Graham guardian., 1913-11-21
Accused
Fortunately Vindi-
cation Was at
Hand
BY OSCAR COX

" W uCdlb with Dg Nlo Jaw VIII bd lHS
law to you. l 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 fight he will take, l will To-
cate you. And wherever you are there
will go. 1t may be when the earth is
awakening after a nocturnal slumber. II
may be when the sun is pouring a flood OF
light on hill and vale. 1t may be when you
think yourself concealed in the shadows
of evening, that l will come but come u
will. and when you feel my blade cutting
into your heart your eyes shall serve you
for the last time. and they will behold me
bending over you gloating in my revenge.
paused in my writing and read over
what l had written. was dissatisfied
with It. There was not sufficient
strength, rancor, bitterness. dlabolism,
In 1t to suit me. wrote 1t over, vivify.
ing the picturesque points and intensi.
flying the hate. Then put It with my
manuscript in its place at the close of
a 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 as geniuses, and |
was expecting to besturned out for non
payment of rent. In the second place.
spend the week end with my betrothed
As to my poverty, was expecting bet
ter things when my novel, The Ban
dts Revenge" should be published: as
TO my ladylove, hoped to conceal
from her the pitiable condition Of my
finances till began to receive my roy
alties.
My apartment was on the top floor of
building in which there were many
rooms. possessed nm old satchel but
no wardrobe except what | wore
There were number of unsod manu-
scripts In the closet, and in order to fill
out the bag put them in it and going
with II 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, | hurried on and succeeded in
eluding him. Emerging from the build,
ing. felt satisfaction in knowing that
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 had left abundant Sc
Jcurity, but did not know II.
had In my pocket the wherewithaI
TO pay my way to the suburban town
where lived my beloved. | expended
so cents for a ticket and, having 50
more, spent it for some roses to
take with me as a gift for her. leaving
me a cent for newspaper. Then |
entered the train. laid my satchel on
the seat beside me, unfolded my paper
and, assuming q carelessness ! did not
feel, began to read the news. My pov.
erty did not trouble me- | was used to
that But dreaded lest my betrothed
should find IL out
Nina, who was aware Of my coming.
was at the station to meet me and
took me to her home in little auto
hVA AdlhCl hNh ANNShIlJ biNCh
tossed my satchel, containing no toilet
articles except toothbrush. on the
floor of the vehicle and took my seat
beside my adored chauffeur. Instead
Of driving me directly home, she made
a long detour into the country. 1t was
evident from her manner that she had
something of Importance to say to me
and was making an opportunity to say
Il. AS soon as we were on a country
road she slowed down and said:
MY dear Luigi, hope that what !
am going to say to you will not lead
you to think that l do not trust you
implicitly. 1t Is papa who is uncertain
about you. He would prefer that |
should marry a man born In America,
whose family and antecedents we
might learn about You know that
you have no relatives in America, and
in order to learn of your ancestry and
status in Italy one must go there to
make an investigation. have told
papa what you have told me-that you
are descendant OF the historical. Co
lonnas; that your father is member
Of the Italian parliament and has been
cabinet minister. Papa says, What
proof have you of thisP and can only
reply that / have your word for It.
And when papa asks me why l believe
you and / say 1t is because | love you
he laughs at me-"
MY dear Nina" I replied. have pa.
tience. have written for such proofs
of who and what am as shall con-
vince any doubter. Meanwhile. though
do not expect your father to feel sat.
isfed concerning me, 1t seems to me
that If you really love me you will
trust me-"
Had | not romance In my nature !
would not be a novelist. Romance led
me to take the ground that there is
something In true love to induce a
woman to trust the man she loves
without calling on him for his creden-
tials. | went into rhapsody about this
beautiful faith in loved one and sue
ceeded In infusing the sentiment into
Nina. I was all pretended to be and
was only concealing from my betroth-
ed my poverty, which my hopeful dis
position led me to think would soon be
ended. But there was not single roa-
son In my words why she should put