Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-21

pC6ISu III u UdZzSu lhSAAOA.
From prison! from this asylum!
you want me to adopt young man.
to make stranger my son, and give
him the name of Douglass! AN. ~
make him my heir and take him 20
American" M
That's 1t exactly! Now. Friday
evening on board the Touraine. with
out fail. Sails from Havre at 1870 ex-
act! The transatlanticc don't wait for
passengers like your French omni-
buses. Charles, don't look at me like
that! You seem dazed! II you could
only see what fool you look! You
look as though you were asleep with
your eyes open!"
There will be some formalittes to
arrange" I said in voice that did
not recognize as my own, "and
should like to stay here for Evelyne's
wedding"
"Evelyne can get married without
your help. And as to the formalities
with your absurd French law, we Will
get on without them. Have the young
man on boar! We will arrange the
rest in Q United States. We do things
better and more quickly over there.
Charles, and a man instructed is worth
two not instructed. Good-by, old friend,
old partner! Happy man! Au revolr!
This extraordinary Yankee had been
gone quarter Of an hour, and was
stlll crouching over the cheerful fire
in the library, turning over in my mind
the most extravagant hypothesis, but
forced to recognize once more that this
man represented Providence, and that
1t was impossible for me to push away
the hand that he held out to me.
/ And only few days before I had
said to him: II am master of the sttua-
ton now! I am capable now Of showing
you that can act alone.
And how I had boasted that would
not follow him to America; had said
that would do anything, anything.
rather than that! was nothing but an
automaton In this mans mysterious
hand. and every move that thought I
myself could make, was directed BY
him: and always, SO 1t seemed, and as
he had tod me, in my own interests.
Polydore! Polydore! my unfortunate
son, | shall be able to save you now.
lit was not worth while suspending
over your miserable head the terrible
perspective OF lifelong imprisonment
in a mad-house. It was hardly worth
while swearing to Evelyne and Marca-
dian: HE will never leave the asy'
lum."
/ laughed nervously as Knocked my
SELF
All! the provisions, the useless calcu-
lations that. we make in our life, always
succun,bs to chance, the only deity
which manifests itself by incessant
miracles.
And dizzy with a newborn hope, l
made nv way across to the asylum,
where | found Polydore in bis cell.
tossing about In q restless sleep, his
flsts clinched, and muttering inoo-
|herently.
CHAPTER XVII.
Bon Voyage.
The millionaire seemed highly
amused at the strange choice that
had made. He appeared to think 1t
odd, ridiculous, but decided to make
the best Of 1t.
CHARLES, haven't l always said that
Won were an eccentric creature! VINO
would have thought of adopting luna
tic, Are YOU quite sure that he is not
dangerous You may not think much OF
your skin, but think great deal Of
mine. Take care"
I entered into the spirit OF his gaiety.
and said reassuringly:
"Don,t be afraid, Addison: II you do
not wish to be proud OF your sons
knowledge, you can at least have faith
IN my perspicacity. This youth is not
mad. One confers on mental alienation
the most incomprehensible names We
have not changed much since anti
.uuity! With the Greeks, madness was
sent upon them by a revengeful god
dess. This youth is smitten with erotic
madness and that Is all"
"Ah!. All! That's fine! Aeloyer! That
is lust what WANT"
"He Is merely smitten with amnesie
and he has lost his personality. He
seems to remember nothing OF his past
life"
"And you, kind and generous man,
at nv expense, are going to give him
personality. That's good! Fine!"
He laughed TIL the tears ran down
his cheeks. I could not see the joke.
The doctor considered me an eccen-
trio individual, there was no doubt
about that. But his anxiety was not
that I was taking .; 1t was be-
cause / was going. He could not be
consoled for my departure. He
searched in vain to discover what had
caused me to change my plans. He
tried hard to dissuade me from going:
his grief was very sincere.
"What I cannot understand" he said.
"is why you have changed your mind
SO suddenly. Why can't you put OF
your return to America until after
Eyelyne and 1 are married3 Your be-
ing at our wedding would have seemed
nike a promtse Of future happiness.
Why now must you put your business
interests first? For the last 20 years
It has gone on without you. Yes. yes!
/ know you are anxious to get in the
swing Of things again over there; but
what difference does few months
more or less make? AS soon az I
have found my real father, I have to
lose him again. think, Charles, that
a. ~ :. Nr,,r< ryr,r, horo nv moi hor v0t1