Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-11-09
made very much Of this request, and

made very much Of this request, and
that 1t was put to me with certain
alternatives which ! considered i'm.
pertinent. You, however, had no part
in that. You came here because the
whole truth was not told to you---
and you remained because my
daughter wished it. There / do not
fear contradiction. You know your
self that it is true and will not con-
tradict me. AS the time went on.
perceived that you had established a
claim to my generosity such as did
not exist when first you came here
the claim Of my affection and of my
daughters. This, will confess, has
given me more pleasure than any
thing which has happened here for 4
long time. have no son and take
1t as the beneflcent work of Provi-
dence that one should be sent to me
as you were sent. My daughter would
possibly have married scoundrel If
the circumstances had been otherwise.
So, you see, that while you are now
established here by right ofour affec.
ton, am rewarded two fold for any.
thing may have done for you. Hence
forth this happy state Of things must
become still happier. i have spoken
to Anna tonight, and should be very
foolish If could not construe her an
swer rightly. She loves you, my lad,
and will take you for her husband.
1t remains for you to say that your
happiness shall not be delayed any
longer than may be reasonable"
h. 1rys&
surprise Alban listened to this lengthy
recital Some part of the. truth had
already been made known to him -
but this fuller account coould not but
f1atter his vanity while 1t left him
silent in his amazement and perplex-
ity. Richard Gessner, he understood,
had always desired a brilliant match
for Anna, and had sought an alliance
with some Of the foremost English
families. If he abandoned these ambi-
lions. a shrewd belief in the. impossi-
bility lay at the root Of his determi-
nation. Anna would never marry as
he wished Her birthright and her
Eastern blood forbade it. She would
be the child of whim and of passion
always, and it lay upon him to avert
the greater evil by the lesser. Albaa
Is a vague way understood this, but
of his own case he could make little.
What a world of ease and luxury and
delight these few simple words open
ed UP to him. He had but to say
yes" to become the ultimate master
of this mans fortune, the possessor
of heritage which would have been
considered fabulous but fifty years
ago. And yet he would not say Eyes"
/. was as though some unknown power
restrained him, almost as though his
own brain tricked him. OF Anna's
sudden passion for him he had no
doubt whatever. She was ready ana
| willing to yield her whole self to him
| and would, 1t might be, make him !,
devoted wife. None the less, the
temptation found him vacillating and
| incapable even of a clear decision.
some voice Of the past called to him
and would not be silenced. Maladroit-
ly, he gave no direct reply, but an
swered the question by another.
| did Paul Boriskoff tell you that
was about to marry his daughter, Mr..
Gessner?''
"My dear lad, what Paul Boriskofi
said or did can be of little interest t.
you or me tonight. He is no longer
in England, let me tell you. He LETT
| for Poland three days ago."
..Then you saw him or heard from
him before he left?"
..Not at all. The less one sees u
hears from that kind of person th4
better. You know the fellow and viii
understand me. He is a firebrand WI
can we'll do without recommends
him to go to Poland and he has gone
i His daughter, / understand, is being
educated at Warsaw. Let me advise
you to forget such acquaintances -
| they. are no. longer of any concern
to either of U.S."
| dismiss the subject finally: but hi'
words left Alban strangely i'll at ease
| "Old Paulis fanatic" he said pres
emily, "but very kindly one I thinl
he is very selfish where his daughtci
is concerned, but be loves his county
and is quite honest in his opinions
From what have heard in Unto,
street, he is very linwise to go bael
to Poland The Russian authoriti'!
must be perfectly well aware VIVA
he has done in London, and are no
likely to forget it. Yes, indeed, ! an
sorry that he has been so foolish"
u He spoke as one who regretted
sincerely the indiscretions of frien,
and would have saved him from them
Gessner, upon his side, desired as lit
tie talk of the Boriskoffs as might be
/, If he had told the truth, he knew tina
!. Alban Kennedy would walk ont of hi
house never to return. For it ha
been his own accomplices who Id
J persuaded old Paul to return to Pl
land-and the Russian police Wec