Page:By Sanction of Law.pdf/342

 Littlejohns—And—Ah, here you are. Here you are," he finally exclaimed excitedly. Lauriston hurried to him and bent over his shoulder peering at the page in a leather bound volume of unusual dimensions.

"There's Dr. Frederick Lauriston who attended General Oglevie in the Revolutionary time," Marley continued. "He married—Let's see. He married," his finger traced across the page. "He married Elizabeth Cooper. Their three sons married white, all right. And,—the male children of the next generation married white; and the next generation; and the next generation," he continued to trace, while Elvin looked over his shoulder following the tracings. "And the next," he continued. "Ah," he drew a long breath. "Here it is. Here it is," Marley exclaimed excitedly. "See, see, one of the sons in this generation, a lawyer, married out of the race. See, Elvin, there it is, sure's you're born. Married Elspeth Witherspoon, femme de couleur. Well, well, well. Femme de couleur. That means colored woman."

Elvin was speechless. He stared vacantly at the words written on the page and standing out before him from another day and time. He could not believe the words though they seemed to stand out in two-inch size. His breath came quick and in pent up bursts; his eyes widened and seemed to bulge from their sockets. His companion's finger rested at the expression. The room was so still a mouse gnawing in the far corner of the room could be heard.

Marley was the first to break the spell. "Well, well,