The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-07-09

| opportunity to see you curse yourself
Her sister," uttered the man unbe-
lievingly. Il have married the child
Therese. ] have held her sister In my
arms all these months and never knew.
1t is a dream r."
"Ah, but you have felt even though
-"
He struck the table violently with
his fist. His eyes were blazing. What
manner of woman are you? What
were you planning to do to that un-
happy boy-her son? Are you fiend
to-"
In good time, James, you will know
what manner of woman / am" she In
terrupted quietly. Sinking back in the
chair she resumed the broken strain.
all the time watching him through
half-closed eyes. "She died ten years
ago. Her boy was twelve years old.
She never saw him after the night you
turned her away from this house. On
her deathbed. as she was releasing her
pure, undefiled soul to Gods keeping,
she repeated to the priest who went
through the unnecessary form of abb
solving her-she repeated her solemn
declaration that she had never wronged
you by thought or deed. I mad always
believed her, the holy priest believed
her, God believed her. You would
have believed her. too, James Brood.
She was a good woman Do you hearf
And you put a curse upon her and
drove her out into the night. That
was not all. You prosecuted her to the
end of her unhappy life. You did that
to my sister,"
And yet you married me-" he NUT
tered thickly.
mot because ! loved you-oh, mol
She loved you to the day of her death.
after all the misery and suffering you
had heaped upon her. No woman ever
endured the anguish that she suffered
throughout those hungry years. You
kept her child from her. You denied
him to her, even though you denied
him to yourself. Why did you keep
him from her? She was his mother.
She had borne him, he was all hers.
But no! It was your revenge to de-
into the world. You worked deliberate
ly in this plan to crush what little
there was left in life for her. You kept
him with you, though you branded him
with a name | cannot utter; you guard
ed him as if he were your most
precious possession and not curse to
your pride; you did this because you
hot l-.x har
more deeply into her tortured heart.
You allowed her to die, after years of
pleading, after years of vain endeavor. .
without one glimpse of her boy. with
out ever having heard the word mother
on his lips That is what you did to
my sister. For twelve long years you :.
gloated over her misery. Oh, God.
man. how hated you whsn I married
you'll" She paused breatbless.
You are creating an excuse for your
1evjlish conduct" he exclaimed harsh
y "You are like Matilde, false to the
core. You married ne FOR the luxury I
could provide, Notwithstanding the
lon't believe word of what you are
aging to-"
Don't you believe that am her sis
err"
"You-yes, by heaven, must believe
hat. Why have l been so blind? You
re the little Therese, and you hated
ne in those other days. / remember
Tell the"
"A child's despairtng hatred because
GU were taking away the being she
owed best of all. Will you believe me
then l say that my hatred did not en-
ure for long? When her happy, joy
us letters came back to US filled with
counts of your goodness, your devo-
on, II allowed my hatred to die.
,rgot that you had robbed me. l came
, look upon you as the fairy prince,
fter all 1t was not unit. she came all
lie way across the ocean and began to-
lie before our eyes-she was years in
ying-it was not until then that l be-
an to hate you with a real. undying
aired"
"And yet you gave yourself to me-"
2 cried. You put yourself in her
ace. In heavens name, what was to
, gained by such an act as that?"
81 wanted to take Matflde's boy away
ON you," she hurried IN, and for the
st time her eyes began to waver-
The idea suggested itself to me the
ght l met you at the comtesse's din
II. 1t was wonderful, a tremendous
ought that entered my brain. At
st my real self revolted, but as time
ent on the idea became an obsession.
you, James Brood, for the
lie purpose Of hurting you in the
orst possible way; by having Ma
de's son strike you where the pain
ould be the greatest All, you are
mixing that would have permitted
yself to have becoms his mistress.
t you are mistaken. I am not that
d. / would not have damned his
I'll in that way. l would not have
trayed my sister In that way. Far
're subtle was my de3ign. l confess
1T it was my plan to make him fall in
'e with me and in tAe end to run
ay with him, leaving you to think
It the very worst had happened But
would not have beef as you think
would have been protected. my
end, amply protected. He"