Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-09-17

preston became confused in his
| mind with the unspeakable look of
fallen Christ In picture of Van.
| dyck's he had seen in church inAnt-
| werp. His lips twitched, his eyelids
quivered
"My little girl" he muttered to him
self. II struck her down. It's come
to that"
| Again he stared as if without sight
and without thought. 1t was late in
the evening when he rose and passed
into the salon, where the two ladies
and George were sitting in silence.
He went straight to the bell and rang
| 1t.
ASK Miss Paula to come here he
said to the servant who appeared.
He took seat and waited. In few
4 minutes she came. She stood on the
threshold, without advancing into the
room. He had again the impression
that her color was very radiant and
4 her eyes strangely blue. He had ano-
ther impression, impossible to define
the feeling that his little girl was
no longer near him. but gazing at him
across some mysterious food He
waited for her to some into the room,
but as she did not, he spoke.
i
i gently as he could, "since this after
noon Use reflected. You can't be I'M
aware that what you told us in the
gallery has been great blow to me,
a great shock
II thought It might be a shock, papa
at first; didn't know it would ever
prove a blow
"It has done so, already. I can say.
without melodramatic exaggeration,
that it's one which neither your
mother nor l can ever get over"
4 ooh, mamma darling, didn't think
that possible"
/ Her voice trembled, but she took
no. step to advance into the room
Mrs. Trafford pressed her handker-
chief to her eyes. and said nothing
II want to do you Justice, dear"
Trahord went on, "and want you to
be just to me- We must be sympathetic
with each other"
More than that" she interposed
1 Eyes, more than that. 1t isn't posi-
BILE for you and me to have any wish
more sacred than to insure each other
Happiness, ia TT"
mot for me, papa"
II thought 80. And you must
know that it's equally impossible for
me. I don't have to tell you that
you're all have. Oother fathers love
their daughters; know that, of
course But don't think many Of
them do as / love mine Come into
the room, dear Don't stand away
j from me. Come and kiss me-"
! Moving forward very slowly, she
bent and kissed him. He drew her to
him, and she sank on the floor be.
side his chair.
"Oh, papa! Oh, papa!" she muir
INJURED, throwing her arms about his
4 neck.
4 There. there" he whispered, sooth-
ingly. 'Im sure we shall understand
each other"
1 She rose again, and took seat.
| She sat directly facing him, the thrse
others ranging behind his chair
Eve been trying to comprehend. :"
y he began again. Gust how it was you
felt called upon to take the step you
announced to us today. thinkI see
1t. needn't try to explain, for I'm
sure you follow me. don't say that
we should both find, difficult to dis
cuss. But since you feel as you do
I'm ready to go as far as I can to
meet YOU"
She clasped her hands tightly in her
lap, looking at him with parted lips
and eyes glowing.
ITO the young man we saw today
he continued, speaking very deliber-
ately, "Im ready to give large sum
Of money 1t shall be as large as you
like. / understand there's been some
mention made Of million dollars. |
should be willing to make it that
"0h, papa, how good you are!"
II should settle it on his sister ana
him, In equal proportions as I be-
lieve the mother is dead. It could be
called restoration or restitution, or
anything else they chose. BY the
press and the public aud the pulpit it
would be called conscience money
should be looked upon as penitent
thief
She started from her chair with a
protesting exclamation; but he way
. ed her back
Let me go on, dear Let me show
you how much I'm willing to do for
you-l will even say to suffer for you.
You've known something, in a vague
way, of the fight I've had to make
but you've only seen the favorable
side Of 1t. You've known me as vic.
tor1ous, but you've never known how
often I've been wounded. Nobody has
I've kept that as much as possible to
myself. I'm looked upon as man
too hard to be hurt by the cannonade
OF popular hatred and abuse; but it
isn't so. I've borne 1t in silence and
I've lived through it. TO certain
extent I've lived it down. The men
who couldn't beat me don't hate me
less, but I've got beyond reach ii
their powder. That's all. Now, In
what I'm ready to do at your request
should be putting myself again with.
In their range. should be doing
!, more than that: should be Offering
myself as target. shouldn't be
spared their shots-nor you. nor any
of US. told you once that l wanted
my little girl to be protected from
that; but, Of course, we should have
to let such considerations GO
But, dear papa, why should any
one ever known
, He smiled family with a shrug nj