People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-11-25
CHAPTER XXI.
MY KIND RELATIVES OFFER

Mr.. Demands appearance did not sur
prise me in the least. | was so frus
trated that could not have felt any
surprise at that moment had the world
come to an end. 1t was the unexpected
that | expected.
DE seated himself cOolly, after mo.
tioning me to 4 seat, then without delay
opened conversation.
Agnes" he began, 81 have ferreted
out everything, and find that you are
made to suffer because of the interest
have evinced in you, and the pains
have taken to promote your welfare.
am truly sorry that have unintention.
ally brought you this suffering, and
am willing to do anything possible ia
atone for it,
How can you atone?" asked. "How
can you amend my wrongs?"
I'm but one way" he replied. 81
can do it only by giving back to you
all that, through my means, you have
lost"
lyon cannot do that" | cried, nv
tears Starting afresh. my good name
Is gone, and nothing can still the
tongues of gossip"
But can do it" he said. emphati.
casly 81 can recover to you your good
name and reputation. And not only
that, Agnes, but can place you be.
yond the reach of those slanderous
tongues"
mo, no." cried, you cannot"
But can" he repeated, land | will.
can place you 50 far above those vile.
malicious wretches that they will not
dare TO look at YOU, much less speak
your name. can place your feet on
che neck of every worm of humanity
who has dared to breathe a word
against you say can do all this. and
will do it. will return to you all
you have lost and thousand fold more.
l will make you queen in society, the
envied OF the envious, and the admired
of all who see and know YOU.
lie spoke with such vehemence that
l shrank under his words and sat trem.
bling and powerless. lie paused only
an instant, and drawing his seat neal
me, continued:
Agnes, listen to reason and com,
mon sense. You are alone in the
world, with not one single tie Of
kindred. You have no mother, youI
father and sisters care nothing 70,
you. You are alone and friendless
Your life has been a long, hard strug
gle filed to the brim with suffering
You have known no love, no pleasure
no happiness. No one has cared 10,
you; no one cares for you now save me
You know what it is to lead such life
You know whatyou have gone through
and you know what the future has tc
offer. Think OF dragging through year:
and years of such existence as the past
has been. Think Of all the suffering
the misery and the friendlessness. Think
OF the darkness and desolation, thu
heartaches and sorrow, the neglect anC
Sights. Think of all the future will b,
If your life continues in its presen
channel, and then say if you would no
willingly change it,
He stopped again, and fixing his eve.
on my face scrutinized it eagerly. Hi
features were flushed and hot, his eve
anxious and expectant and his Who'll,
nervous system strained to the highes
tension. Directly he went on;
Agnes" he said, you know VIVA
your past has been, and by it you car
judge the future. You know that befor
you there is nothing but long, wear,
stretch of pain. You know that Their
is no happiness for you there, no love
no hght-nothing but darkness, loneli
ness and sorrow. Then why not chang
itP Why not change it now, and not 70
.anotherday submit to drudgery, dishor
or and persecution"
II cannot, cried.
Cannot" he repeated, you car
can change it for you. Listen. toll
you once could give you the love OF
man who worshiped you and VIII
would bend Heaven and earth to ssrv
you. can place at your feet the hear
of man who loves you better than h
loves his life, and who has riches tina
he will squander as freely as water 70
your sake. can give you the heart, tn
life, the soul of that man, and the on
purpose of all his existence shall be t