Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-10-03

bit of family revenge. Chance put
you in the way of doing 1t. You
would have carried off my daughter
and left me childless. You would
have done 1t in such a way that the
very manner OF her going with you
would have been the severest con.
domination of my life and me. You
didn't QUITE succeed and yet you
haven't wholly failed My daughter
stands by me before the world; she
only condemns me In secret, she
only shrinks from me by ways which
she thinks / don't see or understand.
AS q matter OF appearance she's still
my. child, but as a matter of fact. I've
lost her. You see then, that you've
done the most important part of your
work-you've effected between her
and me that sort of moral separation
that nothing can ever heal. What.
ever happens now whatever turn
events may, take, she'll never be to
me again--what she used to be. You
see. you've done as much as that. It's
part Of what you wanted, isn't it?"
Winship hesitated q minnie before
replying. EYES," he said at last.
But there's enc thing you haven!
realized" Trafford went on, in the
same calm voice. you've made me-
suffer, but I'm not the only one. I'm
not sure, even. that I'm the one who
suffers most. You couldn't have
guessed beforehand what 1t would
mean to nature like my little girls
to lose her faith in me. But You
must know It now. If you saw her
yesterday. She didn't look like that
when you saw her4first, did she, Win
ship? That's your work AS the
Duke said this morning, she's not dy.
| ing merely because she gave up one
man to marry another; she's dying be-
cause she finds herself in world SO
| tainted that she can't breath In It.
| You see, then, Winship: you wanted
| to kill me, and you've gone far to.
wards killing her. There's just one
thing that will bring her back to life.
Do you want me to tell you what it
is?'
Winship was gazing at Trafford
| with haggard eyes, but he did not
| speak.
"Our reconciliation" Trafford said.
| with the same unemphasized inten.
| sity.
Wlnship rose slowly to his feet.
I'm only man. he said, hoarse.
ly. 1--WE no power to work mira
Gle"
| Then, for Gods sake. couldn't you
pretend to do IT." Trafford cried,
springtng UP In his turn You're
ready to make sacrifices for her sake,
you're ready to take the money.
you're ready to go away. you're ready
| to tear out your own heart and hers
too Is 1t SO much easier to do all
| that than merely to take the hand out
stretched to you? True, It's my hand,
| the hand, you will say, that crushed
| your father and struck your mother
down; but even SO, wouldn't You
| rather touch it---just touch it--t1an
grind the life out of a sweet and
| blameless child? I know your revenge
Is dear to you-but you've got it.
You've got 1t In the, very fact that 7,
| Paul Trafford. come pleading to yoB.
as / never expected to plead TO any
man. I've used men as the mere
bricks with which to build my castle,
and yet I'm brought. to the necessity
Of begging ycn for a recognit.np
Cant you afford to laugh, man!
Can't you afford to triumph over me?
You couldn't gloat at the sight halt
| SO much II you saw me in my coffin
| as you can now In watching me at
your feet. God Almighty has put nls
at your mercy In menacing my poor
chfld's life; but you'd be a. monster,
and not man to keep me there,
| Continued in Next Issue.)