Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-04


remind him of it, bat by patient work
insidiously persuaded him that he
should be married man. She even
suggested bride, none other than my
little sweetheart. Her object in this
was twcfold, money and revenge. By
leading my cousin into bigamous ALI
aDcc, with her own marriage certificate
| rs weapon, she could readily extort
| money from him. Her revenge was to
10 against the family CT my little sweet
heat, against whom she Thought she
had grievance. Her plotting was en-
tirely successful. My cousin was hand
| some, I was away, and once he had be-
come thoroughly acquainted with the
young creole's charms he became SO az
dent suitor that at length she listened
| to his pleading and married him. Then
he was in the power of the Montalbon,
| and she bled him for five years, by
which time little Rose had been born.
Meanwhile 1 had completed my col
lego career, but had not returned to
| New Orleans because Of my deep disap-
pointnlont upon learning that my sweet
heart had married another man. At
| this time was in Paris, when c:c day
| received q piteous letter from the girl
| wife, telling me that the blow had fall
en-; that the Montalbon had produced
| her marriage certificate and claimed hor
husband, thus dishonoring the daughter
Of her enemy. The letter also begged
| my forgiveness for the wrong done to
| me. I read between the lines and TeccG-
nized tie cry Of broken heart, the
bleat Of lamb left to die On the frozen
plain. / hurried home with bat one
thought Uppermost-to have revenge up
ON my cousin. arrived too late. Not
only was the girl dead, but my cousin
had disappeared.
| 81 heard that he had gone out west,
and thither I followed him. / would
get track Ct him from time to time, but
it seemed fated always that he should
| have just left q place when I confident
~ expected to come up with him. Thus
five years passed, ard at last l did meet
him. 1 at once charged him with his
crime and asked ior revenge. He laugil-
ed ct me and refused to fight / then
warned him that should take his life
at the FIST chance that offered, when /
could do SO either under seeming provo
cation or else where could not be sus-
pected."
| care you not admitting" interrupt
ed Ar. Barnes, THAT You harbCred a
11urderous spirit?'
"1ir. Barnes, If all men were punish
ed for their thoughts, the criminal class
would be greatly enlarged. You cannot
call me to account fer anything except
my acts. At last my chance came. /
| followed him one dark night as lie went
off prospecting III an entirely new di-
rection; We were in a mining country.
| He tramped most Of the night. and
! pursued. By dawn we were miles away
from habitatiCn. then made myself
known to him and oEce mere asked
him to fight it out. He saw that I was
in earnest and that lie was simply com
PEELED to battle for his life
| ''Under these circumstances, Of
course, he fought as the worst coward
would do when driven to desperation.
He decided to use pistols, though /
wished to tsy cur cause with knives.
confess that l wanted the satisfaction
Of stabbing him again and again. l
wanted to see his LIES blood flow at
each stroke. 1t seemed to me tame TO
stand off at distance and send one lit
tie leaden bali in his direction. Still /
admitted his right Of choice, and deter
mined to aim as accurately as possible
ard to send my bullet straight. You
see. l did net think Of my own life.
had made this vengeance my one OBJ
jec., and after accomplishing that I
thought there would be nothing more
fer me TO do. Consequently 1 expected
to kill him easily. and did not care if
his ballet found my heat or not. Per
haps hoped it would. Just as we were
standing Up and preparing to fight,
something occurred that almost COM
pietely unneryed me and changed the
whole result. He lowered his pistol and
said:
wait moment; have a favor To
ask. l feel certain that you will kill
ne. Yoa have been seeking ny life sc
long that am sure you viii get il. It
is fate. But 1 too, have suffered IN the
last five years. The favcr that ak ia
that il die you viii promise to get my
child out of that ien1's clutches