Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-05-16

ut Ia not possible, Theodore, %
viscount stammered. feebly, that you
possess that letter"
And Theodore, walking to his bu-
reau, and. pointing to the letter
which he had placed there. said:
Behold IT,"
And then another pause during
which the young man closed his eyes,
striving to shut out the appalling i'm
age of his fathers guilt. while the
yiscount, after q moments reflection,
had grown calm again.
"And now, father. you will depart,
will you noty" at length said Theo-
dore.
And the ~viscount, very deliberately
rising from his chair. cried loudly,
and with all his natural audacity,
"No, 1 remain"
1Remainw exclaimed Theodore, In
great surprise. "Do you forget that
your life Is at stalker
81 have remembered" and the Wis
count smiled with satisfaction, "that
I have NO longer aught to fear"
what can you meanT"
THAT you are about to deliver to
me that proof, in order that I may an
initiate II as I have annihilated all
the others"
Render myself infamous-never!
Oh, never.~
"Give me that letter." demanded
the viscount.
Theodore looked a determined re-
fusal.
II tell you that I must and will
have itr' continued yiscount Dare
leigh. "If you refuse II to me you
will but give me the trouble to take
itr'
And he had advanced a step toward
the bureau.
Then Theodore fastened himself
TO restrain.
"You shall not, father. lay hands
on that depositr Theodore exclaimed.
81 wish that you should live. You
may escape. I have contrived for you
time for that. But do not make Of
me your accomplice. father!" the
young man distractedly cried, falling
on his knees, but still relaxing not his
hold on the ~viscount. Father! you
have now neither title o fortune TO
beGueath me: leave to me, then, the
only good that still belongs to me
leave me my honor
But Theodore's pleadings were all
unheeded by the viscount, who still
continued struggling toward the bu-
reau, dragging with him Theodore,
from whose clutches there was no es-
Gaping.
81 am not to be stopped by an OBJ
stacle such as you. when ! have but
another step 10 make to render my
self forever secure"
Theodore redoubled his Efforts
chung to the viscount's knees-wept
and implored him to have pity on his
son.
But his fathers oily answer was,
II must and will have that letter."
And at last he freed himself from
the young mans grasp.
The ~viscount was near the bureau
and about to seize the letter, but The
odore. starting to his feet, suddenly
placed himself between the viscount
and the bureau. and drawing himself
up to his full height, said firmly and
determinedly:
81 have told you, ~viscount, that you
should not have that letter; and by
heaven you shall not!w
Viscount Dareleigh was for Just one
moment COMPOUNDED and wavering,
the next instant he said, resolutely,
"Madman! II you knew all the past
you would comprehend how useless
must be your present resistance!'
"Oh, you will not compel me to an
impious struggle" pleaded Theodore.
I'm the name OF my mother, l swear
that you shall kill me before giving
me to dishonor."
"Your mother, foolw sneered the Wis
count, and then said. t~hreateningly,
"You will give me that letter?'
"Neverr' replied Theodore, as reso-
lutely as before.
The viscount placed his hand be-
meath his vest and drew forth a small
pocket pistol rs coolIy he said, aWeIl
then | will take it"
And Theodore, who had not stirred
from before the bureau, said, resign
eddy. "You will then assassinate me,
for l cannot defend myself against
you since you are my father"
And Theodore fiinched not as he be-
held the pistol levelled toward him.
But, at that moment, when death
appeared so imminent, he saw a door
Of the dashed suddenly open,
and a man, springing on to the Wis
count, struck the pistol from his hand
and the weapon fell u~nexploded to
the floor.
That timely rescuer was Noel Bar
rington, who had been at hand and
listening.
Again was the viscount CHASTITY and
trembling, Cor now he knew that past
for him was every hope In this world,
and hopeless was he, too, of mercy in
the world to come.
And not harrington alone had now
arrived. for following came Emmeline
and her lover; and lastly and swelling
with Importance, our worthy hackney
coachman, Jonas Jarvis.
And waddling toward Theodore,
Jarvis shouted to him, Don't trouble
yourself about being particular with
that gentleman, for he Is o your
father"
1t would be impossible to describe
Theodore's amazement at this an
nouncement OF q fact which will have
been, perhaps, anticipated by the
reader.
We have said that In early life Jar
Wis had been employed In a very prof