Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-31

ting mind of our destinies; he had cut
Off the hand that held the strings.
One morning went with Mr.. Teck
to visit my son In prison. expected
to find him crushed by remorse over
his horrible crime; I expected to IND
him in the same state as he had been
when in the asylum at Saint Mande,
Instead Of that, found him smiling,
quite at his ease. He was pleased to
see me and held out both hands in
welcome.
"You have only quarter Of an hour
to talk" said the lawyer. I'll come
back for you then"
Mon PEREZ" said Polydore. II am
SO happy to see you although 1t Is for
the last time. We must not waste the
few minutes that Is given to us talk
ing useless chatter. Sit down and
will do the talking. / know from my
lawyer what efforts you and William
Kingsley are making to save Lucie
and me. You are both foolish"
why foolish, mon fils?"
Because you are spending great
sums of money for nothing. II you
had given me all this money you are
spending now when went to see you
at Holyoke, all this would never have
happened. But it is no use now re-
GREETING the past. What Is done 1s
done and neither you nor can alter
circumstances. They let me smoke
- h ava a
These are very good"
was stupefied at his nerve,
II must save you at any price, Poly
dore," said.
"My father, you are wasting time"
he said simply.
After he had lit his cigarette he
said calmly:
'"There is only one person who can
save Lucie; 1t is 1. Thank God, Will
liam Kingsley cannot do that for her!
But can. It rests entirely with me,
have declared to the judge and shall
renew my declaration before the jury
that Lucie is innocent Of any crime;
that she did not provoke the cause
and that acted entirely alone
"Polydore," l said. II am going to
save you in spite of yourself. Your
lawyer will plead madness, and that
you were not responsible for your
actions. Your former life cannot rail-
to impress the jury"
"My former life," he said, in q bit.
ter tone; ut Is precicely on account
of my former life that / want this
finished. And it is because do not
wish to incur again the same penalties
that am in haste to free you from the
vow you made before the statute OF
q, life" when the hammer struck my
poor mother"
He got up and walked quietly up
and down his cell.
oll," he said, in calm voice, and
without apparent emotion, you do not
understand that it is better that /
should die-that I must die! What
have to live for now? Lucie has given
me the only happiness | have nad IN
life. l have reached the climax OF a
great love- For short time nave
been the happiest of men. nave
nothing more to hope for from life or
love. for Lucie is both to me. II
we're sent back to the madhouse !
should never see her again. NOW ls
the time for me to die. 1t must be SO.
He stood before me, calm and
smiling. :,
"Perhaps you are right. my son."
said brokenly. Adieu! Adieu!"
I could say no more and left my boy
to his fate.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Lucie Astonishes Everybody.
"You must admit" said William to
me as we left the courthouse to-
peather. .that | showed exceptional
discretion in the testimony made be-
fore the jury. l did not want to
charge the accused for Two reasons.
The first Is that this abnormal tndi-
yidual is my wife's brother, and that IN
disclosing his Identity should bring a
cloud over my wife and my two child
.ren. You see, have thought the mat
ter over, and / think 1t Is 0ette' TOT
the honor @. all that this wretch pays
.ue e .alty of re crimes under the
name he now goes by"
"And the other reason /" asked.
"A question of sentiment. It was
simply gratitude. 2 was marvel
Gus as he stood before the Judge and
exonerated Lucie in the manner ne
did. It is clear that Lucie owes her
acouittal entirely to him. was 50
grateful to him. and, after all, ne IS
i1er husband. Poor devil! He loves
her almost as much as do. HOW
could have deceived myself by imagin.
ing that my love for her had passed
cannot now understand. How could
have submitted to the strange influence
that was at work to prevent me from
marrying her? Now, OF course,
know that was the victim OF a coer
cion, I thought that did not love
her. and / believed in all faith that
loved Evelyne."
remained silent. was afraid 70
show my tenderness for Evelyne. Jus,
as was afraid to show the grief and
dispare felt on Polydore's account.
knew that if I did let him see my
great anxieties the doubt that had
half-arisen in his mnid when he hao
said to me. There are moments when
I wonder. II you really are Douglass,
would arise again.
Since that day he had never shown
any suspi cion, and although he did not
L.. 40 tho game affection that he had