Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1908-12-16
CHAPTER xxx.
Hush Money.


self between them; yes
Do you mean seriously to tell me
that Mr.. Jordan's second wife was my
sister,
'Well-in a way. That is, 1 don't
mean your sister in way, but his
wife In way
I have heard nothing of this; what
do you mean?
I mean that he did not marry her.
Jasper Babbs face darkened. I
have been in his house and spoken to
him, and not known that What be-
came of m sister,?
The old man fidgeted on his chair.
1t was not comfortable. I am sure
1 do not know he said.
Did she de-?
No. said Mr. Babb, she ran off with
a play actor
'Well-and after that?'
After what After the play actor?
1 do not know, have not heard of
her since. don't want to. Was not
that enough?'
And Mr. Jordan-does he know no
thing?"
cannot tell. If you are curious
you can ask
This is very extraordinary. Why
did not Mr. Jordan tell me the rela-
tionship? He knew who I was
The old man laughed. and Jasper
shuddered at his laugh, there was
something so base and brutal in it.
He was not so proud Of how he
had behaved to Eve as to care to
boast of the connection. You might
not have liked it, might have fixed
and gone pop
Jasper's brow was on fire, his eye
brows met, and sombre sparkle was
in his eye.
You have made no effort to trace
her?
Mr. Babb shrugged his shoulders.
Tell me- said Jasper, leaning his
elbow on the table, and putting his
hand over his eyes to screen them
from the light, and allow him to
watch his fathers face-'tell me
everything, as you undertook. Tell
me how my poor sister came to Nor
well, and how she left
There is not much to tell, ans
wered the father; you know that she
ran away from home after her
mothers death; you were then nine
or ten years old She hated work,
and lusted after the pomps and van
ities of this wicked world After
while | heard where she was, that
she was i'll, and had been taken into
Morwell house to be nursed, and that
there she remained after her recov-
cry
strange unused Jasper; she fell
i'll and was taken to Morwell, and
it was the same. Things repeat
themselves; the world moves in a
circle
Everything repeats itself. AS in
Eyes case the sickness led up to
marriage, or something like 1t, so will
it be In your case. That is what
Mr.. Jordan and Eve did; they went
into the little old chapel, and took
each others hands before the altar,
and swore fidelity to each other; that
was all. Mr.. Jordan is a Catholic,
and would not have the knot tied by
a church parson, and Eve would not
confess to her name, she had that
sense Of decency left in her They
satisfied their consciences, but it
Was no legal marriage I believe he
would have done what was right, but
she was perverse, and refused to give
her name, and say both who she was
and whence she came.
Go on said Jasper
We'll, then, about year after this
heard where she was, and l went
after her to Morwell, but l did not
go openly had no wish to en-
counter Mr.. Jordan. I tried to per-
suade Eve to return with me to
Buckfastleigh. Who can lay to my
charge that l am not a forgiving IA
Their? Have I not given you cold po
tato, and would have furnished you
with veal pie IL the old woman had
not finished the scraps? / saw Eve,
and told her my mind pretty freely,
both about her running away and
about her connection with Jordan
will say this for her-she professed
to be sorry for what she had done,
and desired my forgiveness. That,
said. l would give her on one condi-
ton only, that she forsook her hus-
band and child, and came back to
keep house for me. l could not bring
her to decision, so 1 appointed her
a day, and said l would take her fin.
al answer on that. But l was hindered
going; / forget just now what it was,
but couldn't go that day
Well. father, what happened?'
AS l could not keep my appoint
ment-I remember now how it was, !
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