Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-09-19


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astonishing. I'm only begging for the
use of an inalienable privilege"
you mean the privilege to marry
when and where and how you choose,
without regard to those who'ye loved
you and cared for you, and who are
as much concerned in the act as Won
are. never expected you dear, to
blind yourself with that sort of sophis-
try"
: You put me in very hard posi-
ton. papa You give me the choice
between two courses. | may marry
him and displease you; or | may give
him up, and break my heart. Which
would you do if you were in my
placer"
There's one think l shouldn't do.
! shouldn't ally myself with man
Who could never stand towards my
own father otherwise than with a
drawn sword in his hand"
& I'm sure he doesn't, papa
"And l know he does. take 1t for
granted that the man is neither a
coward nor fool. You'll allow, per-
haps, that have some acquaintance
with human nature. I know his type
and know his breed He can't have
Inherited any other feeling towards
me than one of revenge. Mind you, I
don't say that blame him much, not
any more than + should blame tho
serpent who bites with poisno."
ooh. please, don't say things like
that"
I'm warning you, Paula dear. Pm
no novice at this life I've forseen so
much that has come true that I can
trust my own guess against another
mans experience. You don't know
what you're doing, but can show
you. You're only little girl, limo.
cent and good, and yet you're rousing
the passions that sleep but never die
Just as a princess may press the
button and start UP a system of
machinery of which she has neither
knowledge nor control. warn you
Have anything more to do with this
man, and the struggle ceases to be
between you and me; it passes to
me and him; and it will last till one
or other Of us is alone on the field
with the victory
"But is there no such thing as for
giveness. papa?"
No-not among men--not in busi-
ness. There it isn't even the eye for
the eye and the tooth for the tooth;
it's the trick in the dark. or the stab
in the back, or any other means that
commends itself. Forgiveness has
no more place in the world than nee
tar and anbrosia have in this. You
cant fight with balnls on the field Of
battle and your lover and I shouldn't
choose the weapons that hurt least"
All, but why fight at all?"
do you think that If stayed my
hand he would stay his? Not a bit
| might have my arms bound to my
sides and he'd have at me none the
less. If you married him, that would
be my poison. You may be-, sure
shouldn't strike at your husband.
should stand still and let him strike
me. He'd do 1t. mind you, if he's
Winship; he'd do it. and keep it up
till was riddled like st. Sebastian.
I'm not at the beginning Of my ex-
perience of the Winship relentless-
ness. told you, on the very night
your dear mother died, how many
wounds / had carried out of the big
war I've had from just that quarter.
and their shots have never ceased.
If they don't fire them still. there are
others who do. There are others who
make use Of the Winship defeat to
beg for public sympathy in their own:
and they get It. You've only to look
through the newspapers and maya
zines to see it. I could afford to
laugh them to scorn If it were not for
one simple fact The chain can't be
stronger than its weakest link: so
I'm weak, dear Paula, in everything
that touches you"
Papa. you wrong him. Do believe
me. / know him SO well. All that is
as much blotted out for him as If 1t
had never been. 1t isn't as though he
had had any actual share in the
trouble. He hadn't-not any more
than l. And he's gocd-so noble. If
you'd only be willing to see him, to
get to know him. to let him know
you, then you'd be as sure of that as
am. He doesn't care anything for
money, or for the strife about money.
thought that strange at first, until
! began to see that the things he
lives for are higher than
Than those I've lived for. Be it
80. You're arguing beside the mark.
dear. The great fact remains that
one OF us. YOU or L uaust yield-and.n