“Oh, Lena, I wish we could prove your marriage legal. Then I should be free from my bonds and could testify against your father’s murderer,” cried Violet, thoughtfully.
“Alas, it is vain to hope it; not that I could wish him for my husband now, only to lift the burden of shame and grief that is killing me, for I no longer love him. My heart turned against him when he cast me off so heartlessly. But here we are at our refuge, dear,” said Lena, as they came upon an old, dilapidated cabin in the very heart of the thick woods.
She pushed open the door, and they entered the dreary place—an empty room with a broken window, through which the moonlight poured in ghastly gleams upon the floor.
“I have been here before,” said Lena. “There is a loft with some broken chairs in it, and we can stay up there to-night and talk over our plans for the future.”
CHAPTER XXXI.
“IT WILL BREAK MY HEART TO GO!”
At Golden Willows Judge Camden and Amber were quietly triumphant, and Mrs. Shirley weakly dazed at the news of Violet’s elopement with Harold Castello.
“I never could have believed that Violet would jilt Cecil Grant!” cried the little widow, in surprise.
“And why not?” cried Amber, tartly. “Mr. Castello was as handsome as Cecil, and much richer; so I suppose that when Violet saw him, his wealth turned the scale in his favor.”
“Perhaps so,” was the meek response of the downtrodden little widow, who would not presume to argue with any one in that house.
But in her secret heart she was surprised at Violet, who had always been her favorite cousin, and she was very sorry for Cecil Grant. Her sympathies went out to him because he was poor and unfortunate like herself, and she could not help suspecting that there had been foul play somewhere.