Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-03-08

HE SAT STARING AT THE WORDS FOR
SEVERAL MINUTES
faithfully to see him when he rel
turned" -
Glow do you know he is coming2"
asked the major, in surprise.
II had note from him yesterday
He explained that he was coming to
New York: earlier than he expected,
| owing to a sudden change in his plans,
I will 60 to see him, if you insist on II
but 1 know he will tell me 1 have
| taken enough of his tonics." -
| "Well, that will do,'' said Goddard
reluctantly. He thought of the GRIM
son pictures in the medical book he
! had consulted, and his heart sank.
After all, his newfound happiness was
Goddard's meditations about Blanche
always stopped there. He had shut
his real wife out of his thoughts as
men who are striving for better
things shut out the memory of past
evil deeds and associations
That night when the house was SAL
and he found himself alone in his study
he forced himself to the task of COM
municating with Jeanne. And as can
in no better way reveal the workings
of his heart, I shall reproduce the let
ter word for word.
In beginning it he wrote "Dea1+
Jeanne" but there he stopped abrupt-
| ly, and sat staring at the words for
several minutes, then he tore the sheet
into small bits and let them filter
through his fingers. His letter began
simply as follows:
''Well, have at last done your bidding.
l was mailman. I confess that-the very
| flames of hell had scorched my BRAIN <!
! have committed an unspeakable crime.
! against the purest. loyeliest creature that
God ever gave life to. You will be sur
prised perhaps to find that have changed
so quickly, and really have changed COM
pletely. The scales have fallen from my
sight. feel like man who has been hyp-
! Noticed and wakes to find he has murdered
his best friend. I despise myself as no
mortal ever despised himself before. T
now know that my passion for you was
the blindest, most insane infatuation that
ever dragged the soul of man from an
/ atmosphere of hope down into the mire Of
hellish dependency. I now know that my
| love for my ward was the only pure LOT
i l have ever experienced. Yes, I loved her
when 1 met you, and love her now with
| all the tortured soul within me. have
! Wronged her as no man ever Wronged
pure, unsuspecting woman, but as her lifd
| will be of such short duration, II can
| prevent it she shall never know of the
| stain have put upon her fair name. While
! she lives shall lavish all the tenderness
| of my soul on her, praying to God that I
J that q
for my crime against her. She married
me to comfort me in my loneliness; mar
ried her at the bidding of an intrfguer
of the most objectionable type. I; would
I confess all at this moment but for the fear
that the shock would kill her. How could
tell her that you are alive, and that am
not her legal husband?
| II would not write to you now, but for
the fact that it is due you to know the
stand l have taken, and that we must now
thoroughly understand each other in re.l
gard to Blanche's fortune. AS God Is my
judge l do not want her money, and az
God is my judge you shall never lay your
/ covetous hands upon it. I shall at once
! take precautions to see that, at her death,
; the money shall go to her blood relatives.
! AS to you, shall never willingly see you
/ again, nor write you another line from
this day forth. 1 see my duty ara shall
! do it. Any letter you write me will be re.
turned to you unopened. Do your worst.
J Ii you wish to publish to the world that
you and have played on it's credulity, do
| so, shall then confess to the part took
in your scheme. AS much as I now hate
| you, would not let YOU bear all the blame.
am as guilty as you because am a man.
herewith enclose draft payable to NIL.
Nolan; it is all the money can send You
| now. I am about to enter into a specula-~
ton in railway stock and If it turns out
| we'll shall send you more money. You
are my wife and l shall provide for you
! as we'll as my own means will allow. but
! OF Blanche's money you nor shall ever.
have one penny. shall try to get means
! out OF my own resources to keep you
quiet at least as long as Blanche lives, but
| you need not look to me for large remit-
! tances I am not exactly under your
thumb: your threats of exposure will
| not frighten me. am desperate. I want
slanche to kno" what am. cannot face
| her pure eyes and know that I am 40
vile as the deepest dyed convict. ~ The
sooner you make the whole thing known
the better shall be pleased -
/ - = '.ROWLAND GODDARD"
Mrs Nolan was standing in the door Of
the little gray brick cottage when the
Postman handed this communications
to her. Recognizing the handwriting
she took it unopened to Mrs. Goddard,
who was restlessly walking in the
little, high-walled garden in the rear
of the house. 5@s5<~
| "Ah," she exclaimed, "he has writ.
! ten!" - .ez
-. Yes, it il from him." said the an
! gular woman, approaching slowly.
( Mrs. Goddard tore open the envelope,
She had hardly read dozen lines be-
fore she uttered a little scream, and
then, with quivering hands and exc
banding eyes, she continued to read.
~ what 10 the matter?" asked Mrs.
Nolan. s. r.. .z .ff :;
Matter enough" answered Mrs
Goddard. clenching her hands and.
grating her teeth together. :. Matter
enough. He has married the girl, but
has already-already fallen in love
with her, and now he wants TO throw:
me over s.#I.$ #.:=.
Didn't you expect that 2? asked
Mrs. Nolan. whose innate dislike for:
her mistress often fostered opposition
to her plans.