Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-03-05
My Revenge.
Observation-Disclosures
fOriginal. ]


[Original.l
l remember my mother as always
weeping. Why she did so l could nev-
er guess, and she would never tell me.
We lived in a cottage which had once
stood on a orn of the Gessner es-
tate. | believe when we went there Il
deed for the house and lot was given
to my mother. We drew a very small
income, which was paid us by the
agent for the Gessner property. Our
name was Cowles.
My mother was the daughter of an
English gentleman who came to Amer
lea impoverished and left her at his
death without a penny. When she
was eighteen Charles Gessner fell in
love with her, but his father forbade
his marriage with the penniless Agnes
Cowles. Charles went to the civil war
and was killed. Six months after his
death l was born. Our cottage and the
income were at this time settled on
my mother by old Gessner. Before l
vas old enough to remember them the
Gessners had gone to the city to live.
Charles Gessner's younger brother
Henry was the only living child.
When Charles Gessner was two years
old an aunt had left him most Of what
there was in the GeSsner estate, but
afterward was persuaded to alter the
will to read "to his oldest SON." This
property Henry Gessner was now en-
joying.
My mother on the last day of her life
gave me the key to a box which, she
said, contained a secret she had pledg-
ed herself not to reveal and which
would now descend to me. When I
opened the box and came upon the
revelation l found there. 1 was filled
with but n idea-revenge. AS soon
as l could get away, taking the name
Walworth, went to the city and was
lucky in securing a situation and in
making friends, who introduced me
into the best society. This l wished in
order to gain access to the Gessners.
One of the most attractive young
girls just "out" the season of my entry
into society was Lucia Gessner, Hen
rvs only child. Through her re-
solved to revenge my mother. She was
not only at an age when conquest is
easy, but she seemed to be drawn to
me from the first. Before spring came
she consented that 1 should go to hel
father to ask for her hand, but as
sured me the case was hopeless.
The next day l asked for Lucia and
was refused. 1t took me six months
to induce her to consent to a clandes
tine marriage, but l had a devils
tongue in my head and lever for
wrong. Soon after our marriage, with
out a word of warning to any human
being, | disappeared. 1 sailed fol
Europe.
Thus far l had been so blinded by
the spirit of. vengeance that l had ne
thought for anything else. A revulsior
came the first night out on the ocean
I was sitting on deck when, casting
my eyes up at the stars, they seemed
to say, "Villain." A sudden realiza
ton Of what l had done rushed upor
me, and I was overcome with remorse
shame and beyond all the thought thai
I loved my wife and had made a bar
rier between her and me that would
never be passed. The days that re
manned to the end Of my journey, the
days 1 spent on the return trip. were
not days to me, but months.
AS soon as 1 reached home sen
word to my wife to be ready to re
ceive me in secret and late at nigh
was introduced to her chamber. l wa.
appalled, at her appearance. Throwing
myself at her feet, Hear me-" I said
'then you are free to condemn me al
I deserve to be condemned" And, still
on my knees, with my head barred,
told her of my mothers wrong-how t
woman's life had been made one o.
suffering when it might have beer
made happy, then confessed my plot
ending with the discovery that hai
come to me SO suddenly that my wife's
love was, after all, far stronger thar
a revenge that I had conceived to be
sacred duty.
During the hysterical scene that fol
lowed / found but one source of com
fort. My wife chung to me as If l hai
not treated her d%espicably and when
offered her her freedom only cried
mo, no. nor
The next day l made the best ex
planationsI could invent to my friends
as to my singular vanishment and on,