Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-09-24

write to someone and appeal for help.
But to whom? To William Tanker
lane? To John Shil? To her father?
10 LeonOre- wife of the man who
had betrayed her?
The problem that confronted Laura
Vane was not intricate, but it was in
conceivably difficult to solve. 1t pre-
sented a choice of evils. There were
only four people to whom she could
apply for help in her present crisis,
and she was 10th to meet any Of the
four, much less to ask a favor of
them.
First, there was William Tanker
lane, the father of her child, the one
man who was obliged, and who would
be glad to help her in her trouble. 1t
was not until a month after she had
ieft him that she had realized the
truth so glorious in the case of most
women, so terrible in her own. Even
then she had been sorely tempted to
return to him. But after a severe
mental struggle her hatred of the
man had conquered, and she had kept
silence and hidden herself still more
securely from him.
She realized to the full what the
birth of the child meant in the strug-
gle to free herself from William Tan
kerlane. 1t was an additional weapon
in his hands, which he would not fail
to use, if he once learnt of it's eXis-
tence. Even now, with no persuasion
on his part. Laura found it hard
enough to avoid returning to him. She
! knew that he would welcome her to
his arms, and that their reunion
would restore her to the world from
which she had hidden herself in
shame. All would be we'll if she re-
turned to William Tankerlane The
child's struggling life which the smoky
air of London and bad food We're
| choking from his frail little body
| once more take her place among the
women of her own class. Her future
life would be lightened by every lux
ury that money could purchase. She
would be esteemed, honored even en-
We'd, All would be well, save one thing
she would be tied to the man she
hated most of all men in the world
And this one thing stood up before
her as wall of stone, over which she
dare not attempt to climb. She figur
ed the notepaper neryously, and ever
went so far as to address the envol
ope. But the mans name on the dirty
paper brought home the truth to her
and she tore the envelope into a doz
en- pieces. She knew that the thing
was impossible, that she could no
make the sacrifice so long as any 9th
er way out of her difficulty remained
to her
Then there was her own father. wht
was still waiting for her return. HI
was ignorant of all that had happened
since she left Layerstone An applica
ton to him would mean an interview
She would have to explain: she woult
have to lie. There would be the chile
"a fact from which he would draw hi
own conclusions. It would break hi
heart; it would probably kill him. H
would have pity on her, and help hel
and take her in his arms. But tn
; truth will kill him. And he, toe
would persuade her to marry Williur
Tankerlane. No, she could not go t
her father. She would at least spar
him the shame of knowing the truth
She would spare him the sorrow c
refusing to obey him.
/ Then there was John Shll, the ma
she loved, the man to whom she coul
have looked for aid and guidance i
any other difficulty than the one whic
confronted her. But he also so sh
] believed was in ignorance Of a
that had happened to her. 1t would b
Z impossible TO tell him the truth. Sh
4 foresaw, as Leonore had already for
I seen, that, If John Shil once knew til
] truth, ne would not rest till he ha
come face to face with William Ia
kerlane.
j There would be fight fight ne