Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1901-05-29
through his fingers. His letter began
simply as follows:


well, have at last done your bidding.
l was mailman. confess that-the very
flames of hell had scorched my brain.
nave committed an unspeakable crime
against the purest, loveliest creature that
God ever gave life to. You will be sur
prised perhaps to find that have changed
so quickly, and really I 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. J. despise myself as no
mortal ever despised himself before. !
now know that my passion for you was
the blindest, most insane infatuation that
ever dragged the soul Of a man from an
atmosphere of hope down into the mire of
hellish dependency. now know that my
love for my ward was the only pure love
l have ever experienced. Yes, loved her
when met you, and I love her now with
all the tortured soul within me. I have
Wronged her as no man ever wronged
pure, unsuspecting woman, but as her life
will be of such short duration, If I can
prevent it she shall never know of the
stain have put upon her fair name. While
she lives I shall lavish all the tenderness
of my soul on her, praying to God that
may in that way atone little-a very little
for my crime against her. She married
me to comfort me in my loneliness; L mar
ried her at the bidding of an intriguer
of the most objectionable type. I would
confess all at this moment but for the fear
that the shock would kill her. How could
tell her that you alive, and that am
not her legal husband?
L 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-
gard to Blanche's fortune. AS God is my
judge 1 do not want her money and as
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, l shall never willingly see you
again, nor write you another line from
this day forth. I see my duty and shall
do Il. Any letter you write me will be re-
turned to you unopened. Do your worst.
If 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 l now hate
you, would not let you bear all the blame.
l am as guilty as you because am man.
I herewith enclose draft payable to Mrs.
Nolan; it is all the money can send you
now. 1 am about to enter into specula-
ton in railway stock and If it turns out
we'll l shall send you more money. You
are my wife and I shall provide for you
as we'll as my own means will allow, but
of Blanches money you nor l shall ever
have one penny. l 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. l am not exactly under your
| thumb; your threats of exposure will
not frighten me. 1 am desperate. want
| Blanche to know what am. 1 cannot face
her pure eyes and know that am as
vile as the deepest dyed convict The
| sooner you make the whole thing known
the better l shall be pleased.
"ROWLAND GODDARD"
| Mrs. Nolanwas standing in the door of
the little gray brick cottage when the
postman handed this communicat ton
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.
"Ah," she exclaimed, she has writ.
ten."
Eyes, it is from him. said the an
gular woman, approaching slowly.
Mrs. Goddard tore open the envelope.
She had hardly read a dozen lines be-
fore she uttered a little scream, and
then, with quivering hands and ex-
banding eyes, she continued to read
ITO Be Continued