Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-07-05

IN the. grave ING fragments which have
put together and now inclose. I will not
and irPesistibly inpelled me to put the
letter together and read 1t through. nor
will 1 seek to defend an action that will
no doubt condemn me IN your Dyes for
ever 1t was dishnnorable admit 1t.
But nm believer in instinct. My In
sttnct always told me that that man was
a bad man, and my instinct told me then
that was within reach OF proving its
own unerring truth and the measure OF
q Villains villainy, have done both, as
YOU will soon SEQ tf You can nerve your
self to know tho truth, 1f-not. condemn
mo with Q glanee or with words as bitter
as you please. and I leave this house
tonight and forever. shall never regret
what have done. YOU mourn traitor.
and had rather forfeit your respect--
nay. and my own honor to boot than let
one 80 divine waste another sigh on one.
20 devflish! ss3S az
but II you forgive me. oh, let me hear
It from your own swect Hips, and i win
move heaven and earth 10 atone for
what present misery this may infiictl
One day you will thank me. Meanwhile.
Is you do not spurn. command me, and
your lightest word shall be my law. II
only could do something for you. Ny
one remaining chance OF happiness Is In
serving her may not love. Humbly and
sincerely always,
JAMES q. w, DAINTREE,
Claire arrived at the last paragraph
With q 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. md her first impulse was to
set paintree right upon the point. She
would then return the discriminating
Enclosure unopened. That would be d
sufficient rebuke for an action, as 1t
We're. SO honestly dlshonorable. And
ut these decisions her nimble mind had
arrived before she came to the last
paragraph.
This she read over more than once
with puckered forehead and a
changeful eye as eagerness. reluctance,
Hesitation and decision, shame and
Ipride whipped across her face like
| shadows and sulbeams on gusty day.
And suddenly she tore open the in
1closure and felt MS mean as Daintree
from that moment, though she barely
i glanced at what she found
4 1t was an obviously genuine letter,
addressed TO Blaydes by some poor
woman. but that was all Claire allowed
Iherself to discover. a feeling Of In
leredible meanness made her hot ali
l6ver, and she turned the letter upside
down to examine the method OF recon.
lstruction. With abominable ingenuity
Daintree had pasted the scraps upon
i la sheet. a few We're missing. Many
Iwere black from the Goals. Claire shud-
ldered and glanced at her own fireplace.
It was laid and all ready for lighting,
i a moment later 1t was lit, and the
dead mans letter was blazing In its
lmidst. Then Claire bre;tthed again and
4 took another look Mt Daintree's warn,
Ing before burning It too:
Il IAN interesting reyelatlan OF char
acter,s sAid she when this was done
II shall never think the same. Of him
lagain, or of myself either. But What
does that matter since cnn never
Ithink the same Of Tom? Nothing mat
ters except saving his life. And hprs
is a man WHO says he'll do anything
for ME. viii he? We shall see.
She had a word with Daintree be
fore dinner. Forgive yonY thani
you with NIL my heart" said ahe, AND
great was the change IN her this even
ling. 4t-was no tine for gayety, hui
tCiaire was animated, Her eyes spar
lkled. She conpersed freely on tn,
topic Of the hour, and when Mr., Hard
. ling was moved after I'LL to give Dain
q tree a judicious version Of his attemp
j. Ito provide fair play Tor q daatardl,
constituent, with the result, the Sir
took her fathers breath away by look
ing hard ut their guest aud declaring
/ THAT she would finance the defense hel
ilself il she had the money.
what on earth did YOU mean b
saying that ~ asked Mr.. Harding Of
~ erward. aHave You forgotten you
j word Of honor that nobody should eve
t suspect what had existed between 20
| and Erichsenl'' -
81 This was when the girl had sal
good night. Mr.. Harding followed he
i upstairs. 1t was his first chance {
/ speaking to her. for Claire md Dali
\ lIcc uttdS ucS1 tOSSsnCAr Al nv e3etAsAS
! ali the evening.
NO, pnpa,' she replied. Il have TO
gotten nothing that Issaid to YOU. NJ
I Daintrce, at any rate, suspects nothin
at ALL. q 4
You said enough to make him."
II don't think / did, 2
Il Not when you said you'd nay for
defense If you had the money? Al
Z you aware that he thinks you We're
4 love with the murdered manY
ri Tile thinks WAS but that som
thing has since caused A complete i
ynlsion OF feeling, MS to which I ms
/. dis well explain every thing y Aud 81
told tho Incident of the letters withol
/. hiding II thing, So he thinks 1t dui
! natural that I should fy3 to the 9th
4 extreme and want no human creatu
I to hang for ono 50 base. You see
I said Claire slirewdly, .he is a man
Z extremes liimself.n
.ttfhen. instead Of pndeceiying liil
. you have literally fooled him to Il
q top of his l3ent3
I'll Claire blushed hotly II cannot he
i that. may make up FOR 1t some On