Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-11-05
CHAPTER XXXvIII. Con.

The envelope was addressed in
handwriting that she did not Know
but it bore the postmark of Pnge:
And. when she opened it, and turned
to the end. she saw the name OF Joiill
Shil. but the signature was not in John
Shil's handwriting.
The letter from John Shll was al
most an illegible scrawl, for, though
the envelope had been addressed D!
his secretary, he had been Obliged 10
write the letter himself. But Laura
set to work to decipher it with as
much care as a Syriac scholar gives
to some priceless fragment of stone.
and she finally mastered every WORD
of it.
It ran as follows
Dear Laura--In the first days or
NV sorrow and darkness | resolved
that it would be better to keep silence,
and never write to you again.
"But after much thought and
have had many hours in which to
think = | have decided to break my
resolve. firstly. because it is possible
that they have told you nothing or
what has happened to me. and it is
right that you should know, and sec
",
the truth about your marriage with
William Tankerlane.
Firstly, then, Laura. must tell
you that l have lost the use OF my
sight and Sir William Carr, the great
oculist informs me that shall De
blind all the rest of my life.
SECONDLY, have learnt why you re
fused to marry me, and why you mar
ried Tankerlane. | also know that
Ieonore was the legal wife of the man
who trapped you into dishonorable
alliance I cannot write the thoughts
that come into my mind when | think
of this. only pray to God that | anc
William Tankerlane may never NEE
again. for if we meet, I shall xii
him.
Gas for yourself Laura, the great
ness of your sacrifice shames me int
silence; the agony of it burns me;
am dumb and helpless in the pres
ence Of such a martyrdom. If recon
pense were in my power I would Civ
II at the cost Of my life and my hon
or. AS it is, cannot even thank you
! should rather curse you for the bun
den you have laid upon my soul, il
did not realize that this is part of M
punishment.
Laura we shall never meet again
This much / owe you, beloved, an
this much | will pay. l have RUNE
your life and, when you lay at tn
point of death, | swore to God that
would tempt you to no further sill
Things have gone very wrong for u:
dearest I have been punished, an
YOU. good. sweet and noble woma
that you are, have been punished fc
my sake.
"But there is still life for 20,
Laura. life at which YOU may d
much good in the world You hav
wealth and a tender heart, and ther
is much suffering which money an
Kindness car alleviate. Your husban
bitterly though I hate him for Ii
wrong he did you, has sinned, liz
others. in the name of love. ] know /
loves you dearly and will do all TIL
ne can to make you happy and he
you in your charity. But | also kno
that the claims on the pocket of
great landed proprietor in these da,
are many and difficult to meet | ha'
more money than | know what to
with and though I may possibly
some good with it, yet | am hinder
by my infrmity l have today sign
deed of gift making over TO y
100000, which ] desire you to use
the cause of the helpless and opprt
sed.
"As for myself, Laura. shall do I
best TO live out my life without ca,
ing further harm to others. My
gagement to Leonore has been brok
Off. After what has happened the m
riage would have been impossible, a
apart from that, I refuse to burd
any women with the care of bli
and helpless man.
q am in the great darkness,