Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-07-22
BEST MAN.
A Charming And Wholesome Romance b. Grace L. II. Lafs
well then, since you wish it stated


We'll. then, since you wish it stated
once more I will tell you." she de-
clared, the tears yelling again into
, her eyes. You first demanded that I
marry OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES any
pretense whatever of caring for me
with a hidden threat in you de-
nand that If l did not, you would
bring some dire calamity upon me by
means that were already in your pow
er. You took me for the same fool
ish little girl whom you had delight
ed to tease for years before you went
abroad to live. And when I refused
you. you told me that o could not
only take away from my mother all
from her brother. by "a of a will
made just before my uncle's death,
and unknown except to his lawyer
and you: but that you could and
would blacken my dear dead fathers
name n honor, Int show that every
cent that belonged to Mother and
Jefferson and myself was stolen prop
erty. When l challenged you to prove
any such thing against my honored
threatened to bring out a terrible
story and prove it with witnesses who
would swear to anything you said.
You knew my fathers white life. you
as much as owned your charges were
false. and yet you dared to send me
a letter from a vile creature who pre-
tended that she was his first wife, and
who said she could prove that he had
spent much Of his time in her COM
pany. You knew the whole thing was
a falsehood, but you dared to threat
en- to make this known through the
newspapers if / did not marry you
You realized that I knew that, even
though few people and no friends
would believe such a thing of my ia
ther, such a report in the papers
false though it was-would crush my
mother to death. You knew that I
would give my life to save her, and
so o had me in your power, as you
wanted me in your power, just be-
cause o love to torture, and now
you have me. But you cannot make
me forget what you have done. I
have given my life but l cannot give
any more. If it is not sufficient you
will have to do your worst"
She dropped her face into the little
wet handkerchief, and Gordon sat
with white, drawn c~ountenance and
clenched hands. He was fairly trem-
bling with indignation toward the viii
lain who had thus dared impose upon
this delicate flower of womanhood.
He longed to search the world over
ing. give him his just dues.
And what should he do or say?
Dared he tell her at once who he was
and trust to her kind heart to forgive
his terrible blunder and keep his
secret till the message was safely de-
livered? Dared he? Had he any
right? No. the secret was not his
to divulge either for his own benefit
or for any others. He must keep that
to himself. But he must help her in
some way.
At last he began to speak, scarcely
knowing what he was about to say:
have told. me. To have written such
things to nj like you-in fact, to any
one on earth-seems to me unforgiv-
able. 1t is the most inhuman cruelty
| have ever heard of. You are fully
justified in hating and despising the
man who wrote such words to you"
Then. why did you write them? 2"
she burst forth. And how can you
sit there calmly and talk that way
about it, as If you had nothing to do
with the matter
Because I never wrote those let
tiers" he said, looking her steadily.
earnestly. in the eyes.
You never wrote them!" she ex-
claimed excitedly. You dare t o deny
Il dare to deny it." His voice was
quiet, earnest, convincing.
She looked at him, dazed. bewilder-
ed, indignant, s%orrowful. But you
cannot deny it," she said. her fragile
frame trembling with excitement. Il
nave the letters all in my suitcase.
You cannot deny your own handwrit-
ing. l have the last awful one-the
one In which you threatened Fathers
good name-here in my handbag. 1
dared not put it with the rest, and 1
had no opportunity to destroy it be-
fore leaving home. I felt as il I must
always keep it with me. lest otherwise
its awful secret would somehow get
out. There 1t is. Read it and see
your W name signed to the words
While she talked, her trembling
niger had taken a folded, crumpled
letter from her little handbag. and
this she reached over and laid upon
the arm Of his chair.
Read It," she said. Read it and
see that you cannot deny it."
Il should rather not read it." he
said. II do not need to read 1t to
deny that 1 yer wrote such things to
you.'
But I insist that you read it." said
the girl.
If you insist I will read It," he
said. taking the letter reluctantly and
opening it.
She sat watching him furtivel,
through the tears while he read, saw
the angry Hush steal into his cheeks
as the villainy Of q fellow man wa
revealed to him through the brief
coarse. cruel epistle, and she mistool
the hush for one Of shame.
Then his true brown eyer looked VI
and met her fearful gaze steadily, 1
hne anger burning in them.
And o think ] wrote that" h,
said, a something in his voice sh,
could not understand.
What else could 1 think? It bear
your signature" she answered coldly
THE letter is vile" he said. ant
the man who wrote It is a BLACKBOARD
and deserves the utmost that the Law
allows for such offences. With you,
permission. I shall make it my bust
ness to see that he gets IT."
What do you mean?" she said
wide-eyed. "How could you punisl
yourself? You cannot still denv tha
you wrote the letter"
II still deny that I wrote II, or eve,
saw IT ;untn you handed 1t to me tus
now" 1
The girl looked at him, nonplua.ed
more h q half convinced. In spite q
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