Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-06-10

4
mother as we'll as yours-as IL I were
stranger in tho house and could net b
Of tho same nesh and blood as you ant
she.
"That is long ago, James, and W,
are 10 longer boy ard girl. but man ant
woman. But my heart tells me that
have not kept my promise to her. Sht
said to me when she was dying: Mary
| am afraid for James. He can be chiv
alrously generous to those who appea
to his protection; ho can be heartlessly
cruel to those who oppose his will. Yor
remember how as q boy he fought like
q wildcat with two lads twice his sizt
in defense of tho homeless cur that
crawled to his feet when they were
stoning it, and you remember that upon
the same day, because his own dog
snarled at him, he beat it about the
head 60 rlercilesSly that we had to kill
it. Mary, l am afraid for james; l am
the one and only soul in this world
where, young as he is, he feels himself
ar Jutcast-who understands him. And
everything depends upon his associa.
tions. He might be a good man or he
might be criminal. Mary, promise me
you will not be too hard with him
promise mo that you will try to under
stand him, and to make allowance and
to be gentle.
II promised her, James, and meant
to keep my promise, but l know now
that l have not done so. 1 did not
grudge you money. Igave you more of
what my father left me than | kept.
Bat did not try to bo to you what l
promised our mother to be- l know
now, though did not know it then.
have reason to know it now, for my lit
tic son Stanley looks up at me with your
eyes to reproach mo with it. What you
once were he now is in looks and in dis
position. l fear for him as your mother
feared for you, and his mother knows
now that the promise / made to your
mother did not keep.
James, if you have done evil, am
greatly to blame. If I had kept my
promise, if had tried to take our dead
mothers place in your life, if l had
aimed at being your companion and at
winning your confidence, if l had
sought to keep evil influences away and
to set good influences at work, you
might never have formed the associa.
tions you have formed. That you have
done the things they lay to your charge
| cannot believe. have seen The Daily
Record aud the portrait, and l know
only too well, in spite Of the disguise,
that tho James Mullen who is accused
of being Captain Shannon is my half
brother James. will never believe
nothing will make me belieye-that it
is really true, and that you are RESPONSE
bic for the inhuman crimes which you
are said to have committed Or to have
caused to be committed. That you are
associated with men who are capable of
any wickedness is, l fear, only too true;
that men who, by flattering that fatal
vanity Of yours, which know SO we'll
that constitutional craving to be thought
important and a power, of which l can
SEQ traces in the manifesto which was
published after the explosion - have
made you their tool and have persuaded
you to accept responsibilities for &C.
tions in which you had no hand. l can
readily believe. But that you, whom I
have known to do sach chivalrous &C.
tions-you, whom I have seen empty
your pockets to relieve some beggar
whose woebegone looks had appealed
to your pity-could deliberately plan the
murder of hundreds of inoffensive peo-
pie cannot and never will believe.
"Until I received your letter I did
not know where to write to you, and
feared to send to the old address lest my
note should fall into wrong hands. You
say that you have got into scrape, and
that must help you to get out of Eng
land as you cannot trust your associates
which I can we'll believe. You say,
too, that you must get right away to
America or Australia, and that must
lend you the steam yacht, as it would
not be safe to go by any ordinary pas
senger steamer. all of which are being
You say you would not drag
me into such miserable business if you
could help 1t, but that you dare not
risk the chance of attracting the atten-
tion in which your chartering yourself
a boat big enough to cross to America
might result.
"Well, see the force of all this, and
will do what can to help you, but
only on one condition. How heartily my
husband and I abhor the acts of those
with whom you are associated you must
know. Not even to save your life, not
wen to keep our connection with you
from becoming known, not even to save
our children from being branded |
throughout their lives as the relatives
of man who was accused of the black
ost murder. would we move hand or
,oot in any matter which might even in |
he smallest detail further the infamous |
laheme in which your associates are en-
jagged.
"But Stanley and I have talked it |
'ver, and if you will absolutely and un-
promise to sever yourself |
entirely from your associates and never |
lgain to take part in any political plot
ing, we will do as you ask and bring |
he steam yacht to the place you men,
ion, and remain there until you can
make an opportunity to join uy. We |
will then take you to America or Aus
ralia, or whatever country you think
will be safest, will allow you q certain
'early sum, which will enable you to
,egin life over again, and if possible to
'etrieve your terrible past.
II tell you frankly that it is only
Ifter days Of entreaty that I have got
Stanley to consent to this. Fad it not
,een that he knows my life is hanging
" thread, and that for you, my only
'rother, to be given up to the police by
which came through me