River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-08-07
CHAPTER xxx-cont;rued

rms. ! make no apologies and ex-
Dect in answer nothing more than an
HnequivocaI yes or no. You tell me
that you have never met my brother.
Can that be said Of the other mem.
bers of your farnily-of your deceased
daughter. in fact?"
mo"
She was acquainted with Oswald
Brotherson."
"She WASP"
Without your knowledge?"
Entirely So"
'Corresponded with him?"
mot exactly"
How. not eXactly?"
re wrote to her-occasionaily She
wrote e him frequently-but she new
Gr sent her letters"
AIT"
The exclamation was sharp, short
and conveyed little. Yet with it's es-
cape, the whole scaffolding of this
mans bold upon life and his own fate
went down in indistinguishabIe chaos
'Mr. Challoner realized q sense of
havoc, though the eyes bent upon his
tcOuntenaDce had not wavered. nor the
stsiwart figure moved
Il have read some of those letters. .
the inventor finally acknowledged.
The police took great pains to place
them under my eye, supposing them
nto have been meant for me because of
. the initials written on the wrapper.
But they were meant for Oswald You
believe that now?"
s, Il know it."
"And that is why | found you in
athe same house with him"
1T is. Providence has robbed me
of my daughter; if this brother Of
yours should prove to be the man I
am led to expect, l shall ask him to
take that place in my heart and life
which was once hers"
A quick recoil, a smothered excla-
nation on the part of the man he adj
dressed. A barb had been hidden in
this simple statement which had
coached some deeply-hidden but vuI-
'iierable spot in Erotherson's breast,
(which had never been pierced before.
1t was sight 10 man could see I'M
moved. Mr.. Challoner turned sharp
~ away, an Gread or the abyss which
the next word he uttered might open
between them.
But Orlando BrotherSon possessed
resources of strength Of which. pos
IDLY. he was not aware himself. When
Mr.. Chailoner, still more affected by
the silence than by the dread | have
mentioned, turned to confront him
again. it was to find his features com
posed and his glance clear. He had
conquered all outward manifestation
OF the mysterious emotion which for
an instant had laid his proud spirit
low.
You are considerate of my broth.
err" were the words with which he re-
opened this painful conversation You
viii not find your confidence mis-.
placed. Oswald is a straightforward
fellow, of few faults"
Il believe it. No man can be so uni
versaIly beloved without some very
substantial claims to regard am
glad to see that your opinion. though
given somewhat coldly. comedies with
that of his friends"
I am not given to exaggeration. :
was the even reply.
Nothing which had yet passed
showed that this man realized the fact
that Oswald had been kept in igno-
rance of Miss Challoners death. II
these brothers we're to meet on the
morrow, it must be with the full un
Outstanding that this especial topic
was to be completely avoided But in
what words could he urge such re
guest upon this man? None suggest
ed themselves, yet he had promised
Miss Scott that he would insure his
silence in this regard. and it was with
this difficulty and no other he had
been struggling when MIR. Brothersor
cSme upcr him in the other room.
You lave still something TO say
suggested the latter. as an oppressive
Eilence swallowed up that icy sentence
have already recorded.