The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-04-30
6he
R09ue'S
March,.


ing one VINO was never worthy 10 to-cn
the hem of your garment The Enclosed
will give you a true insight into the char
acter of the late Captain BIaydes, but /
make a separate packet of ii SO that you
may destroy ii unread If you prefer not
You may remember telling me rnar
Captain Blaydes had the room that j
have now when he was here and I was
not That was the week before last. The
weather has been SO warm the fire has
not been alfght since my return. and to-
day quite by chance L discovered torn up
in the CRATE the fragments which l have
put together and now fnciose. will not
tell you the word that caught my eye
and irresistfbly fmpelled me to put the
letter together and read it through, nor
viii / seek to defend action that will
no doubt condemn me in your eyes for
ever. 1t was dishonorable. L admit IL.
But I am believer I'm instinct My in
stinct always told me that that man was
bad man, and my instinct told me then
that I was within reach of proving it's
own unerring truth and the measure Of
Villains yillainy. I have done both. as
you Will soon see if you can nerve your
self to know the truth. If not, condemn
me with a glance or with words bitter
as you please, and ] leave this house
tonight and forever. i shall never regret
what I have done. You n/arn traitor,
and I had rather forfeit your respect
nay, and my own honor to boot-than let
so devilish
But if you forgive me- oh, let me hear
1t from your own sweet lips, and I will
move heaven end earth to atone for
what present misery this may infict,
One day you will thank me. Meanwhile,
II you do not spurn. command me, and
your Ightest word shall be my law. If
only / could do something for youl My
one remaining chance of happiness is in
serving her may not love. HumbIy and
sincerely always
JAMES E. w. DAINTREE.
Claire arrived at the last paragraph
with mind made up. She perceived
with amazement the writer's theory
regarding the wretched Blaydes and
herself 1t had never struck her that
her every agitation might be thus mis-
construed, and her first impulse was to
set Daintree right upon the point. She
would then return the discriminating
Enclosure unopened. That would be
sufficient rebuke for an action, as it
Were, so honestly dishonorable. And
at these decisions her nimble mind had
arrived before she came to the last
paragraph.
This she read over more than once
with a puckered forehead and
changeful eye as eagerness. reluctance,
hesitation and decision. shame and
pride whipped across her face like
shadows and sunbeams on gusty day.
And suddenly she tore open the in
closure and felt as mean as Daintree
from that moment. though she barely
glanced at what she found.
1t was an obviously genuine letter.
addressed to Blaydes by some poor
hyJf "a oil GIair oil
herself to discover. A feeling of in
credible meanness made her hot all
over. and she turned the letter upside
Town to examine the method of recon
,truction. With abominable ingenuity
Daintree had pasted the scraps upon
4 sheet. A few We're missing. Many
were black from the Goals. Claire shud-
Tered and glanced at her own fireplace.
1t was laid and all ready for lighting.
A moment later it was lit, and the
lead mans letter was blazing in its
midst. Then Claire breathed again and
took another look at Daintree's warn
ne before burning it too.
IAN interesting revelation OF char
lcter." said she when this was done. |
L shall never think the same of him |
ioes that matter since / can never
hink the same of Tom? Nothing mat
ers except saving his life. And here |
S man who says he'll do anything /
or me. Will he? We shall see.'
She had a word with Daintree be- /
ore dinner. Forgive you? 1 thank |
-ou with all my heart said she. And |
great was the change in her this even |
ug 1t was no time for gayety, but |
Claire was animated. Her eyes spar
lied. She conversed freely on the |
opic of the hour, and when Mr.. Hard |
ng was moved after all to give Dain- /
rec a judicious version of his attempt |
o provide fair play for dastardly |
with the result, the girl 4
ook her fathers breath away by look
ng hard at their guest and declaring
hat she would finance the defense her |
elf If she had the money.
What on earth did you mean by
saying that?" asked Mr. Harding aft
,rward. Have you forgotten your
" ord of honor that nobody should ever
suspect what had existed between you /
md Erichsen?''
This was when the girl had said
good night. Mr. Harding followed her |
upstairs. 1t was his first chance of i
speaking to her. for Claire and Dam [
rec had been together in the garden |
LII the evening.
"No, papa" she replied. 81 have for
gotten nothing that said to you. Mr..
Daintree, at any rate, suspects nothing
IT ALL"
"You said enough to make him"
81 don't think / did"
Not when you said you'd pay for |
lefense if You had the money? Are
Iou aware that he thinks you were IN |
owe with the murdered man.
HE thinks l was. but that some
hing has since caused complete re-
-ulsion of feeling. as to which | may /
IS well explain everything And she
old the incident of the letters without |
hiding a thing. $50 he thinks 1t quite |.
natural that / should f1y to the other
.xtreme and want no human creature
o hang for one so base. You see."
aid Claire shrewdly. he is man Of
extremes himself"
Then, instead Of undeceiving him,
-ou have literally fooled him to the
op of his bent2'