Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-05-19

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c. e. Brooks, 61s5 Brooks Bldg, Mar.
shall, Mich.
concessions were at once. withdrawn
from him, and he was thereby ruined
He vowed vengeance upon me, and
also upon Statham-to whom the con-
cessions had been transferred-a ter
rible vengeance. But soon afterwards
he disappeared, and we heard, upon
what seemed to be good authority,
that he was dead. He had been shot
in drunken brawl in Caracas"
And then he suddenly turned up
again-eh?s Max remarked
Yes; and for that reason Mr. Stat
ham suggested that and my daugh-.
ter Maud should disappear to some
place to which he could not trace us.
Statham defied his threats, but at
the same time thought that If we dis.
appeared in such manner that the
police would not seek us, 1t would be
wise step. For that reason | ar
ranged that the furniture, as we'll as
ourselves, should disappear, in order
to make it appear that we had sud
denly removed, and also to prevent
the police searching too inquisitively
for missing persons. Had they done
this, our hiding place would soon have
been discovered. I disappeared more
for Maud's sake, than for my own.
knew the desperate character of the
man, and the mad vengeance within
his villainous heart
"But Statham also feared him." re-
marked Charlie, recollecting the occa-
sion when mis- employer had betrayed
such terror.
"Yes. The exact facts do not
know. He will tell you himself" an
swered the ex-minister.
MAUD was in London last night,
and called upon Statham," Max re-
marked.
"she called in secret lest she might
be seen and followed by ADAM" her
father replied. "She went there to
return to Statham sum Of money he
had sent her."
For what?"
"He wished to know the where
abouts of Lorena Lyle, who had been
her schoolfellow in Belgrade. Stat.
ham, l fear, intended, in some way,
to avenge himself upon Lyle, and on
his daughter more especially-on ac-
count Of his association with his en-
envy. The girl is in London, and he
wished to know where she was liv-
ing
'And the money which she return
ed was given her il order to induce
her to divulge?"
The doctor nodded in the afirma.
tive, adding:
"You see that Statham, surrounded
by INSCRIPTIONS enemies as he has
been, was bound to act always for his
own protection He has been mis-
judged-by you-by everybody. l,
who know him more intimately, per-
haps, than anyone save his own
brother Levi, assure you that 1t 10
So"
ellis brother Levi" cried Charlie
"Of course, Levi, who poses as his
servant, is his brother. They have
been inseparable always. from the
early days when Sam Statham was
mining prospector and concession
hunter-the days before fortune smil-
ed upon the three Statham brothers.
and they we're able to open the doors
of the offices in Old Broad street. The
romance Of old Sans life is the ro-
nance of the great firm"
"He treated my sister badly" de-
clared Charlie. "For that can never
him"
'.No; there you are wrong. 1t is
true that he would not allow her to
be reinstated at Cuhningham's and,
on the face of it, treated her unjustly.
But he had motive. True, she re-
fused to betray to him something
which my daughter had told her in
confidence. For that refusal he al
lowed her to be dismissed from her
situation; but on the following day he
sent her down to me here to remain
in concealment.'
"Why?"
Because Of that man Adam. He
had been attracted by her good looks.
and had begun to poster her with his
attentions. Statham knew this from
the report Of one who had watched
her in secret. Therefore, by sending
sneF mere lHLo nlulnS, ne was dclluS III
her best interests
Then she is here?" cried Max, anx-
Iiously, his face suddenly Frightening
Eyes. See! here she comes--with
Maud" and as both men turned
quickly to the window they saw the
two laughing girls, flushed by their
ride, wheeling their cycles up the
path from the road
3 Next moment both men dashed out
side, and both girls. utterly amazed
and breathless, found themselves sud-
denly in the arms Of their lovers.
The doctor looked on. smiling, and
in silence. He saw the lips Of both
girls covered with the hot fervent
kisses Of good and honest men. He
heard their whispered words, and
then he turned away
Those long black days Of suspicion
and despair we're at an end The
mystery of it all was now being rap.
idly solved, and both girls within
that little parlor wept tears of joy
upon the shoulders of the men whom
they had chosen as their husbands.
The happiness of four young hearts
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