Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-04-17


let you go-provided you leave this part o. =,
the country at once and never return here"
He stepped i to !, the d door
The bury keeper appeared in the doorway.
Here Is the thief whose confederates are
All right, sir" responded the keeper, with
Now, then, Jemson, look at this woman.
Take q good look at her. You see we caught
her at the SAFE Would you know her again y
You bet l would affirmed the burly fell
Remember she is the thief you saw in
this room. Now, go! Now, Mr. Chatterton,
] ask you to look at this degraded woman,
should ever bring her before you" He
grasped her rudely by the wrist and jerked
her forward the better to meet my gaze.
Her dazed eyes stared Into mine. then
cleared and grew bright She jerked her hand
away and drew herself to her full height
You lie" she exclaimed, passionately. II
am no thief, but, ah-Hamiiton Glencoe you
She turned to me. Her voice sank to pain
and entreaty.
are against me, but am the victim Of a
plot. Believe me, assist me. ! appeal to
your chivalry
Very pretty, indeed" sneered the master
Of Glencoe, VERY theatrical. Well done for
saw the diabolical fury in his face, paled
with passion and hate. Distrust and dislike
leaped up in me full grown. ! turned to
There Is a mistake" cried, ''or wrong
here. believe in YOU"
Tears filled her eyes. '"rhen you must
mH ns %
ter! o, yes, l know she is herein this
house. have seen her, but not closely
her she would come away with me-from this
evil mans influence. He has wife; my
sister can never hope to marry him. For
three years have tried, place after place"
Ito ioA nd Str
her fair across the face. She staggered and
l caught her In my arms
choked with a sob of fury as i saw the mark
crimson on her face
In that moment the door burst open. A
dress was disordered, her wrists were bleed
ing and blood was on her mouth.
-Elise," she cried with a voice Of shame
and longing. as she put her arm around the
They kissed and sobbed murmuring fond,
inarticuiate words Then the newcomer
II see my appearance is opportune. Elise
fell into the trap. All, Hamilton, is the game
worth the candle? am sick-sick Of such
a life"
Annette" moaned the sister, this is what
I've tried to. accomplish for three years.
Dear, our dead mother
Yes, dead. She died knowing the truth
about your life. With her last breath she
sent love and forgiveness II you would
Leave Hamilton Glencoe o, Elise, If
only could" She turned her burning eyes on
Glencoe. That man is a devil" she breathed
that when he beats me creep to his feet like
a dog See this She slipped up her sleeve
and showed on her arm great bruise.
"when this affecting scene Is over let me
know broke in Glencoe. And you.. Mr.
Chatterton, Il you value your neck you'd bet
"I'll settle with you," cried bitterly. "Pll
syrQ ms n
looked me searchingiy IN the eyes; my dear
em s1a, she pn needs s. Fl friend sue ''' SOL
II am her friend and servant, Il I may be-"
/ replied, and taking Elise's hand kissed 1t
Annette turned to her sister.
Elise: he Dragged to me OF bis plot to dis:
grace and ruin you; Once, with With, the aid a., Of
you were the accomplish of burglars, looting
the house, he could coerce you and cause you
to Sea.s t te 20 ss s yoa
after night. You thought he was gone away.
He wished you so to think, rightly guessing
that you would try to enter the house."
She wiped the blood from her bruised and
pitifully trembling mouth.
ah these weary years have
worthy-but l love him. l think Of all the
pain you have endured, my sister. Of the
shame and misery have caused our moth
Before we guessed her maddened intention,
a shot startled the air she staggered blindly
am, and fell fell, the revolver falling from her help
great cry Of anguish. hardly human.
coe. He threw himself beside her. beseeching
her to speak. entreating to help; tor
rent of agonized and incoherent words
gushed from his lips. But the woman who
had loved not wisely but too well" was quite
dead.
When the first horror Of II all was over
Elise spoke. Her face was deathly pale, her
voice wonderfully calm.
"Is It possible. Hamilton Glencoe, that you
loved her? And yet you could see her soul
damned! Annette. II Is better as 1T Is. Dear.
(! cannot cry cannot wish you back" She
turned her wide eyes on me. IT do not
know what to do now" she whispered, DULY.
Come" ! pleaded gently. LET US leave
this place. Its very air is tainted. You may
trust mev'
.Yess trust you," she murmured.
without hesitation she suffered me to sup
port her with my arm and we passed together
out into the new starlit night, leaving behind
us a mystery to be whispered about and q
crime for the master Of Glencoe to cover