The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1913-02-27
CHAPTER xxx.


The Aveneer.
Dear Mr.. Challoner:
with every apology for the intru
sion, may request few minutes O!
private conversation with Won this
! evening at seven O'Clock? Let it be
| in your own room.
Yours truly,
"ORLAf.DO BROTKERSON."
Mr.. Challoner had been called upon
to face many difficult and heartrend
| ing duties since the blow which had
desoiated his home fell upon him.
| But from none Of them had he
shrunk as he did rom the interview
thus demanded. He had suppose &c
himself rid Of this man. He had dis
| missed him from his life when he haG
dismissed Sweetwater. His face, &C
| cordingly, wore anything but a pro
! pi;iatory look. when promptly at the
hour of seven, Orlando Brotherson en-
tered his apartments.
His pleasure or his displeasure was
however, a matter Of small conse
quence to his self.invited visitor. He
had come there with a set purpose
and nothing in heaven or earth could
deter him from It now. Declining the
offer of a seat, with the slightest OF
Acknowledgements in the way of a
bow, he took careful survey Of the
room before saying:
Are We alone, Mr.. Challoner, or Is
that man Sweetwater lurking some.
where within nearing?"
"Mr. Sweetwater is gone, as I had
the honor of telling you yesterday
was the somewhat stiff reply. There
are no witnesses to this conference, II
that is what you wish to know"
Thank you, but you win pardon
my insistence If request the privilege
of closing that door," He pointed to
the one communicating with the bed
room. "The information 1 have to
give you is not such as am willing
| to have shared, at least for the pres
ent."
"Yor may close the door," said Mr..
Challoner coldly. But is it necessary
for You to give me the information
you mention, tonight? If it is OF such
nature that you cannot accord me
the privilege of sharing it, as yet. witt,
others, why not spare me till you cen!
have gone through much, Mr.. Broth.
erson."
"You have" came in steady assent
as the man thus addressed stepped TO
the door he had indicated and quietly
closed it. Bat" he continued, as he
crossed back to his former position,
would it be easier for you to go
through the night now in anticipation
of what have to reveal than to hear
it at once from my lips while I am in
the mood to speak?"
The answer was slow in coming.
The courage which had upheld this
| rapidly aging man through SO many
trying interviews, seemed inadequate
for the test put so cruelty upon it. He
faltered and sank heavily into a chair,
while the stern man watching him,
gave no signs of responsive sympathy
or even interest, only a patient, and
icy-tempered resolve.
81 cannot live in uncertainty" such
were finally Mr.. Challoner's words.
What you have to say concerns
Edith" The pause he made was in.
fnitesimal in length, but it was long
enough for quick disclaimer. But
no such disclaimer came. II will hear
Il IN ,roIuofopt finch
Mr.. Brotherson took step forward.
His manner was as cold as the heart
which lay like stone in his bosom.
will you pardon me if I ask you to
rise?' said he. 81 have my weaknesses
too. Gle gave no sign of them.) 81
cannot speak down from such height
to the man am bound to hurt"
AS if answering to the constraint OF
a will quite outside his own, Mr.. Chal-
loner rose. Their heads were now
more nearly on level and Mr.. Broth.
erson's voice remained low, as he pro-
ceeded, with quiet intensity:
"There has been time-and it. may
exist yet, God knows-when you
l luOuSAt ulc Bully unhAOWu BE-
| cret way the murderer of your daugh.
ter. I do not quarrel with the sus-
picion; it was justified, Mr.. Challoner.
did kill your daughter, and with this
hand! I can no longer deny it."
The wretched father swayed, follow.
! Ing the gesture of the hand thus held
out; but he did not fall. nor did a
sound leave his lips.
Brotherson went coldly on:
'"I did it because / regarded her
treatment to my suit as insolent. I
have no mercy for any such display of
intolerance on the part of the rich and
the fortunate. hated her for it; /
hated her class, herself and all she
stood for. To strike the dealer of such
hurt felt to be my right. Though a
man of small beginnings and Of. a
stock which such as you call common,
| l have q pride which few of your
blood can equal. / could not work, or
sleep or eat with such sting in my
breast as she had planted there. To
rid myself of it, determined to kill
her, and l did. How? Oh, that was
easy, though it has proved a great
stumbling block to the detectives, as /
knew 1t would! ! shot her-but not
with an ordinary bullet. My charge