Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-10-20

much she knew.
you want nothing" she replied,
save the love of your wife, and that
you'll never get; and it is matter
in which I am powerless to help
YOU
He leant forward in his seat and
looked into her face.
DO you mean to say that you do
not know" he said slowly. HAS no
one told you that my wife has left
me, and that she has returned to her
lover. to John Shil, the man who is
| going to marry your"
Leonore listened to his slow. incis-
i've words, as though she did not hear
them. But every word pierced her to
the heart. The agony was not writ
ten on her face, and only the eyes,
dull and piteous, betrayed her pain.
do you understand" he repeated
| 'sDo you realize what it means? How
you have plotted and planned in vain;
how the man has broken free from
the net you have spread SO carefully
for him?"
| at is a lie," she whispered with a
white, expressionless face. 'Your
wife is not at Black Hall"
/
cor I should not have left 1t without
her. Do you see this?" and he pulled
out his revolver eff Laura had been
at Black HALL, I'd have taken her
away. even though l might have had
to kill the man you love But she is
not there. She is somewhere in the
marshland, in some place where he
has taken her. have let him live in
order that I may find her. He has
gone down the creek tonight in a
punt--to shoot duck. l could not fol
low him, for I couldn't get boat or
a man to pilot me through the
marshes And this is not all. Laura Is
ILL perhaps dying. I had it from his
own lips. and / could see that he
spoke the truth. He has gone to see
her, to be with her, If the worst hap
pens and L her husband am here.
But by Heaven. il she dies, III kill
him first and then put q bullet
| through my own head"
81 hope she will die" Leonore said
earnestly, and then, as if realizing the
vileness of her words, she shrank
back in the corner of her carriage,
and buried her face in her hands.
Her death will not benefit you, :"
the man continued, 'for I swear that
1 will kill him if she dies. Then there
will be only you and left, Leonore.
And If don't shoot myself perhaps
they'll hang me- I'm not sure, for A
British jury sympathizes with all out
ragged husband. But if they do, you
will be left alone. out of this nice lit,
tie quartette Of ours. don't envy you.
Leonore''
She did not answer him, and the
train began to slow down. 1t had
reached the next dreary shed, APP
parently erected for the sole purpose
Of delaying il, for no one was on the
platform and no one alighted from
any of the carriages.
Tankerlane opened the door of the
carriage, but Leonore did not move
from her seat
care you going to get into another
carriage?" he asked. RI j
mo" she replied. He closed the
door, and the train began to crawl
out of the station.
81 hope you see how, the matter
stands, Leonore?" he said after a
pause. IT hope you realize that we
have common interests. and can help
! eaCh Other.
i She did not answer. but stared out
of the window into the darkness.
eve must separate these two at
once he continued Laura is my
wife. and I have the law on my side
to help me. John Shil has promised
to marry you, and you must keep him
to his word"
She turned away from the window
and her eyes flashed.
He is a man Of honor" she cried.
"He will keep his word"
ut does not look as If he intended
doing SO. have no doubt that he
would have married you, and would
never have tried to see her again,
but. unfortunately, she has taken
the matter In her own hands. She has
left me. and comes to him for protec
ton At present, she is very ill, but
when she is restored to health-well
1t will be great temptation to both
Of them. ] am afraid my dear Leon
ore, that your beloved Shil is only
human, after all
"Well?" she asked in a dull voice
what do you propose to do?"
81 propose to find her while she is
still an invalid, and use my authority
as husband to take her back to Tan
lSerlane Court. am now going to
Gorehaven to charter a boat, and the
services Of two men. and shall not
leave these parts till l have accom-
plishcd my task.
"Well?" asked Leonore coldly, land
what do you wish me to do?"
II wish you to see John Shil at once
and get him to fix an early date fol-
your marriage. If he is, as you say, 8
man of honor, he will not go back or
his word But should not advise yor
to rely too much on his strength o.
mind. I shall take Laura back to Tan
kerlane Court, and you had better Sc
cure your prize while she is out of the
way Then we shall all live happily
ever afterwards"
You brute" she said in a tone O
disgust. rs it possible you can tall
like this, when you wife is dying?"
The mans face changed. and a lool
of fear came into his eyes.
II did not ask to be reminded o
; that" be said hoarsely. when
: th n II nf n I'd ~,