The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1915-06-05

NOW 4 can see why you nave taken
up this fight against me. You-you
know she was innocent" he said in a
low, unsteady voice.
And why have hated you, ai--el
But what you do not understand Is
how ! could have brought myself to
the point Of loving you.
Loving me! God heaven. woman.
what do YOU"
Loving YOU In spite OF myself" she
cried. beating upon the table With her
hands. Il have tried 10 convince my
self that II was not / but the spirit OF
Matilde that had come TO lodge In my
treacherous body. ! hated you for
myself and loved you for MatiIde.
she loved You TO the end. She never
hated you. That was H. The pure.
deathless love OF Matilde was constant.
ly fighting against the hatred | bore
for you. / believe as firmly as be-
lieve that / am alive that she has been
near me all the time. battling against
my insane desire for vengeance You
have only TO recall TO yourself the mo-
ments when you were so wildly re-.
minded OF Matilde Valeska AZ those
times am sure that something OF Ma
tide was In me- was not myself You
have looked into my eyes a thousand
times with question in your own,
Your soul was striving TO reach the
soul of Matilde All. all these months.
| have known that You loved Matide--
not me. You loved the Matilde that
was In me. YOU
Il have thought OF her-always OF
her-when you were ia my arms"
II know how well you loved her."
she declared slowly. Il know that you
l. went TO her tomb long after her death
was revealed 10 you. know that years
ago you made an effort TO find Fever
ELL. You found his grave, too. and you
could not ask him, man TO man. II you
had wronged her. But In spite OF all
that you brought up her boy TO be sac.
rificed as"
TN-good God. am to believe
your II he should be my SOM" he
cried. starting up. cold with dread.
HE is your son. He could be no
other mans son. have her dying
word for II. She declared IL in the
presence OF her God. Watt Where
are you going7"
II am going down to himl"
/ Not yet, James. ] have still more
to say to you--more to confess. Herei
Take this package of letters. Read
them as you sit beside his bed--not
his deathbed, for l shall restore him
to health. never fear. II he we're to
die, ! should curse myself to the end
OF time, for I and ! alone would have
been the cause. Here are her letters
and the one Feverelli wrote to her.
This is her deathbed letter TO you. And
this is letter TO her son and yours!
You may some day read IL 20 him. And
here--thls is a document requiring me
10 share my fortune with her son. II
Is a pledge that ] took before my IA.
Their died few'years ago. II the boy
ever appeared, he was TO have his
mothers share Of the estate-and II IS
not an inconsiderable amount. James.
lie is independent OF you. He need
ask nothing OF you. was taking him
home to his own"
She shrank slightly as he stood over
her. There was more of wonder and
pity In his face than condemnation.
She looked for the anger she had ex-
pected TO arouse I'm him, and was
dumfounded TO see that Il was not re-
vealed In his steady. appraising eyes.
Your plan deserved a better fate
than this Therese. II was prodigiousl
IL can almost pity you
"Have-have you no pain--no regret
mo grief?" she cried weakly.
Eyes" he said. controlling himself
with difficulty. yes. know all these
and more" lie picked up the pack
age OF letters and glanced at the sub
scription on the outer envelope. Sud
denly he raised them to his lips and.
with his eyes closed. kissed the words
that were written there. Her head
dropped and a sob came into her
throat She did not look up until he
began speaking TO her again, quietly.
even patiently. but why should you,
even in your longing for revenge-why
should you have planned 10 humiliate
and degrade him even more than
could have done? Was II just TO your
sisters son that you should blight his
life. that you should turn him into a
skulking. sneaking betrayer? What
would you have gained in the end? His
loathing. his scorn-my God, Therese.
did you not think OF all this7"
II have told you that ! thought 81
everything. Was mistaken. ! did not
stop to think that would be taking
him away from happiness In the shape
! OF love that he might bear for someone
else. did not know that there was n
Lydia Desmond. when / came to know.
my heart softened and my purpose lost
most OF its force. lie would have been
safe with me. but would he have been
/ happy7 | could not give him the kind
OF love that Lydia promised. could