The Irish standard., 1910-11-19
Copyright. 1904 BY Motras, Yard l. %.



Il can scarcely bear to tell you"
you alarm me beyond measured"
oried the girl. pressing her hands to
her breast as II to still its wild throb-
bling. "You must not keep me in sus-
pense any longer! What is 1t that you
have to tell me? What is It that Is
likely to come between u.s."
"This." responded Gormly, handing
her few typewritten sheets of paper
Am 1 to read this?" she asked, ta-
king It from him and looking very
straight Ut him.
He was very pale now and she was
scarcely less white
WATT" said the man, as she lifted
the paper and bent her head. per
haps It would be more meroiful to
tell you"
Gust as you think best. am a
strong woman. can bear anything.
1s 1t about" there was long pause
my fatherr
He nodded his head.
What has he done?''
Miss Haldane," he began, Il say to
you quite simply that / would rather
be dead than stand here as do now
with the burden Of telling you that
your father Is the head and front, the
backbone, the brains, the genius, the
everything, of the Gotham Freight
company and the Sachem society,""
my God!" exclaimed Miss Haldane,
the paper dropping from her fingers
to the floor.
She was paler than ever. She stared
at him almost in dumb Incompetent
sion. Her body swayed slightly CORN
~ stepped closer to her, seized her
gently, supported her to a chair by
the library table. She put her face
In her hands and rocked to and fro
silently.
1T can't be true" she said at last.
you are mistaken. Surely not my
father in that sink of corruption and
bribery and iniquity and shame! Say
It isn't true!"
II wish to heaven could say It;
but The man shook his head. II
told you that would rather have been
dead than have brought this upon
you"
"You are not to blame" answered
the woman her sensoof Justice upper
most ut is the fact itself that kills,
If it be fact. There must be some
mistake"
II wish there was"
Are you sure absolutely?'
"Your father confessed 1t here in
<his room half hour ago."
'Why do you tell ME Of it?''
Because" was the answer, ''the
whole world has to know 1t, and pre-.
ferred to tell you myself rather than
Jet you get it from the newspapers"
"You are going to publish it,"
Tomorrow morning."
But why-why?"
She threw up her arms tn nervous
appeal.
Think" said the man, 1T is the one
fact that makes my election certain"
"And does your ambition run to the
wrecking Of my fathers good name
In order that you may be elected?"
mo. II you will think, you will
know that It does not. am doing it
for the sake Of honor, for the sake of
duty, for the sake of humanity" he
paused and raised his own hand. $50
help me God!" he cried with upturned
face.
''But Is It necessarily"
Absolutely"
WHY"
"The cause Of popular government
L. being fought out right here. The
contest transcends in Importance any
political battle that has even been
waged. II the government of and
for and by the people is to be a sue
cess, we have to demonstrate 1t now
or else go down, 1t may be forever
The people have right to know what
Is back of the Sachem society, where
It gets its enormous corruption fund.
I should be traitor, false to my duty,
, a betrayer If did not make public
this knowledge that has come to me-"
1T is all true." she said at last
~You say my father was here?'
yes
"He was very much ugitated at
some news that my brother brought
him short time ago. Does Living
stone know"
"He does. I told him."
"Why?"
"To give him an opportunity to
withdraw from association with US In
view of this attack"
"And what did he decide?"
HE decided to stay with me-"
"And this is why you made me that
offer of marriage now rather than
later?'
Eyes. I wanted you to feel, after
you had this news, that while alone
knew it, I paid YOU the highest COM
pliment that could think off, that my
heart was irrevocably pledged to you
whatever was to happen"