Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-09-29
John shil left London for his new

John Shil left London for his new
home in Essex, and Leonore had
long interview with Henry Burton.
! The result of this interview was
/ satisfactory to one at least of the par
| ties. Burton left the house with $40
! in his pocket and he was promised a
similar sum every quarter if he con-
t1nued to hold his tongue about what
| he had seen in the Round Plantation.
In addition to that he had bound him
self by a solemn oath to have no
more dealings with William Tanker
lane, and to speak the truth if Leonore
shonld ever cali upon him to do so.
When he had left the room, Leo
more leaned back in her chair and
stared vacantly at the ceiling. Her
brain was in a tumult At first she
| thought less. of her transaction with
| Burton than of the information she
had bought, and of the light which
the narrative had thrown on circum-
stances which had hitherto been In
COMPREHENSIVE
| She had always wondered why
Laura had refused to marrv the man
she loved and had consented to mar
RI William Tankerlane. Now at last
she had knowledge of the truth, and
the knowledge was bitterness to her
Laura had married Tankerane to
save her lover. In silence and secrecy
this woman had made the greatest
sacrifice any woman can make for
man. She had given herself, body and
soul. to man whose very presence
was loathsome to her. Small wonder
| that she had been glad to learn that
the marriage was farce; small won
der that she had refused to legalize
the marriage, and that only the
thought Of her child had forced her
to make a second sacrifice. Such was
the love of Laura Vane. unGuestioning,
complete, almost terrible in its self
negation and its perfect strensth. And
it was bitterness to Lennore to think
of 1t and compare 1t with her own
What had she herself done for the
man she loved? She had devoted all
her energies to gain her own selfish
ends without regard to the happiness
of others. She had forced Laura Vane
TO consent to a marriage with Tan
kerlane, and she had bought the dark
secret OF John Shils life in order
that she might use it to her own adj
vantage. In vain she tried to persuade
herself that she had done this to save
him from the threats and maevolence
of Henry Blurtou. She knew well
enough that Shil himself was a rich
man, and would readily have paid
more than she could afford to pay in
the way of hush money She could not
hide the truth from her conscience
She had paid for the information and
not for the silence Of Henry Burton.
But self-condemnation was not the
only disturbing thought in Leonore's
mind as she pondered over the infor-
nation she bad just purchased. The
story itself, bearing as it did on the
conduct of the man she loved, was
sufficiently terrible. It was incomplete,
ncoherent and indefinite, 1t had been
told by a. man who could only speak
of what he had seen and heard It
was the narrative of a cold-blooded
and purposeless crime Henry Burton
could supply no information as to mo-
tive. nor did his words suggest any
excuse for John Shils conduct. Yet
Ieonore's heart told her that the man
she loved could only have acted as he
did under the strongest provocation
She determined to learn the truth
from his own lips.
Then William Tankerlane, her own
husband. rose up as menace to her
future plans a grim spectre that
threatened the destruction of all her
hopes and schemes. He knew all that
Rlurton had told her. It was even pos
sible that he knew more 1t was GER
tain that he had paid the man to be
silent, and that he had ceased making
the payments with a definite object
in view So long as Tanker'ane was in
position to inform against John Shil
so long would her own plans be in
dancer, and her own knowledge
worthless. She resolved to see her
husband at the earliest opportunity,
and bring pressure to bear upon him.
She had tempting bait to offer If
he took it, she would catch two fish
on one line: Laure would be held
captive in q prison from which there
was no escape, and Tankerlane's
silence would be ensured
| 1t only took Leonore ten days to
find her husband, though John Shil
had searched for months in vain. This