Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-11-08
The Daily Story
ACCUSED-BY OSCAR COX
Copyrighted. 1918 by Associated Literary Burea


shall suffer. You have handed me over
to be dealt with by tho law ! Will be the
law to you will not remain long behind
bars. No prison walls have yet been
built strong enough TO hold me. When
am free. as the carrier pigeon looks about
him for the flight he will take. l viii To-
cate you. And wherever you are there
Will 1 go, II may be when the earth is
awakening after a nocturnal slumber. IL
may be when the sun is pouring flood of
light on hill and vale. it may be when you
think yourself concealed in the shadows
OF evening. that 1 viii come. but come
will. and when YOU feel my blade cutting
into your heart your eyes shall serve you
for the last time. and they VIII behold me
. bending over you gloating in my revenge.
paused in my writing and read over
what had written. I was dissatisfied
with it. There was not sufficient
strength. rancor. bitterness. diabolism.
in Ii to suit me. ! wrote Ii over, vivify-
ing the picturesque points and intensi-
flying the hate. Then put 1t with my
manuscript in its place at the close of
chapter and made my preparations to
leave my room.
Two reasons influenced my going. In
the first place, / suffered the impover-
ishment usual to authors who have not
attained recognition a S geniuses. and
was expecting TO be turned out for non
payment of rent. In the second place,
1 was in love and had promised 10
spend the week end with my betrothed
AS TO my poverty, I was expecting bet
ter things when my novel. The Ban
dts Revenge" should be published; as
to my ladylove. / hoped to conceal
L., 1. III 80
finances till began to receive my roy
alties.
My apartment was on the top floor of
a building in which there were many
rooms. I possessed an old satchel. but
no wardrobe except what | wore.
There We're a number of unsold manu-
scripts in the closet, and In order to fill
out the bag l put them in Ii and, going
with it out into the hall. descended. A
man on the floor below. seeing me,
started toward me. Thinking he might
be intending TO stop me for my unpaid
rent. l hurried on and succeeded in
eluding him. Emerging from the build
ing, felt satisfaction in knowing that
l had all my worldly possessions with
me and had left nothing in my room
that the landlord could hold as secu-
rity for my debt Alas, had left one
little article that would bring me more
trouble than if I had left abundant Sc
curity, but did not know IT.
l had in my pocket the wherewithal
to pay my way to the suburban town
where lived my beloved. l expended
so cents for a ticket and. having 81
more, spent it for some roses to |
take with me as gift for her. leaving |
me n cent for a newspaper. Then |
entered the train. laid my satchel on |
the seat beside me, unfolded my paper |
and. assuming carelessness did not |
feel, began to read the news. My pow
erty did not trouble me. I was used to
that. But / dreaded lest my betrothed
should find it out.
Nina, who was aware OF my coming.
was at the station to meet me and
took me to her home in a little auto
her father had recently given her. I
tossed my satchel, containing no toilet
articles except a toothbrush. on the
floor of the vehicle and took my seat
beside my adored chauffeur. Instead
of driving me directly home, she made
n long ,detour into the country. 1t was
evident from her manner that she had
of Importance to say to me
and was making an opportunity to say
t. As soon as we were on country
road she slowed down and said:
My dear Luigi. hope that what I
I'm going to say to you will not lead
Tou TO think that do not trust you
implicitly. 1t is papa who is uncertain
about you. He would prefer that
should marry man born IN America,
whose family and antecedents we
night learn about. You know that
-ou have no relatives in America, and
II order TO learn of your ancestry and
status in Italy one must go there TO
make an investigation. / have told
'apa what you have told me-that you
re a descendant of the historical Co
onnas; that your father is n member
f the Italian parliament and has been
cabinet minister. Papa says. What
roof have you of this ~ and l can only
eply that l have your word for IL.
md when papa asks me why / believe
ou and ] say it is because love you
e laughs at me-
"AIy dear Nina replied. have pa
fence. I have written for such proofs
who and what | am as shall con-
Ince any doubter. Meanwhile. though
do not expect your father to feel sat
fled concerning me. 1t seems TO me
lat if you really love me you will
rust me-"
Had ! not romance I'm my nature I
-ould not be a novelist Romance led
lie TO take the ground that there is
in true love to induce a
oman to trust the man she loves
ithout calling on him for his creden-
ais. ] went into a rhapsody about this
sautiful faith in a loved one and sue
.eded in fnfusing the sentiment into
ina. / was all j pretended to be and
as only coDcealing from my betroth-
my poverty. which my hopeful dis
,sition led me to think would soon be
lded- But there was not single rea-
N In my words why she should put
18th IN one whom she saw only
rough the romance tingcd eyes OF a