Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-09-05

0eaTI was tuVOUUiuk 40 IL NC uoO JussS
finished climbing a long hill. THAT
was the man who tried to kill me. But
Meleese- the He could 20 no fur.
Their. Scarce breathing. he waited for
Jean to speak.
ut is Pierre Thoreau." he said. ''eld.
est brother to Meleese. 1t il he who
should say what am about to tell
you. m'seur. Bot he Is too full Of grief
to speak. You wonder at thatf And
vet tell you that man with better
soul than Pierre ThOreau never lived.
though three times be has tried to Kill
you. Do you remember what you
asked me short time ago. m'seur-if
thought that you were the John
Rowland who murdered the father Of
Meleese sixteen years ago7 Gods
saints, and did until hardly more
than half an hour ago. when some one
came from the south and exploded q
mine under our feet. 1t was the young
est of the three brothers. M'seur. We
have made a great mistake. and We
ask your forgiveness"
In the silence the eyes Of the two
men met across the table. To How.
land 1t was not the thought that bis
life was saved that came with the
greatest force. but the thought Of Me-
leese. tue knowledge that in that hour
when all seemed to be lost she was
nearer to him than ever. he leaned
half over the table. bis hands clinched,
his eyes blazing. Jean did not under
stand. for he went on quickly.
II know 1t is hard. m'seur. Perhaps
It will be impossible for you to for.
give thing like this. We have tried
to kill you-kill you BY slow torture.
as we thought you deserved But
think for moment. m'seur. OF what
happened up here sixteen years ago
this winter. | have told you how |
choked life from the man aend. 80
would have choked life from you II It
had not been for Meleese. l. too. am
guilty. Only six years ago we knew
that the right John Howland-the son
of the man l slew-was In Montreal:
and we sent to seek him this youngest
brother. for he had been long time Ut
school with Meleese and knew the
ways of the south better than the 9th.
ers. But he failed to flnd him at that
time. and 1t was only q short while ago
that this brother located you.
las our Blessed Lady Is my wit.
ness. m'seur. 1t il not strange that be
should have taken You for the man We
sought. for it IL singular that you bear
him out like brother In looks. % !
remember the boy. 1t Is true that
Francois made great error when he
sent word to his brothers suggesting
that IL either Gregson or Thorne was
put out of the way you would proba-
bly, be sent into the north. swear
by the Virgin that Meleese knew moth.
ing of this. m'seur. She knew nothing
Of the schemes by which her brothers
drove Gregson and Thorne back into
the south. They did not wish to kil
them. and yet It was necessary to do
something that you might replace one
of them. mseur. They did not make
move alone but that something hap
penetl. GregsOn lost finger. Thorns
was badly hurt. as you know. Bullets
came through their window at night.
With Jackpine in their employ It was
easy to work on them. and It was not
long before they sent down asking for
another man to replace them"
For the first time q surge Of anger
swept through Rowland.
1.-THE cowards! he exclaimed. "A
pretty pair. Croisset. to crawl out from
under a trap to let another in At the
topr'
perhaps not 80 bad a. that" said
Jean. 'They were given to understand
that they-ahd they alone-were not
wanted In the country. It may BE-
that they did not think harm would
come to you and 40 Kept quiet about
what had happened. 1t may be. too.
that they did not like to have It known
that they were running away from
danger. Is not that human. m'seurI
ANYWAY, you were detailed to come.
and not until then did Meleese know
| of all that had occurred"
The Frenchman stopped for q mo-
ment, The glare had faded from
BOwland's eyes. The tense lines In
his face relaxed.
"I-l-believe I understand every
thing now. JEAN" he said. "You
traced the wrong John Howland.
that's all. love Meleese. Jean. l
would kill John Rowland for her. I
want to meet her brothers and shake
their bands don't blame them.
Eut somehow 1t hurts to think OF her
of Meleese-as-as almost Q mur-
derer."
.Afop Dieu. m'seur. has she not
saved your life? Listen to this! 1t
was then-wheD she knew what had
happened-that Meleese came to me
whom she had made the happiest man
in the world. because 1t was she who
brought my Mariane over from
Churchill on a visit especially that !
might see her and fall in love with
her. m'seur-which did. Meleese
came to me-to Jean Croisset-and In
stead Of planning your murder. m'seur.
she schemed to save your hfe-witn
me-wbo would have cut you into
bits no larger than my finger and req
you to the carrion ravens. who would
have choked the life out Of you until
your eyes bulged In death. as choked
that one up on the Great Slave! Do
you understand. m'seur? It was Me-
leese who came and pleaded with me
to save your life-before you had left
Chicago. before she had heard more
of you than your name. before she bad
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