The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-02-06

ed moment and then asked a ques-
ton:
How far Is Mr.. Marsh responsible
for all this suffering. for these deathsr
God will judge him. not t. she an
swered. her blue eyes filed with. a light
that more than once during the week
Gordon had noticed as peculiar TO her.
Il want TO say the right thing TO him.
But l am afraid | shall lose my judg-
ment In the matter" he said as he hes
itated. Miss Andrews did not offer any
suggestion, and Gordon af once went
out and took the first car that made
connections with uptown lines.
1t was not until he stood on the ia
miliar steps that he realized in some
degree what he was about TO do. The
chance OF meeting Luella was so small
, that he had not given il any thought
He had not seen her since his inter
| view with her. and while he was heart
hungry for the kind of love that was
being denied him, the experiences
| through which he had been since 60
ing to Hope House. the appalling char
acter Of the disaster for which Luella's
father was at least in large part re-
| sponsible, for the time being obscured
his personal affairs. II can truly be
said that as he gave his name to the
| servant and asked to see Mr. Marsh
he was nerving himself for the inter
view, with Luella i'm second place at
least.
| He went into the hall reception room
and had only just sat down when Lu-
ella entered. He rose and faced her
and saw at once that some mistake had
been made by the servant. Luella was
deeply agitated. She was hardly able
to say:
Il was told a visitor wished to see
me-
Il called to see Mr.. Marsh" said
Gordon quietly. but his pulses were
beating high.
For a moment they stood looking at
each other and each noted something
even under the stress of the situation.
John saw that the proud attitude was
marked by a sadness that had left its
mark on a beautiful face so clearly
that he said TO himself. "She loves me
stillr' Luella noted in her former lover
an added dignity and nobility and said
to herself, He is man; not a store
model like Penroser' And there were
two hearts beating high in the short
silence
Father Is not at home. He is out of
Ae CITY," she managed TO say. but her
Ups trembled in spite of all her efforts.
Gordon took step toward the hall.
May l ask when he went awayT"
II believe he left three days ago.
THE morning after the fire around
Hope HouseT -
"Yes."
There was another silence. Gordon's
mind went ipfo a tumult.
MAY l ask when he expects to re
turng"
Il think tomorrow or the next day.
She was recovering her equanimity
but she resented his questions.
"Will you kindly ask him to come
down to Hope House and see me on q
matter of business when he retirns?"
viii you state the business?" She
put the question as coldly as he had
put his.
L
now and was lashing him hard. PLEASE
tell your father want to ask him how
far he considers himself responsible fol-
the murder of over sixty children and
| the manning of a score more on ac
count of the Illegal tenement he con
|, structed on Bowen street" 1t wa.
. the severest thing he had ever sait
. | to Luella, but his excuse was fount
in the agony that filled Hope House a
that minute
Murder, did you say?" Luella's eye
blazed. She stepped toward John Cor
. don and confronted him defiantly. ID,
, you realize what you are saying?"
, do 1? oh, Luella, if you had seel
, what l have seen during the last thre
days Gordon broke down SO sudden
, ly that Luella was overwhelmingly EN-
I barrassed. 1t was no secret with he
heart that the man had her love; a
, least she was wretched without hin
, even il she was not yet willing to liv
, with him where he chose to live. L
. see him sitting there now, with hi
, face covered, smote her proud natur
. SO hard that in moment she woul
;. have been kneeling beside him an
a promising to go with him anywhere
n to leave every social pleasure sh
q priced, for the love of his heart.
But how should John Gordon kno,
q Anything of all that? When he locke
a up he saw her standing very still an
), very white, staring at him in a que.
; tioning way. And in an almost matte
of fact tone he began to relate til
!. facts about Mr.. Marsh's relation to th
!, disaster. He told the facts in quite
n dispassionate manner. In reality b
|. was exercising a great repression. An
he noticed as he drew near the en-
! that Luella was listening like one wh
n was being told certain things for I'll
first time
Il never knew that father owne
= any property on Bowen street." 81
:. said in a low voice when Gordo
% stopped.
!. John Gordon rose His heart was sor
!. over everything connected with Nj
10 Marsh's conduct. He had not a sing
N excuse to offer for him.
n do you believe me?" Luella erie
with her old spirit flaming up.
81 have no reason to disbelieve yol
"a You are not to blame for your father
a guilt"
ct is a great grief to me-" she sa
!" simply. ''Over sixty children! | coul
# not read the details of the-the-disa
ter. Father took the paper out of m
q. hands that morning. 1t made me sic
n Iand-and-you know how sensitive f
80
A. suffering. He could not bear TO hear (
- If or look af IL I am made i'm the SAN