Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-10-05
CHAPTER NJ.
THE DECEPTION OF DECEIT.


When Charles Manning went out
! from the scene of death he realized
that his first bold deception, extraor-
binary as it had been, was successful.
He at once took possession Of Mrs.
Patterson farm, and as there was
none to deny his claim as the legal
heir to the estate, he was secure in its
occupancy To enable him to main
tain his deception, he had provided
| himself with every conceivable wea-
pom. In the keeping of shrewd, cum
ming man, he could ask for nothing
more than he had at his command. He
| was in possession of a fund of information
pei any suspicion that Mary Nordrum
tain as to his identity.
He started out with the knowledge
that through deception he possessed
guiltless as innocence itself. While it
was really love for another, it rested
with him to be able to so persOnate
that other throughout the twelve
months custom had fixed should elapse
| between death in the family and a
marriage, as to never give cause for
the shadow of a suspicion of the decep-
ton.
Charles Manning had made himself
believe that he was not committing a
crime in the desperate game he was
PLAYING. He did not even think it a
game He had imbued his conscience
with such plausible arguments. in de-
Tense of his intentions that it became
scared and callOus as far as any sus-
ceptibility to moral impression was
concerned. and he had only to consult
with that inward monitor to find a
counselor that would second any
scheme he might undertake..
His sOlilo1uies were ingenious, and
to his conscience were convincing. If
Mary Nordrum believed he was her
lover. if Heaven had fashioned two
men as much alike that a maiden of
ordinary Intelligence, who had given
her heart to one, after years OF lntl-
macy and devotion. should continue
that love to the other and after a long
period of similar intimacy with that
other, fail to detect a shadow of de-
ception, he could not see wherein any
wrong existed.
He had so perverted his conscience
that it concealed from him the evil
which was in his heart when
Louis Patterson first told him the
story of his love for Mary Nordrum; that
it concealed from him the evil that was
intensified and developed into an I'M
pardonable crime when he gave the
drought to his companion with the in
tentiOn of preventing him from en- Joy
ING Mary Nordrum's love: that it con-
cealed from him the infamy which
made up the desperate scheme he had
planned to secure the love of one that
believed that she was loving another.
Charles Manning may have con-
scientiously believed if Mary Nordrum
never learned of the deception prac-
ticed upon her there was no wrong
done. This thing of conscience either
takes to curious fits and startling
terms, at times, or else some other
force crowds it out of place.
Charles Manning had made himself
believe that his conscience approved
of every scheme he devised to cheat
and deceive Mary Nordrltm.
Yet there must have been times in
his career. when his conscience, not
withstanding the surroundings, told
him that he was criminal of the
deepest dye.
He spent the most of his time in the
company of Mary Nordrum. The two
farms were managed by hired help,
which gave the owners plenty of time
for reading together, strolling in the
woods and fields, rowing in the lake
and love making.
TO BE CONTINUED.