The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-08-19

% oider that may devote my iIfe II
the ;0ging task OF making you forget
the horror Of this thing. Oh. Barbara.
never loved you half so madly as
love you now. And you love me.
know II. but you must ray H. Yol love
me. Barbara! Sny II! Say II now.
The girl hesitated for no more than
a moment. while her whole body quiv.
cred.
God help me" she said then. Il do
love you! love you too well 10 LEI
you link your life with mine. to lei
you take upon yourself the shadow Of
my disgrace"
"But you have no disgrace. You are
innocent. The fault is not yours that
your father betrayed his trust score
Of years ago-before you were born"
The two were standing now.
II want you 10 sit down while an
swer you, Barbara" said Duncan, with
almost unimaglnable tenderness In his
tone. mo. not In that straight backed
chair. for | want you 10 listen to all |
have 10 say and to be at case while
you listen. ST here" pushing an easy
chair forward. "slt here where you can
see my face as speak. want you
10 see In my eyes the sincerity OF my
soul. Now know you. Barbara, for
what you are. and l love you for that
alone. What your father may have
done or been makes no difference to
me: It In no way alters or lessons my
lovc for you. and II never will. Know
ing It all. am more earnest than ever
In my purpose to make you my wife II
can persuade you to that after have
told you something about myself that
may very justly seem to you real bar
to my hopes"
Go on, please" said the girl. Tell
me what you will. but shall never be-
lieve anything III Of you. ! know bet
ter
Thank you for saying that, DEAR" be
responded, with a tremor In his tone.
But unhappily others may believe it.
III they do. then the career you have
expected for me must be at an end at
once. My reputation for Integrity win
be gone for good. and I must be con.
tent to surrender all my ambitions.
That Is why I must tell you OF this
ugly thing before again asking you to
be my wife"
'Go on" she said again. But shall
believe noth,lg bad OF you, even though
an angel should tell me-"
Il told you the other night" he said,
''that had quarreled with Napper
Tandy. that he had tried to tempt me
with a money brlbe to do an Infamous
thing. He now gives 1t out that 1t was
| who proposed the brlbe; that ] went
to him with an offer to do that lnfa-
nous thing for hire aud that he indig-
nantly rejected the offer"
''EIe llesr broke in the girl.
"Yes, he lies, of course" answered
Duncan. "but have no way Of prov
ing II. He and were alone and in his
house. There We're no witnesses. How,
then, am ever to clear my name Of so
foul an accusationp"
"There Is no need" answered the
girl. Nobody who knows you will
ever believe the story. Captain Hal.
lam would not think 1t worth asking a
question about"
"No: Captain Hallam would not for
moment think Of such thing as even
possible. But that Is because he knows
me as few other men do or ever will.
But the accusation troubles him, be-
cause he knows that other people will
believe 1t. He and Richard Temple
are Mt this moment busy trying to find
some way of clearing my name Of the
foul slander, They will do all that two
loyal and sagacious friends can do to
accomplish that purpose, But / can
not imagine any way In which they
can succeed"
"What is 1t they are dongT
81 do not know. They have refused
to tell me. | only know that they can
never succeed"
"0h, you must not think that. You
don't know what wonders Captain Hal