Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-09-07
CHAPTER NxI.-CoV-rNrrp.


"You see. had heard the stories
hbout his iniatua,ion for La June and
was jealous but he swOrc to me that
her reign was over. that the attraction
which drew him So constantly Ia
Naricks was only the fatal gambler
passion which held him In iron chains.
She had not even aroused that i'm him;
the habit was n confirmed one before he
fell into NariCk's hands. lie told mo
himself That he did not believe she
could nave saved him; lac was beyond
saving. ! did not believe H. How
could ! when hc was So gentle and low
ing and Welding when with mc9 had
fond dreams OF his reforming for NV
sake. He ,layishcd gifts upon me-.
against my will II is hard To believe.
Is u not. but was not so wise then as
have grown 10 be- now. He had one
answer for nv circumstances. Il was
better 10 cNpcnd his money on me than
To let u slip away az the gambling
table. He wanted To place sum i'm
bank to my credit. but that / would not
permit. And three weeks afterward he
had lost IL all. and i'm III of melan-
Choly despair at his utter ruin, not
through disappointed love. he put that
pistol o. his head and blew out his
brains
AThat is the true story. Mignon Al
mont Was no more responsible for his
death shan ! was and he left note for
me saying that n any woman could have
saved him, | surely would. | have Il
Yet. along with hglf-dOIen others. all
! ever hal from him. I've wondered
often why ! Kept Thorn 20 long. we out.
live such sentimental fancic, i'm these
days; hut suppose fate had something
To do with u IN rrscrving them for this
occasion. III send my maid for the
packet and you shall have IL before
yuu ~. -...-
Nm right IN my surmisss. and have
j played the part 81 fairy godmother 10
youP Better dare say, than should
have the part uf stcp-mamma which /
once expected 90 take. You never knew
II, and yet your grandmother might
have told YOU. ! went TO her, | thought
] had u right to mourn for him. too. I
knew how bitter she was against la
June. and Invent To set her right: and
instead Of mingling her tears with mine,
she turned on me.
You too" she said. Then
between the two Of YOU. YOU have be-
rcavcd me- OF the dearest son mother
ever had
We'll, l don't bear her any ill-will.
q" dO bear You very genuine Kind
feelings for your fathers sake, and |
suppose after tonight Il won't matter
To YOU whether we ever meet again"
What answer he made. Launt could
never aftcrwmd tell How he made
his excuse and cot away was always a
blank To him. but madame had been rs
good rs her word. She had slipped
that little packet OF letters in his hand
when they parted.
In his own room n read them. and
the idol he had worshipcd all his life
was crushed. lie saw the Young father
whom he had BEEN taught to revere i'm
his true light at last The man WHO
had written these letters was weak.
unstable. changcahlr as the wind. His
best resolutions were wavcring i'm
pulses. II was not IN him to have n
true or lasting affection for any one.
In one breath lac was ready 10 give up
all the world for his darling Florinc: in
~
earth for one So biasc as he.
And it was for. man like this that
the happiness of two lives had been
wrecked
Lauut slept none that night. lie was
nj his grandmothcr's house i'm the sub
urbs of the city by the time the sun had
wdl fiscn in The morning. She came
10 blu, after an interval. with some
uWobi anNwty gnawing inwardly. and
lcrctrrrcd briefly to the story he had
heard. RE- ..- ..-. -.
"And You knew this. was his owe
rcptoach You knew. and YOU reared
mo To hclitvc him the noblcst of men.
most bascly betrayed by the woman he
loved '
The stern old face. haggard with suf-
fcring. no with n defiant blaze.
And 10 was true. She Jared him
away first; II she had not treated him
cruelty he would never have turned 10
that FlorinC. lie ncvcrca for her as
he cared for Ia juno. sac was the
guilty one; she led him. directly or in
directly, TO his doom, o. his death. Oh.
Launt. don't quarrel with me because /
hate her for IT,"
She stretched out two trembling. inn
ploring hands.
What is IL you intend TO doP' she
Asked
Repair the wrougI have done. gain
Dana's forgiveness n I can PRAY for
IL. grandmother. IL depends upon her
whether You ever see mc again"
Ar~rpD x,rtt