The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1909-05-06

LADY
"
by
at Station ALL right


SoAie instinct more enl1ghtening than
| ms reason, realized that the change
| might later. have some beneficent eff
| rect More than ever did he feel now
the need for his own absolute self-con-
troI. 1T was well that he had made UP
his mind to this. for it was bitterly
tested in Colonel Ogilvie's mad out
pour:
DO you dare. sir to lecture me as
TO what 1 shall not say or Shall say
about my own daughter What shall
say TO you who though you had not
the courtesy to even acknowledge the
kindness shown you by her parents,
came behind my back when I was far
away. and stole her from my keeping.
who took her far away, to the risk
even OF her reputation. Risk, Risk
When I find you here together alone
and almost naked in each others arms I,
coos Death! that I should have seen
such thing-that such a thing should
be- -. :" Here his hot wrath chang
ed TO ice-cold deadly purpose, and he
went on:
You shall answer me with your life
Tor that!' He paused, still glaring at
the other with cold, deadly malevol-
ence. Athlyne felt that the hour of
the F'orlorn Hope had come to him at
last-h-e had been hot through all this
seeming GOODNESS at de Hooge's Spruit.
His self-control. could he felt never
be more deeply tested than now: and
he braced himself to it. He had now
to so fear himself that Joy would suf-
1er the minimum Oh pam. ram Sne
would have to endure-much pain: he
could not save her from it. He would
do what he could; that was all that re-
manned. With real GOODNESS he met the
Icy look Of his anita onist as he said
with all the grace and courtesy of
which ne was naturally master:
Sir, 1 answer for my deeds with my
life. That life is yours now. Take it,
how and when YOU will! AS to an
swering in words, such cannot be
whilst YOU maintain your present atti-
tude. I have tried already to answer
to explaia."
Explain sir. There is no explana-
ton"
Pardon met AthIyne's voice was
calm as ever: his dignity so superb
that the other checked the words on
his lips as he went on:
There is an explanation to be made
and made it must be. for the sake of
Of another 1 deny in no way
your right of revenge. I think have
already told you that my life is yours
to take as you will But a dying man
has. in all civilized places, a right to
speak to the Court which condemns
him. Such a privilege is mine. I
claim tiff you will force me to say
so. And let me add. Colonel Ogilvie,
that I hold 1t as a part of my submits
sion to your will. We are alone now
and can speak freely; but there must
be a time-it will be for your own pro-
lection from the legal consequences of
other. will know of your intention to
kill I shall speak then if 1 may not
nowi" Here the Colonel whose anger
was rising at being so successfully
cynicism.
Conditions in an affair of honouri
To be enforced in court of law I
suppose" He felt ashamed of himself
as he made the remark which he felt
to be Goth ungenerous and untrue. He
was not surprised when the other an
swered his indignant irony with scorn:
NO sir! No law! Not any more ap-
peal to law III my defence than there
has been justice il your outrageous at
tack on me. But about that I shall
answer you presently. In the mean
time I adhere to my conditions. Aye
conditions: I do not hesitate to use the
word"
Colonel Ogilvie. through all the mad
ness of his anger, realized at that mo-
ment that the man before him was a
strong man. as fearless and determined
as he was himself. This brought back
his duty of good manners as a first in
stalment of his self-possession. For a
few seconds he actually withheld his
speech. He even bowed slightly as
the other proceeded:
IT have tried to explain. - NV
fault was in venturing to ask a
lady to come for ride in my car.
had no intention of evil. Nothing more
than a mere desire to renew and fur
the first moment of my knowing her
or rather from the first moment I set
eyes on her. become very dear to me. |
1t was a selfish wish I know; and in
my own happiness at her consent 1
Observation-Disclosures the duty
I owed to her father. For that I am
bitterly sorry. and / feel that I owe
to him a debt which I can never, never
repay. But enough of that. i
That belongs to a different category
and it has to be atoned for in the only
way by which an honorable man can
eeied my life to him I need Gun
can say no more. But from the mo-
ment when that lady stepped into my |
car my respect has been for her that |
which I have always intended to be |
given to whatever lady should honour |
me by becoming my wife. Surely you, |
sir. as yourself an honorable mana |
husband and a father, cannot con- |
denim man for speaking an honour |
able love to the woman to whom it has |
been given. When / have admitted |
that the making of the occasion was |
a fault have said all that L accept as |
misdoing. - He folded his arms
Colonel Ogilvie stood notion
less. silent He could not but recog- |
nize the truth that underlay all the |
dignity of the other. But he was in no |
way diverted by it from his purpose. |
His anger was in no way mitigated; |
his intention of revenge lessened by |
no whit He was merely waiting to |
collect his thoughts as to be in |
position to attack with most deadly |
effect. He was opening his lips to |
speak when the other went on as |
though he had but concluded one sec
ton or division of what he had to say:
And now sir as to the manifest i
doubt you expressed as to my bona
fdeS in placing my life in your hands |
your apprehension lest I should try
to evade my responsibility to the laws
Of honour by an appeal in some way
10 a court of law. Let me set your
mind at case by placing before you my
views; and my views. let me tell you
are ultimately my intentions. 1 have
tried to assure you that with the ex-
,eption of waiting to ask your consent |
20 taking certain passenger
for a drive. my conduct has from that /
been such as you could not
ind fault with. I take it for granted
that you-Or no man-cOuld honestly
resent such familiaritieS as are Gus
-omary to, and consequent on, a man
offering marriage to a lady. and press