Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1905-1906, 1906-02-10

10 give you OacK tndt amount VIII
| leave me beggar. an absolute beggar.
without roof to shelter me am too
old for service. and besides, ] am
physically incapacitated. III you should
force me. I could not meet my note
save by selling the house my child was
! born in. Have you discounted it,"
mo. Why should I present 1t at the
! bank? II does not mature till next
Monday, and / am in no need Of
! money"
What a wretch I ami"
Karloff raised his shoulders resign
eddy.
my daughter"
"Or my ducats." whimiscally quoted.
the count. Come, Colonel: do not
stumbles who looks back. | have been
thinking of your daughter. love her.
deeply. eternally."
you love herr"
Eyes. love her because she appeals
to all that is young and good in me;
| because she represents the highest type
of womanhood With her as my wife.
| why. ! should be willing to renounce
my country. and your Indebtedness
would be crossed out of existence with
one stroke of the pen"
The colonel's haggard face grew light
with sudden hopefulness.
81 have BEEN" the count went on,
studying the ash Of his cigar, till
this night what the world and my own
conscience consider an honorable man.
have never wronged man or woman
personally. What have done on the
order of duty does not agitate my con-
science. ] am simply machine The
moral responsibility rests with the
car When I saw your daughter, |
deeply regretted that you were her
father"
The colonel grew rigid in his chair.
do not misunderstood me. Before
! saw her. you were but the key to
what desired. As her father the mat
ter took on a personal side. I could
not very conscientiously make love to
your daughter and at the same time"
Karloff left the sentence incomplete.
And Betty PIN half a whisper.
HAS refused me,"-quietly. But
have not given her up; no, have not
given her up"
What do you mean to do?"
Karloff got up and walked about the
room. Make her my wife, simply.
He stopped and studied the titles of
some of the books in the cases. He
turned to find that the colonel had
risen and was facing him with fam
ing eyes.
Il demand to know how you intend
to accomplish this end" the colonel
said. my daughter shall not be
dragged into this trap"
Tomorrow night shall explain ev-
erything; tonight, nothing."-imper-
turbably.
"Karloff, tonight I stand a ruined
and dishonored man. My head, once
held SO proudly before my fellow-men,
is bowed with shame. The country
have fought and bled for have in part
betrayed. But not for my gain, not for
my gain. No, no! Thank God that
can say that! Personal greed has not
tainted me. Alone, | should have gone
serenely into some poorhouse and eked
ont an existence on my half-pay. But
this child of mine. whom love doubly,
for her mothers sake and her own
| would gladly cut off both arms to
spare her single pain, to keep her
in the luxury which she still believes
rishtfully to be hers. When the fever
OF gaming possessed ne. ! should have
told her. did not; therein lies my
mistake, the mistake which has
brought me to this horrible end. Vir
ginius sacrificed his child TO save her;
| will sacrifice my honor to save mine
from poverty. Force her to wed a
man she does not love? No To-mor-
row night we shall complete this dis
graceful bargain. The plans are all
finished bat one. Now leave me;
wish to be alone"
Sir. it is my deep regret"
60. there is nothing more to be
said"
Karloff withdrew He went soberly
There was nothing sneering nor con-
temptuous in his attitude. Indeed
there was frown Of pity on his face.
, He recognized that. circumstances had
dragged down a noble man: that
n ~ ST.