The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-08-24

AZ TINS Mora dropped INTO chair,
fairly overwhelmed
You don't mind making assertions,
do your he said at last, still attempt
! ing to brave it out. 81 suppose you
got that cock and bull story from
her?'
Not entirely. For example, she did
not tell me your name. She calls you
Morton. Yes, and for short time
she alluded to you as Matthew Crane.
You will admit that it is suspicious
for a gentleman to have aliases?"
What proof have you that I ever
used those names?
"Come, come, Mr.. Mora! You are
not dealing with child. You admit
ted to Mr.. Barnes and myself that you
called yourself Morton in your slum-
ming expeditions and in the house in
| Essex street. You also admitted that
/ there was a Mrs. Morton in the same
house. Then you sent note to that
Mrs. Morton, and also a carriage, in
which she drove away. Now that
same Mrs. Morton turns out to be
Lillian Vale, and in your note you told
her where to go and instructed her to
! call herself Mrs Matthew Crane So,
you see, I know everything"
/ Perceiving that further denial was
useless, Mora laughed and, lighting a
cigarette, put it jauntily between his
! teeth and said:
] "Well, what if it is all true? What
are you going to do about it?"
! II am going to persuade You to mar
ny Lillian Vale
! "I'd like to know how. 1t will take
! a good deal of persuasion, let me tell
! you"
"That will depend upon the quality
/ of the persuasion. There are two
kinds at my commandment suasion
and force"
'Force! Force me to marry against
my will, MI. Mitchell, excuse the
/ slang. but you make me tired"
Il will make you more than that be-
! fore many minutes, young man. 1 will
make YOU penitent and obedient!'
/ Mr.. Mitchell spoke sharply, and Mora
took his cigarette from his mouth and
/ looked at him, puzzled.
i "What do you mean"
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 che moth
er of your child. Will you marry her
for these reasons?'
I! "No: will notv'
ethan moral suasion fails, and you
compel lac to resort to force. l 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 criminal
"You are liar!" 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 l
: have committed and then show me
/ your proof"
! Every well. Now we approach our
i business in a businesslike manner. You
! committed the crime of abandoning
{ your infant. and the punishment is
seven years in the penitentiary. What
i have you to say?"
II say rot! If you think you can
prove that, you are nightly mistak-
en-
''We 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 adj
mitted Rebecca Polaski.
J "Rebecca, you remember the story
! you told me about seeing the man who
! placed that baby in the graveyard? %
said Mr.. Mitchell.
Yes, sir" said the girl timidly.
The moon shone brightly for awhile,
! and you saw the mans face, did you
not? You saw it distinctly"
"Oh yes, STRIP
You would be able to recognize that
man if you should see him again,
would you not?"
Il would know him anywhere"
Very well. Stop looking at me. Look
at that man sitting there. So! Tell
me-do you recognize him?"
/ Rebecca Polaski gazed fixedly at
Mora, and he stared at her fearlessly
III return. AT length she spoke:
! No, sir; never saw him before!"
"Ha, ha, ha!' laughed Mora bolster
ously. What did l tell you? SO you
thought you had 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
sneering 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 pirl whom Won raf,,S,