Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-02-20

might have inherited other than my
SELF" she declared.
Last week received letter, sign
ed with my fathers name, begging me
to appoint an Interview with him in
London. l did so-guess how gladly!
was alone in the world, and he, my
father, whom had never thought to
see. We met at his hotel, the
Pless.' He wanted me to come AMI
live with him--said that he was grow
ing old and lonely and needed daugh-
ter's love and care. He told me that
he had made a fortune in America and
both. AS for my inheritance, he per-
suaded me that it was by rights the
property of Frederick Hallam, Mrs.
Hallam's SON."
II have met the young gentleman"
interpolated Kirkwood
His name was new to me, but my
father assured me that he was the
next Of kin mentioned in Colonel Bur
goyne's will, and convinced me that ]
had no real right to the property.
F. After all, he was my father;
agreed; could not bear the thought
|ofe wronging anybody. was to CIV.
up everything but my mothers jewels.
1t seems-nly father said-I don't
/ can't believe it now--
She choked on a little, dry Sob 1t
was some time before she seemed able
to continue.
Il was told that my great-uncle's
collection of jewels had been my
mothers property. He had in life 4
passion for collecting jewels, and 1t
had been his whim to carry them
with him, wherever he went When
he died in Frognall street, they were
in the safe by the head of his bed. L.
in my grief, at first forgot them, and
then afterwards carelessly put off re-
moving them.
ITO come back to my father: Night
before last we were to call on Ms.
| Hallan 1t was to be our last night
| in England; we were to sail for the
continent on the private yacht of Il
friend of my fathers, the next morn
| ing This Is what I was told
and believed, you understand.
That night Mrs. Hallam was din
| ing at another table at the Pless, 1t
seems. I did not then know her.
When leaving, she put note on our
table, by my fathers elbow l was
astounded beyond words. -. He
seemed much agitated, told me that
he was called away on urgent bust
ness, matter Of life and death, and
begged me to go alone to Frognall
street, get the jewels and meet him at
| Mrs. Hallam's later wasn't
altogether fool, for began dinly 70
| l,ot two 90,
wrong; but was a fool, for l con
sented to do as he desired. You IN
derstand-you know"
| 81 do, indeed" replied kirkwood
grimly. 81 understand lot of things
now that didn't five. minutes. ago.
| Please let me think .
| But the time he took for delibera.
ton was short. He had hoped to find
way to spare her, by sparing Calen-
dar, but momentarily he was becora-
ing more impressed with the futility
of dealing with her save in terms of
candor, merciful though they might
seem harsh.
Il must tell you" he said, that YOU
have been outrageously misled, swin,l-
| led and deceived l have heard from
your fathers own lips that Mrs. Hal
lam was to pay MIN two thousand
pounds for keeping you out of Els-
| land and losing you your inheritance
I'm inclined to question, furthermore,
| the assertion that these jewels were
your mothers Frederick Hallam WAS
the man who followed you into the
Frognall street, house and attacked
me on the stairs; Mrs, Hallam admits
| that he went there to get the jewels.
| But he didn't want anybody to know
| it,"
| But that doesn't prove"
Gust minute Rapidly and con-
cisely Kirkwood recounted the events
wherein he had played a part, subse.
quent4to the advantage of Beremond.
sey Old Stairs He was guilty of bus
one evasion on one point only did he
slur the truth; he conceived it his
honorable duty to keep the girl in
ignorance of his straitened circum-
stances; she was not to be distressed
by> knowledge. of his distress, nor
could he tolerate the suggestion OF
seeming to play for her sympathy. 1t
was necessary, then, to invent a mo-
tive to excuse his return to 8, Frog
nall street. I believe he chose to eX-
aSS6TdLe the lnQulSltlVeuSSS VI HIS Id
ture and threw in for good measure
desire to recover a priced trinket OF
no particular moment, esteemed for its
associations, and so forth. But what
ever the fabrication, it passed muster;
to the girl his motives seemed less
important than the discoveries that
resulted from them
II am afraid he concluded the
summary of the Capitalization he had
overheard at the skylight of the Ale
thea's cabin, you'd best make up your
mind that your father"
\ yes" whispered the girl huskily;
and turned her face to the window, a
quivering muscle in the firm young
throat alone betraying her emotion
tits bad business" he pursued
relentlessly: bad all round" Null
ready, in your fathers pay, tries &C
have him arrested, the better to rot
Z him Mrs Hallam, to secure ypa'r
property for that precious pet, Fred
die, connives at, if she doesn't insti
gate, kidnapping. Your father takes
her money to deprive you OF yours
ubiob oo,,lJ profIt him NOTHING ~