He was not
sure but he was making himself liable to arrest for aiding and
abetting Miss Sinclair's flight.
"You have no cause for alarm. He has no legal control over me,
though by the terms of my father's will he retains charge of my
property till I attain my twenty-fifth year. Before this, fourteen
months must elapse. Meanwhile he is exerting all his influence to
induce me to marry his son, so that the large property of which I am
possessed may accrue to the benefit of his family."
"He couldn't force you to marry his son, could he?" asked Ben.
"No, but he has made it very disagreeable to me to oppose him, and
has even gone so far as to threaten me with imprisonment in a
madhouse if I do not yield to his persuasions."
"He must be a rascal!" said our hero indignantly.
"He is," said Miss Sinclair quietly.
"I don't see how he can do such things in a free country."
"He has only to buy over two unscrupulous physicians, and in a large
city that can easily be done. On their certificate of my insanity I
might any day be dragged to a private asylum and confined there."
"I don't wonder you ran away, Ida."
"I feel perfectly justified in doing so.
Pages:
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64