Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-05-28

holding her hand, and led her toward
the door Of the next room; there he
kissed her once more, this time ON the
forehead, and then babe her wait, shut
ting the door after she left him. Then,
farming with fury in his heart and re-
pressed passion in his voice, he exclaim-
ed:
"Mr. Mitchell, either you are the
most contemplate villain on the face Of
this earth, or else there is some hideous
mistake here. Explain it, man! must
know at once !"
"Must, Mr.. Neuilly, is word that !
seldom obey. But know how you have
suffered, and have no desire TO prolong
this interview a moment more than is
absolutely necessary. First, however, |
must understand the situation. What do
you and Mr.. Barnes here think it to be-"
81 will explain briefly" said the de-
tective, provided your wife will with
draw"
"My wife is now part Of myself, "
said Mr.. Mitchell, proudly placing an
arm around her as she stood beside
him. "You need not hesitate to speak.
She has promised to share my life with
me, to take me as am. She will begin
the task at once. Go On. :"
$50 be it. l know now that Rose
Mitchell, who was murdered, was known
in New Orleans as Rose Montalbon,
and that she was your wife, have also
discovered that you deceived young
creole, the mother of that child who has
just left us; that when you deserted
her she died broken hearted, while you
allowed the Montalbon woman to take
the girl and pass it off as her own,
though later she was kidnapped by you,
The woman suspected that you would
wish to marry again and swore to pre-
vent it, Her appearance upon the scene
just as you were to become husband
must have been a menace to you. Do
you see the point? Murders have been
committed with less motive. l think,
therefore, that have sufficient evidence
upon which to arrest you"
"You might arrest me upon less evil
dence," said Mr.. Mitchell. "It is done
every day. But to convict me you would
have to prove all this. "
"How do you know that I cannot
prove it?"
"For the very simple reason that your
facts are all wrong"
Every good, Mr.. Mitchell, but you
will have to prove that, "
~ am fully prepared to do SO. To
begin with, according to your story, I
abducted this child. There you are only
partly right. l did take her away from
the Montalbon, and l did it, as you
might say, by stealth and force. But /
had the fullest right to do so."
"You admit, then, that you are her
father?"
son the contrary, I deny it, and
there is the weak point in your story.
Your argument all depends upon my
having been guilty Of wronging that
girls mother and the Montalbon's hay
ing me in her power. In point of fact,
I am not her father, and the Montalbon
had but q slim chance to blackmail me. "
"But you admitted to me that you al
lowed her to do SO; that you gave her
a large amount in jewels.
"That is true, yet I did not submit
to blackmail. "
"Mr. Mitchell, I seldom forget a
mans words. You told me that day in
the vaults that you were in the woman's
power; that she could ventilate certain
scandals which might break your en-
Yet now you say you were
not in her power and that you did not
submit to blackmail. How can you ex-
plain such conflicting statements?"
"Two conflicting statements may both
be true, provided lapse of time occurs
between them. When admitted that
had been in the power of that woman,
I thought SO; therefore I spoke the truth.
When I say now that I was not, also
speak truly. In the interval I have
learned to appreciate the character of
the woman who is now my wife. That
is all. know now that the Montalbons S
story, blazoned forth to the world,
would not have affected her faith in
me if had told her my own version"
"For heavens sake, gentlemen" in
terrupted Mr.. Neuilly, "stop this argu-
ment and get down to the facts. I am
to know the truth"
eyes, Roy" said Emily. "Why not
simply tell the story as narrative, and
let the whole truth be known?"
"That is what I mean to do. have
only been enjoying a little sparring
with Mr.. Barnes. But it is cruel to Mr..
Neuilly. who, I hope, will pardon me.
To begin at the beginning, must go
back to my youth in New Orleans. I
was in love with beautiful young girl. "
Here he pressed his wife's hand, and she
returned it, as though to say that she
understood. 81 think I need not men
tion the name of Roses mother. Mr..
Neuilly, unless you have already done
so. ~
"Heaven forbid that I should have
betrayed the secret" said the old man.
II did not suppose that you had, for
I know you to be true man, though I
have never met you before This state
ment may surprise you, but it is true.
l am not the man for whom you take
me. He is now in a lunatic asylum,
while am his cousin. know 1t is sup.
posed that am the crazy man, but that
is an error, promulgated by the Montal-
bon to serve her own ends. The facts
then are thus: While boy at school I
loved my girl companion, little Roses
mother Just before I left the south to
enter Harvard, told my little sweet
heart-she was then but 15--that /
would marry her upon my return. This
was my first love and hers. had cous-