Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1913-07-11

WITH TRUE INSTINCT, SHE WEN
crooked path. Life to him was not
much, one day meant nothing more
than another. 1t doesn't make any
difference to you what the great mis-
take was that he made, but one day
he made it and there was another
man in the world besides himself who
knew of it. The years went by and
he married. He had not heard in all
that time of the other person who
knew his secret; then one day the
crash came. Cassanelli appeared
SCassanelli?' I asked.
"Count Immeo went on as If he had
not heard me.
"sHe needed money and he told me
of his need. Also he told me that it
that money was not forthcoming the
woman who was my wife would know
the secret of my life. / paid him, the
blackmailer-he went away Sinking
and called down upon me the bless
ings of the heavens, but I knew he
would come again. A month and he
was back Sinking in the same old
way, rubbing his hands together in
anticipation of the money he was to
get from me; limiting in his sinister
manner that it was either the money
or my happiness. Again / gave to
him-again and again and again. He
became a leech. His face followed me
in my dreams and knew that | must
either pay him or he would tell, tell
everything to the woman loved. A
year went by--two-the baby came,
and still Cassanelli hung on drawing
from me month by month the money
that was sapping my resources. At
last he showed before me and his face
had lost the smile. Fifty thousand
lira," he said. Fifty thousand?"
gasped. Fifty thousand was the
cold reply II have lost much in games
of chance am sick-I need much
money"
"It was more than had-far more
and begged with him. pleaded
with him, but always the same answer
greeted my every entreaty: Fifty
thousand Ira or tell
In week. I begged.
Tomorrow was his answer. That
night I gritted my teeth and went be-
fore my wife. Trembling, told her
what / had striven so hard to conceal
from her My breath seemed to catch
in my throat and my lips, my knees.
my whole being shook as with a palsy.
Word by word l forced it out and
thew iilya a condemned mon omaifod
her answer. I screamed when she
gave it-screamed with the greatest
joy I had ever known. leaped for
ward and clasped her in my arms-I
covered her face with kisses. / wept,
yes, wept like child, in the fullness
of my gratitude.
She had forgiven me! What did
care now what Cassanelli threat
ened? The one person for whom
cared had heard and had forgotten.
laughed the next day when he told
me that he would give me no more
time, laughed in his face and dared
him to injure me. l threw him out
of the house and stood smiling at a
window, watching his appraised arms
and listened to his fevered curses. l
was free! Free'
"The face Of the man before me
had lightened and become almost ex-
allied, as he told his story. But now
the features grew saddened again and
the words came more slowly.
"A week later the baby was gone.
I knew where / knew also that if
set the police on the trail that death
would be the result. I was playing
against a man who had vengeance as
his object in life now, and could do
nothing that would further his anger
against me-
God, he burst forth, the agony of
it.
The days and nights we spent just
staring ahead. just wondering whether
she were living or dead! Waiting for
the information that we felt must
come to us some day. The fendish
exulting letter that would tell us how
she diedl Ten times started for
the police but my heart gave way.
found a way to reach him with the
news that was endeavoring by every
way / could to raise the money.
Some way or other managed to keep
a vague track of him and at least /
found he had left for the States /
learned where he was in Chicago. No: