The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-02-14

twenty-five now, although she believes
she is but nineteen. She does not re-
member any other father than Robert
Gwyn. She has no recollection Of her
own father, nor does she remember
you. She
Last night she described her father
to me-" he interrupted. "Her sup
posed father, l mean. She made it
quite plain that he did not love her as
father should love his own child"
1T was not that" she said. He
was afraid Of her, mortally afraid of
her. He lived in dread Of the day
when she would learn the truth and
turn upon him. He always meant to
tell her himself. and yet he could not
find the courage. Toward the end he
could not bear to have her near him.
do not believe he would have loved
q child II one had come to him and
me. NO child Of mine could take the
place you had in his heart" She spoke
with calm bitterness. "You say she
told you about him last night. 1 am
not surprised that she should have
spoken Of him as she did. 1t was not
possible for her to love him as q IA
ther. Nature took good care Of that
There was . barrier between them.
Il have told you the truth, because /
am AZ certain As I am that stand here
now that you would have found It all
out some day. some day soon. perhaps.
In the first place your father did not
mention her In his will. That alone Is
enough to cause you to wonder. You
understand / cannot exact any prom
ises from you. You will do as you see
at in the matter. There is one thing that
you must realize, however. Viola has
not robbed you of anything-not even
a fathers love. She does not profit by
his death. He did not leave her a
farthing. not even a spadeful Of land.
! am entitled to my share by law.
earned my share-I worked as hard as
he did to build up 4 fortune. When I
die my lands and my money will 90
to my daughter. You need not hope to
have any part In them. l do not ask
you to keep silent on my account.
only ask you to spare her. Now you
know everything. There b no need for
you to speculate. There u nothing for
you to unrsvel. You know who viola
il, you know why she WAS left out Of
your fathers will. The point IL this.
when all Is said-she must never
know. She must always-do you hear
msRshe must always look upon you
40 her brother. She must never know
the truth about me. I put her happi-
ness, her pride. her faith, in your
hands. Kenneth Gwynne."
He had listened with rigid attention,
marveling at the calm. dispassionate,
unflinching manner in which she had
stated her case and viola's-indeed.
she had stated his own case to him.
There is no other course open to
me-" he said, taking up his hat. He
was very pale There is nothing more
to say, now or hereafter. We have
had, / trust, our last conversation.
hate you. / could wish you all the
unhappiness that life can give, but i
am not such a beast as to tell your
daughter what kind of woman you
are. So there's the end. Good-day,
Rachel Carter"
He turned away, his hand was on
the door latch, before she spoke again.
There is something more" she said,
without moving from the spot where
she had stood throughout the recital.
ut was my pleading. back in those
other days, that finally persuaded Rob-
ert. Gwyn to let me bring Mlnda up as
his daughter. He was bitterly opposed
to 1t at first. He was as firm as rock
on one point. however. He would bring
her up as his daughter, but he would
not give her his name. It was after
he agreed to my plan that he changed
the spelling OF hts own name, That
was his real reason for changing his
name.
In the -eeGinninG- ~ I have ted