Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-03-15

was surely Justified in thinking 1
was realization, in part, at least, o
what had happened that was drivin.
you away
She shook her head slowly, her in
dignation ebbing as fast as it had risen
II understand" she said; you hat
some excuse, but you were not right
I ran away-yes-but not because Of
that. / never dreamed"
She fell silent, sitting with bowed
head and twisting her hands together
in a way he found it painful to watch.
But please" he implored "dont
take it so much to heart, Miss Ban
non. If you knew nothing, you couldn'
have prevented it."
NO. she said brokenly, II could
have done nothing If had known. But
l didn't. 1t isn't that-its the horror
and pity Of it. And that you could
think"
But I didn't" he protested truly
l did not. And for what I did think
for the injustice I did do you, believe
me, I'm truly sorry"
"You were quite satisfied" she said
mot only by the testimony of appear
ances, but to degree, in fact. You
must know-now I must tell you-"
Nothing you don't wish to-" he in.
terrupted quickly. "The fact that
practically kidnapped you under pre-.
tense of doing you a service, and sus-
pected you Of being spy Of that Pack,
gives me no title to your confidence y
"Can blame you for thinking what
you did," She went on slowly, with
out looking up-gaze steadfast to her
interlaced fingers: Nov, for my own
sake, want you to know what other
wise, perhaps, I shouldn't have told
you-not yet, at all events. I'm no
more Bannon's daughter than you're
his son. Our names sound alike-peo.
pie frequently make the same mistake.
MY name is Shannon-Lucy Shannon.
Mr.. Bannon called me Lucia because
he knew didn't like it and wanted to
tease me; for the same reason he al
ways kept up the pretense that was
his daughter when people misunder-
stood"
Bluff that is so-then what"
"Why-it's very simple" Still she
didn't look up. "I'm trained nurse.
Mr.. Bannon is consumptive-so far
gone, it's wonder he didn't die years
ago-for months I've been haunted by
the thought that it's only the evil in
him keeps him alive. It wasn't long
after took the assignment to nurse
him that found out something about
him. He'd had a hemorrhage at his
desk, and while he lay in coma, and I
waited for the doctor, I happened to
notice and in part read one Of the pa
pers he'd been working over when he
fell. And then, just as began to ap-
preciate the sort Of man I was en-
ployed by, he came to, and saw-and
knew
I found him watching me with
those awful eyes of his, and though
he was unable to speak, realized that
ny life wasn't safe if ever I breathed
4 word of what l had read. l would
have left him then, but he was too cum
l1ng for me, and when in time found
4 chance to escape was afraid, knew
I'd not live long if ever left him. He
went about it deliberately to keep me
and though he never men,
Toned the matter directly, let me know
plainly, in hundred ways, what his
power was and what would happen if
told what knew. It's nearly year
1ow-nearly year of endless terror
and"
Her voice fell; she was trembling
With the recrudescent suffering of that
7ear-long servitude. And for little
Lanyard felt too profoundly moved to
rust himself to speak; he stood
lghast, staring down at this woman, so
and gently feminine, so
strangely strong and courageous, and
'aguely envisaging what anguish must
lave been hers in enforced association
With a creature Of Bannon's ruthless
stamp, he was rent with compa ssion
md swore to himself he'd stand by her
md see her through and free and
lappy if he died for tor ended in
he Sante!