The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-08-21

Tense. But you tell me that the girl is
a stranger to you. Somehow had en-
tertained the idea that perhaps you had
seen her before"
"Never, sir; never! That is another
preposterous suggestion on your part.
| would have you remember that I do
not select my associates from that
Glass;
''Well, then, perhaps the girls face
seemed familiar to you; perhaps she
reminded you of some one?"
AT these words the colonel started
and then grew quite angry. Rising
from his chair, he lowered over Mr..
Mitchell, who remained seated and
looked up at him calmly.
aWhat do you mean, SIR" cried the
colonel, 'sby your insinuations? How
dare you come to my own Office and
presume to catechise me in this way?
If you hope to help your pretty little
friend by your impertinence, you cal
culate wrongly, sir. am not the man
who puts up with that sort of thing.
1 have half a mind to kick you out,
sir"
81 am glad you have only half
mind, for that makes it possible for
the other half of your mind to dis
suade YOU from such a foolish project.
1t would be very unwise for you to
dismiss me unheard.'
"Unheard, sir? Then why the devil
don't you speak? Why are you beat
ing around the bush in this way?
Come to the point, sir; come to the
pointv'
81 will do so,' said Mr.. Mitchell, ris-
ing and facing his companion. .'It
will, after all, be the best way per-
haps. Well, then. colonel, to make it
short will ask you to recall the day
when first came here and saw The in
81 do, quite distinctly"
1.-TWO things l will mention. You
may remember that we had little dis
cussion regarding the proper treatment
of those who abandon their children.
l advocated the plan of compelling the
parents to care for their offspring"
5"And l told you you were a fool. I
have not changed my mind"
NJ afterward told you that l would
knowledge rather than from mere pre-
sumption. Therefore the colonel ask
ed in low tone:
"What do you mean?"
81 mean, Colonel Payton, that Lillian
Vale. The Lily of the Valley as she
is called; this girl for whom you think
| prison is a fitting home; this girl
whose heritage and environment are
in your mind no palliation to her Of
Tense; this girl whose infant was cast
away among the tombs of the dead
is''-
''1s what?' cried Colonel Payton.
SIS your own daughter" declared
Mr.. Mitchell
sIt is falsew cried the old man in q
voice tremulous with excitement
"Denial is useless. colonel You
damned your own child with a curse
which has come at your bidding. Yor
prophesied that this babe, whose moth
er called it Lily. would lose her purity
as soon as she should learn to under
stand the meaning of love. Well, colo
mel, your daughter was mother al
4 16. What say you?"
Nothing, nothing! do not know
where you have heard this story MOI
why you bring it to me-"
zone more fact will convince you
You took the child from its mother
:! and, wrapping it in a shawl, you car
ried it to a convenient doorstep, where
you left it. But you pinned on Its lit
tie dress scrap Of paper, on wlicl
you wrote the letters YALE. TIL,
ignorant woman who found the chic
interpreted this to mean Vale, the fam
lily name, though she marveled that {
), parent would abandon babe, yet dis
close it's name. But she was ignoran
} of Latin. When you wrote those let
tiers, you meant them to stand for TIL,
Latin word vale, farewell, did you not
} colonel? You thought to bid farewell
to your sin, to your past, to blot ou
. all and begin anew? Am not right ~
eyes, yes! l confess ALL My God
my sin has found me out! But wa
young. was tempted. VAS
J He ceased suddenly and stood III
erect, transformed in a moment from
Q coward to brave soldier. Then b
; continued In firmer speech:
Z mo; have no excuse to make.
was villain. But since then hay
7 been a soldier, and II am ready t
: condemn others am as willing to con
fess my own fault. l accept the re
, sponsibility Of my sin. You said yo1
would find the father of the little on
and compel him to support his CHILD
J You have also discovered it's grand
father, the father of another abandon
| ed child, and you shall also compe
him to do his duty. Mr. Mitchell,
will acknowledge my daughter befor
= the world. I will take her and he
poor little baby to my heart and hom
and guard and protect them. Are 70,
t satisfed?'
. Il asn oyerjoyed, colonel" said MI
Mitchell, grasping the older man b,
the hand. "You see, when you arr
. forced to decide what real Justice /.
you adopt my theory. I am DOT sure
however, that I would advocate the
course which you suggest. We mus,