The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1900-08-17

rms time the colonel did not bluster
mere was that I'm Mr.. Mitchers voice
"hich Indicated that he spoke from
knowledge rather than from mere pre.
sumption. Therefore the colonel ask
ell in Il low tone:
What do you moan?"
Il mean. Colonel payton, that Lillian
Vale, The Lily of the Valley rs she
Is called; this girl for whom you think
prison Is fitting home; this girl
whose heritage and environment arc
IN your mind no palliation to her Of
t2nSo; this girl whose infant was cast
| away among the tombs of the dead.
| is
| us what?' cried Colonel Payton.
| rs your own daughterw declared
| Ma Mitchell.
1T is falsc!' cried the old man I'm n
| voice trcmulous with excitement.
| DENIAL is useless. colonel. You
| damned Your own child with n curse
which has come at your bidding. You
prophcsicd that this babe, whose moth
er called 1t Lily, would lose her purity
nS soon rs she should learn to under
S'and the meaning Of love. Well, colo
mel, your daughter was a mother Mt
IT, What say your
Nothing, nothing! l do not know
where you have heard this story nor
why you bring 1t to me-"
"Onc more. fact will convince vou
You took the child from its mother
and. wrapping 1t In shawl, YOU car
ricd 1t TO convenient doorstep, where
you left it. But you pinned on its lit
tie dress scrap of paper, on which
you wrote the letters VALE. The
ignorant woman who found the child
interpreted this to mean Vale, the fam
lily name, though she marveled that n
parent would abandon n babe, yet dis
close its name. But she was Ignorant
or Latin. When you wrote those let
tcrs, you meant them to stand for tho
Latin word vale, farewell, did YOU not.
colonel? You thought to bid farewell
to your sin. to your past, to blot out
all and begin anew? Am not right?"
"Ies, yes! l confess all! MY God.
my sin has found me out! But was
young. 1 was tempted. l was"-
He ceased suddenly and stood up
erect, transformed In moment from
n coward to brave soldier Then he
continued in firmer speech:
NO; L have no excuse to make.
was villain. But since then | have
been n soldier, and If I am ready to
condemn others l am as willing to con-
fess my own fault. l accept the re-
sponsibility Of my sin. You said you
would find the father Of the little one
and compel him to support his child
You have also discovered its grand
father, the father OF another abandon
ed child, and you shall also compcl.
him to do his duty. Mr.. Mitchell. r,
will acknowledge my daughter before
the world. l will take her and her
poor little baby to my heart and home
and guard and protect them. Are you
satiSGedT
Il am eeysgiaEsd rfe'H55rfeoiers fAhh Absy
the hand. "You see, when you are
forced to decide what real justice is
you adopt my theory. 1 am not sure.
however, that l would advocate the
course which you suggest We must
think it over. Whatever Is best for
the girl must be our chief considera-
tion."
You are right; you are right! l
place myself entirely in your hands"
'Then there Is not q moment to be
lost. The man who has wronged your
daughter has also won the heart of
another, whom he seeks to wed. He
has urged her to elope with him to-
morrow. If she should yield, your
daughters fate would be sealed"
II see, I see! You wish to carry out
your theory. You wish him to marry
my child. That may not be best for
her. but you would argue that the
child's interests demand such course.
Perhaps you are right. These ideas
are all new to me. You must forgive
me If find it difficult to set aside my
own. l cannot help wishing to have
the villain behind the bars"
"No, no, colonel! That would ruin
your child as we'll as his. 1t Is not to
be thought of. Your daughter loves
the man, and we must hope that she
will win him after marriage, for mar
ried they must be. But now, colonel,
If I am to accomplish this, you must
frankly answer q question that l am
compelled to put, however painful 1t
may be. VIII you do so?"
IL am entirely at your command.
will not finch"
"Well, then, tell me this-did you
not have another child"
''Yes," said the colonel in low tones
and with bowed head.
"Also q girl?'
eyes"
"The same motherT
eyes"
"By heavens, knew It! The next
| thing to be done Is to trace that child,
and we have but % hours. It seems
| hopeless"
at may not be. That baby was born
in maternity hospital. We could 60