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

Ca1A9lWtt AlY--lOOHtluueu.J
It was late in the afternoon when
Trafford dismissed his secretary and
summoned his wife, George and
Laura. They filed into his book-lined
office as children before master.
Mrs. Trafford sat near him, by the
desk; George and Laura farther off.
Through all the business of the after
noon. Trafford's thoughts had been
working subconsciously towards the
definite step to be taken.
Nov tell me about this affair, he
4 said. briefly. "Tell me everything"
Mrs. Trafford, trembling and gasp
Ing, recounted what she knew of the
!. frst meeting of Paula and Wfnship
at Monte Carlo, and of the progress OF
x their acquaintance.
II shall never forgive myself, Paul"
she sobbed as she brought her state
ment to an end.
Y '.You never ought to. he said, with
Z The shortness habitual to him in NOM
D ents Of excitement "You knew, as
no one else did. what those people
brought on me. You knew how had
10 fight them, and how, because /
beat them, public opinion has hound
ed me as IL were criminal. They
take me for a heart of brass, In
\ gou know better And yet you've
a permitted this!"
Na paul, I'm very ILL.," she pleaded.
s% Spare mel
" Il do spare you. II didn't spare
you. should say much more
a Aunt Julia Is less to blame than
4 T." George broke out, with a touch
of indignation in his voice. 1'It was
who told Paula all about the Win.
ships."
There was no harm in her know.
Ing that" Trafford said quickly
There was nothing wanted to hide
y You didn't thrust her into their arms"
No; but l let her go. l knew she
a felt that in some way we had wrong
A ed them"
Then, by God! she'll learn to the
contrary" Trahord cried, bringing his
kfst down on the desk.
II knew she felt that" George
went on, "but laughed at her.
4 didn't take her seriously When she
lars in restitution joked her about
n 1t, and told her the easiest way for
81 her to do 1t was by marrying the
81 fellow,
IN Then you were q damn fool"
IN knowltt" George agreed, humbly.
M I'm only showing that / was more
FglN to blame than Aunt Julia"
Il don't see anything to be gained,
HGeor5e," Laura said, in her most
| laildly reasonable tone, aby trying to
S.ipportion out degrees of blame where
flerhaps there is no blanc at all.
I'M Paula is Of age and Independent,
IN she's her own mistress in every sense.
VI Neither you nor had any control
u over her, and Aunt Julia very little.
y It was Uncle Trafford's wish. That's
"a the way he's brought her up"
~ Il trusted her." Trafford broke in
"a savagely.
Naturally" Laura agreed $50 did
we. / should trust her again. | must
q r. you, Uncle Trafford, dear, that
n ~ VS. I who sent Paula to have that
VI portrait DONE
& "oh, you did, did you! Yes, re-
IA member her telling me so. Then all
n \ can say of you is that
You see," Laura pursued, calmly,
SSshS after the conversation at Monte
s carlo. when George told her about
the Winships and how they had lost
heir money, and so on, could see
she was very much distressed
u ~ was the first time she had ever
&come face to face with the idea that
Vii one man grows rich it often hap
Woens that another must grow poor. It
father. panied her. / tried to show
3s2er that, with just SO much money
VA the world, If wealGh flows very
f(fnuch into one pocket 1t has to ebb a
aAascod deal from another"
What's that got to do with it,"
RI Trafford demf nded
e ut gave her a more reasonable idea
Is:$bf business. 1t helped her to see that
the Winshlps might lose their pro-
perty. and that you might get it. and
i et that the fault might be none IT
ours. What she felt was pity
thing more and nothing less You
e. Uncle Trafford," she continued,
dging her chair a little nearer the
( iesls paula is more child than a
yATOman. 1t wouldn't be possible for
#.ny one to live here on earth and
.Skeep soul more spotless from thu
fk Wings that the rest of us have to
K II bow and understand. She isn't a
sllW ian Of business, like you and George.
l''A Iiae isn't woman Of business, like
4 tint Traffnrd and me- She doesn't
4, tason Ike the rest of u.s. She can't
h she fact is, her nature is limited;
IL. tnyone can see 1t who's ever lived
q. 18th her There are just three things
I'll which she's capable: love for
.Ixs plat's good, pity for what's suffering
NJ dad pardon for what's wrong"
=. = s"That's So" George corroborated,
Z Srongly.
Eyes, it is" Mrs. Trafford added,
'th q heavy sigh. "It's true, every
Pord Of it, even if am her mother. y
Look here, Laura" Traf7ord said
~ Noldly, IF your game is to work on
bny sympathies-'
"Oh, but it isn't. I'm only trying
No point out to you the way she rea
s5ned-the way that, with her hni,
ations. she had to reason. She saw
8lat the Wiaships were poor, and
!. fiat we we're rich. She knew they
Cad suffered. She had confused idea
IS to how it had come about. II
,asn't possible for her to think it out
we should. she saw only that we
&ould come to their rescue and mt