Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-05-17


you see, know everything"
Percciying that further denial was
useless, Mora laughed and, lighting a
cigarette, put 1t jauntily between his
teeth and said:
"Well, what if it is all true? What
are you going to do about it?'
81 am going to persuade you to mar
ry Lillian Vale"
'l'd like to know how. 1t will take
q good deal of persuasion, let me tell
you"
THAT will depend upon the quality
of the persuasion. There are two
kinds at my command-moral suasion
and force"
Force! Force me to marry against
my will! Mr.. Mitchell, excuse the
slang, but you make me tired"
81 will make you more than that be-
fore many minutes, young man. | will
make you penitent and obedient"
Mr.. Mitchell spoke sharply, and Mora
took his cigarette from his mouth and
looked at him, puzzled.
"What do you mcanT"
"First let me ask you question.
This girl was an innocent child when
/ you met her. She loves you. She is
beautiful Above all she is tho moth.
err of your child. VIII you marry her
for these reasonsW
mo; | will not.'
"Thcn moral suasion fails, and you
compel me to resort to force. regret
this, for up to this moment l looked
upon you merely as the needless, fast
young man of the day. Now l know
that Mr. Barnes estimate of you is cor.
rect. You are a criminal
You are liarn' retorted Mora an
grily
Il pass that by" said Mr.. Mitchell,
"as idle words which you cannot prove
Mine, however, are susceptible of
proof. | repeat, you are a criminal,
and can prove it,"
I'D like you to tell me what crime |
have committed and then show me
your proof"
VERY well. Now we approach our
business in a busincsslike manner You
committed the crime of abandoning
your infant, and the punishment is
seven years in the penitentiary. What
have you to say
Il say rot! If you think you can
prove that. you are nightly mistak-
en-"
I'VE shall see"
Mr.. Mitchell touched the electric but
ton and when the hallboy came he
gave him note. While waiting the
two men sat silent, Mora smoking his
cigarette and gazing insolently at Mr..
Mitchell. Within ten minutes there was
a tap on the door, and Mr. Mitchell ad-
mitted Rcbecca Polaski.
"Rebecca, you remember the story
you told Inc about seeing the man who
placed that baby in the graveyard"
said Mr.. Mitchell.
Yes, sir" said the girl timidly
"The moon shonc brightly for awhile.
and you saw the mans face. did you
not? You saw it distinctly"
"Oh, yes, sir"
You would be able to recognize that
man if you should see him again,
would you not?"
81 would know him anywhere"
Every well. Stop looking at me. Look
at that man sitting there So. Tell
me--do you recognize him.
Rebecca Polaski gazed fxedly at
Mora, and he stared at her fearlessly
in return. At length she spoke:
mo. sir: never saw him before"
"Ha, ha, haw laughed Mora bolster
ously. What did | tell you? so you
thought you had a witness to my
crime. did you? Well. you see you did
lie when you called me criminal"
Mr.. Mitchell was chagrined to find
that Rebecca could not identify Mora.
but he was stung into action by the
sncering tone in which the younger
man now addressed him. Turning to
the girl, he dismissed her, and then,
advancing toward Mora, he said:
silence. You escape from this
charge, but there is a greater one"
Murder, eh?'
NO; | have no proof of that though
Mr. Barnes thinks he has. But do you
realize that this girl whom you refuse
TO marry, th's girl who is the mother
of your chiId-do you realize, | ask
you, that she was only II years old
when you began to ensnare her with
your wiles? DO you know that she is
the daughter of Colonel Payton, one
of the directors of the Metropolitan
Founding society? Ha. That is news
to you, but it is true Now, suppose
that Colonel Payton, backed by that
powerful society, should begin to pros
ecute you. Do you think that all your
millions would save you from the full
penalty of the law, 20 years in Sing
SingY
Twenty years in Sing Sing! Heaven
and EARTH" exclaimed Mora, pale with
fear.
Heaven and earth will both be lost
TO you If you do not comply with my
wishes. You will be confined behind
stone walls, and the colonel will see to
1t, ! promise you, that executive elem
ency never reaches you until you have
served your time in full DO you not
see that the only hope of escape is in
the marriage which | suggest! Thus
the law would be satisfied, the colonel
would be satisfied, the girl would be
satisfied, and, what is best of all, your
own conscience would be satisfied"
Mora had started from his seat and
was walking nervously up and down
the room.
"You are right" said he at length.