Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-10-03
CHAPTER Xxx, (continued).

"You did right he replied gently.
81 am glad to see you Leonore."
There was again a pause, and then
The woman, realizing that the precious
moments Swere being wasted, leant to-
wards him, so that her lips were close
to his ear.
ssYou are in danger" she whispered.
s'Two men saw all that happened in
that wood by Laverstone. l myself
know the whole story
John Shil did not answer, and his
face might have been carved out OF a
piece Of granite for all the emotion
it displayed He looked at a flower
bed as though the coloring fascinated
him
Then he turned sharply and grippad
Leonore by the wrist.
What do you mean?' he asked IN
a low voice. What do you know OF
Laverstone? Who has told your"
please leave go of my wrist" she
said quietly. you are hurting me.
/ know all the story, but the secret Is
safe in my hands. In fact, l am pay
ing one of the men to keep his mouth
Shut
what man?' he asked fiercely.
sWhat do YOU mean? There was no
one there: if there had been, he would
have spoken he" Then the man
paused, cursing his own stupidity. He
had betrayed himself.
'.The mans name is Henry Burton"
she continued "Do you remember
the little drunken cad who recognized
you In Widely street? He saw every
thing He has told me all he saw. I
have paid him to keep his mouth shut
But the story, told from his standpoint
is incomplete. am your friend and
Ia want to tell you exactly what hap
pened. want to think well of you.
i know that the story Of an eye wit
ness must convey wrong impression.
He knew nothing of what was in your
mind, or what passed between you and
1 the other man. | want to know the
truth. Please tell me the truth.
lam your friend.
! John Shil staggered for the moment
by the storm that had suddenly risen
up from the past and swept over his
head. could make no reply to this ap-
peal. He could not collect and ar
range his thoughts. He did not know
whether to- tell the truth or to keep
silence.
i please tell me- Leonore murmured
softly. as she laid her hand on his
arm and looked up into his face. you
know that I am your friend
Her voice and the implied caress
in her touch turned the scale. He
knew that this woman loved him and
that she would not do anything TO
wreck his life. But he was cautious
for all that.
"Tell me exactly what you have
heard he said, land | will then give
you the true version of the affair."
She told him the story that she had
purchased from Henry Burton, and
when she had finished, John Shil knew
well enough that Burton had been an
actual witness of the event. He de-
cided TO make a clean breast of the
whole affair.
She listened to him in silence, and
watched his face as he told the story.
When he had finished, she clasped her
hands and looked at the trees, with
the light of great JOY in her eyes.
Il knew it." she murmured; Il was
sure that You had played the man.
am SO glad that you have told me the
truth-so very glad!
He looked at her sharply, and was
silent He wished to ask an offensive
question without giving offence. For
a few moments he had not the couT-
age to speak. Then he realised that
he must ask it, if matters were to be
cleared up between them.
.Leonore, he said firmly, will you
tell me why you paid Henry Burton
to be silent, and also why you have
come here today aid tell me you did
so?'
81 will tell YOU she replied humbly
'though in telling you l have to make