awav, I coined out o' the cloet
'n' scared the woman. I told her I'd Mow on her, 'n
she 'greet I ter find me in feed till I gut off the pint.
Nex' night, when I coined, I seed the woman 'ith a
baby in her arms, V she cried V akod me not ter ti ll
any' one. Nex' thing she gut a sea cap'n inter lief
house when I was a eatiu' 'n' bargained 'ith him to
ship me, V I sailed fer Chiny. A goNl many jcars
arter, I coined back. 1 gut wind o' how the (.runs
wicks woman had married a rich sea cap'n, V I ful
lered her ter Kington, where she lived. The folk
down ter Essex told me where ter go ter find her. She
gin me money, Vause she'd U'i lucky 'n' I'd 't un
fort'nate, then I coined ter the city,' here. I win a
lookiii' fer Crosswicka ever sir.ee I lift the 'n
couldn't find him, but one night I was walkin' In the
city V I runned 'thwart him a goin' ter church. I
kep' goin' ter that church, 'n'oue night I aked a man
wot the man's name was wot was sj-akin', V be said
'twar (ioldthurM, then 1 folbred Ooldlhurst. I ful
lered him everywhere.
" One day I wnl this little gnl," motiuiiing to Ma
rie, " V she rend a letter I'd stole from Ouldthiirnl's
deck. Ye've gut the h-tter now." to Hawkes, " Then
I sird the l.rket on hef lurk, V I kliw'd she'd U tl a
readin' a letter wot her own mther'd writ. I seed
(Joldtliurst the night his Ihhim burned, 'n' I took this
locket from him. I stobd it. Twar layiu' id o
his pistol, V I stob-I pindd V all. He know'd I look
the pistol, but he didn't know I bad this," holding out
the locket. " This Vre stone's a l-ket, 'ith a old fan
gled spring wot noUidy enn't find. Ye hat irr b t it
tumble ter git it in. Inide u' it's a tr y "
The young wife semed fa iimted with the mah.g.
any colored face, ft c- ly did she watch it, Tuin
ib lilrately dr.pjd tin trinket to lb f!-r. In an
other second Hawkes was holding for her injctln
an image of hef own fa e.
" Hawkes, your wife's the MarhnVl I .rir-. sure
enough!" shouted Mr. (Jnlli. who bad g-4 a g!aiM at
the for in the . krt. "She's wuth mr'n five hun
dred thousand dollar.! Marie, I'm glad fur you!"
" I don't know what it all meant," Mid Mafie,
faintly. , ,
" It means you'f riehef than your huiUiel, Mr.
(irillis armwered, his voire rVd to a high pit' h, "but
don't bother the witm Mes Burrow, you're imarter'n
I thought you was!" rati hlng th lawyer's hand and
shaking it warmly, "Oo on with lh hmlnrts! Oo
on with thebuirrB.!"
" Will you remove your veil, madam; burrows
aked. bowing to hi n-rond witn
" Mm Boj-t!" eiilaimd llawkn, in amazement,
a he red J" donnratt fa revealed
M I'lrar d "t interrupt, genthn.en!" said Bur
rows, ,ii,.u.lf "Mm. i:-a !1 now Ml J"' '"j"
" My maiden fum was Jant 1mM Uatt
the noman. " I am th om skm of as thw Krn
hi sai l iU thrrw th thil-J ult tU I did