Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-06
Copyright. by Tho Cassell Publishing COY

cease cheating Mr.. North IN cOnS10eratlOn
Of having married his daughter. Did these
circumstances palliate his offense any in
my eyes? AS well ask drowning person
II he is mindful OF the subtraction or addi-
tion Of a drop or two Of the element that
is killing him.
There have been times in my life when
have been frightened at the intensity Of
some sudden evil passion within me-some-
thing that Is so contrary to my teaching
and education, and arises so spontar eously,
that have been led to regard such things
as an inheritance from my unknown par
ents. And this night as Istood on the stairs
listening. passion of hatred took pos
session Of me, which I can compare to
nothing but a great sea Of molten metal
in a sNelting furnace, white hot and hiss
Ing like a serpent If it comes in contact
with any cooler surface.
My father was scarcely less overcome
than was. He was violent and wretched
by turns. Mr. Stackhouse had been a
peculiar element In his life The man had
had an influence over him such as no one
else had ever gained Now, for the first
time he was shown the real character of
the man he had trusted.
even through all the turbulence Of my
own emotions I understood the Intensity
of my fathers feelings. He was a man of
impulsive and quick temper He never
preserved hatred: but for that very rea-
son it lived all the fiercer at the moment
of Its birth. His own rage at this instant
was little short Of mine.
Villain! Scoundre.! Harpyr l heard
him mutter from tins to time, and then
he would burst out into violent impreca-
tfons that would have terrified me had i
been in mood to fear anything.
when he had submitted his evidence,
Mr.. Fetridge suggested the action which
he asked my father to take. He said that
ho rhod law - - i
family honor and for my honor. That If it
had not been for his opportune interview
ton Marie Moissot would have made the
bigamy Of Albert Runyon public scandal.
He reminded my father that was no more
the wife Of this scoundrel than as If that
sacrtlege of ceremony had never been
performed. There were, therefore no legal
ties to be severed Mr.. North must act In the
matter as II he had become possessed of
his information through any source but the
real one Richard Fetridge's part in the
affair was never to be known; not even to
me. But was to- learn the truth from my
fathers lips. So was Albert Runyon. MY
father was to g., to him; give him "a hours
to leave the country after signing damag-
Ing document which Mr.. Fetr1dKe had pre-
pared. In course of time it was suggested
that might quietly obtain divorce on
the ground of desertion. In case this pro-
gramme was carried ont, Mr. Fetridge pro-
posed to help my father out Of his financial
difficulties. Otherwise he could withdraw
his support
when tire arrangements had been COM
pleted, Mr. Fetridge went away with the
woman, and my father, who proposed to
sleep In the house that night and to meet
Mr.. Fetridge early in the morning, after
seeing them to the door, returned to his
library
81 awoke gradually out Of my long trance
70 bo j1,r,, = "a
not propose to conceal the fact of my pres
ence from my father. The conference be-
tween US was not to be delayed. It must
take place tonight
He was, SO engrossed that he did not
hear my footsteps was startled when 1
saw what his occupation was. He was
loading his pistol. l was not in a condition
to measure accurately the flight of time,
but must have fingered on the staircase
some minutes after his return to the library,
for, as I afterwards discovered, he had
quite finished his task when interrupted
him. He had taken out his box of cart
ridges from a drawer of his writing desk.
which still stood open.
Father called to him. 'Fatherr
He uttered an exclamation of horror,
repulsed the pistol, as il endeavoring to
conceal it. and turned toward me. He whis-
pered my name. and took step or two
hastily toward me.
AT the same time I uttered a cry OF
warning. for l saw the pistol topple over
by its own weight. Slowly at first and then
with quick dash, 1t slid from a mass of
papers upon which 1t had been placed,
dropped from the edge, turned completely
over, and was caught in the corner Of the
open drawer My cry was drowned by the
simultaneous report. Mr.. North threw up
his hands, rushed forward with an awful
look In his face and fell at my feet.
va ,A1N 49,. 49, III II.
my name and murinur something about
my husband. But this sudden, unexpected
climax to the unutterable horrors of that
night gave a temporary relief to my
suffering. l could bear no more. / have
dim remembrance Of putting out my hands
10 save myself from falling
Il have no means of knowing how long
! lay upon the floor. When I awoke saw
my father lying moticnless by the door,
with that horrible dripping scrawl which
! knew had been made by his own blood
upon the wall. I called to him, seized his
hand. but I soon saw that he was quite
dead
The sight of the blood did not terrify
me- l am ashamed to confess 1t, and
cannot explain It, but it filled me tempo
rarily with a strange, wild, savage exulta-
tion l know now that l must have been
crazy. Emotional insanity, the physicians
call It, God knows how honored and loved
the man who had been father to me-
| am told they suspected me Of having
killed him. Heaven knows I am wicked
enough; but not that crime-no, not that!
Let me pass over the next Is minutes.
They will be a terror to me as long as
memory remains to me. When became
calmer tried to realize what had been
done. had no doubt that my father had
intended to write message to me-to tell
me no doubt that this man was not my
husband. In his dying moments his un-
fulfilled purpose had haunted him.
II cannot tell the sitting sensations
which followed the sudden realization that
this writing on the wall would be taken
as an accusation against the man who had
done his best to ruin US both
When this awful idea first came to me,
/ fed from the room, as If by SO doing I
could leave the idea behind me. I actually
had opened the outer door to call help
when the full realization Of all that my
false husband had done to me rushed over
me with renewed force. I stopped still and
my heart was steeleo to every cry of con-
science. AS fully possessed Of my faoul-
ties as l ever was in my life, stood at the
door and thought Of everything-of the
chances Of the success of isis terribh re-
yenge for NV wrongs. of NV ability to carry