Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-01-28
It II not-would care to claim kinship

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he snarled. Are you knave or fool
that you stand there listening to this
threat on my life? You know that this
woman is .Renard's child. You have
Sir Johns papers to prove 1t. Are you
not his attorney, man? Then tell these
gentlemen that / speak the truth and
that I will meet them both singly and
carve 1t on their bodies lest they for
get it."
ut is too late" 1 said. "A gentle
mans sword can never again be soiled
by those hands,"
Aye" cried Foxcroft suddenly, at
is too late. You say / have papers to
provesthe truth? have, and you shall
hear the truth. you cursed scoundrel!"
"She is the Weasel's childw cried
Butler h~oarsely.
IF she were'the child Of Tom O. Bed
lam she is still betrothed to me-" I
said.
And ]. laid my hand on his arm and
asked him If he was minded to die
quietly in the garden, while Mount,
knife at his throat, pushed him toward
the door.
"Do you mean it" he burst out,
shuddering. cam I not to have a
chance for life? This is murder, Mr..
Cardiganw
$50 dealt you by me at the Cayuga
stake" said l..
"Yet-it is murder you do. If my
hands are not clean, would you foul
your own"
$50 dealt you by me in Queen street
prison." I said slowly.
"Yet, nevertheless, it Is murder, and
you know 1t. Are the Cardigans the
public hangmenT
"Give him his sword!" I cried pas
sionateiy. II canI.or breathe while he
draws breath! Give him his sword
or l will Stay him with naked hands"
"No!" roared Foxcroft, hurting me
back.
Butler scowled at the lawyer; Fox
croft scowled at him and placed his
heavy shoe on the fallen sword. Then
he suddenly stopped, seized the gilded
hilt and snapped the blade in two,
casting the fragments from him in
contempt.
1.-THE sword Of q scoundrel," he said,
'the sword Of a petty malefactor-a
pitiful forger'-
"Liar!" shrieked Butler, springing at
him. Mount flung the maddened mar
into a chair, where he lay, white and
painting, staring at F%oxcroft, who
now stood by the table, coolly examtn.
ing a packet of documents.
, ut is all here" he said. THE story
Of two cheap dabblers in petty crime
Sir John johnson and Mr.. Walter But
, ler-how they did conspire to stea,
, from Miss Warren her wealth, her fail
, fame and the very name God gave
her. 4 shameful story, gentlemen, but
, true on the word Of an honorable
man."
Lies" mnttered Butler between ash
; en- lips. Foxcroft turned tt me, purple
, with passion.
"Str William johnson, your honor
/ able kinsman, left Miss Warren prop
, erty In his will. Sir John found in tn,
same box which held the will a packe'
> of documents and letters addressed t.
Sir William, apparently proving thu
I Miss Warren was the child of a Ger
tain lady who had left her husband
to follow the fortunes of Captain War
ren-her child by her own husband
! Cade Renard, a gentleman of Cam
bridge"
1.-THE Weasel!" burst out Jack Mount
"But she Is not, sir" cried FoIcroft
turning on Mount, ''She is Captain
Warren's WI child. I jorrneyed t
England and proved 1t. 1 have pa
ners here in my pocket to prove it!
!. he said, slapping the flaps of his bras
buttoned coat. st was a lie from be
ginning to end. The letters suppose,
. to have been written to Sir William b.
Sir Peter Warren were forged. Th'
documents supposed to have been un
earthed from the flooring in the cap
tain's cabin of his majesty's ship Led
were forged. I can prove it! I cal
: prove that Walter Butler was the for
: ger! I can prove that Sir John John
son knew it! And to that end Sir job.
and Captain Butler conspired to max
her believe herself to be the child O
a half crazed forest runner who ha'
been besetting Sir John with his ma
opportunities, calling himself Cad
Renard, and vowing that Miss Ware
was his W child!'
: He glared at Butler. The wretche
i mans lips moved to form the wore
"Lies" but no sound came. The
Foxcroft turned to me.
"In my presence these three me
broke the news to her. They hoot
- winked me too. I had suspec
ed villainy had not that fool, Sir JOIN
v attempted to bride silence, should an.
. thing aver occur to cast doubt on th
relationship betwixt this fellow Rel
% ard and Miss Warren!
The lawyer paused, grinding h
" teeth in rage.
IT accepted the bribe! I did, gentl'
:, men! I did it to quiet suspicion. S
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