d assistance. As it was
a very delicate matter, affecting the honor of my family, I did not like
to speak about it to a third party, as I feared that the story might be
made known publicly, and Annie's reputation would then be ruined. I
therefore told him that I should not consult you if I could possibly
avoid doing so.

"While I was inwardly debating what was best to be done, I received a
note from Annie, asking me to come to her, as she feared that something
serious was about to happen. I went at once to Greenville, and found
that she had decided to remove the evidence of her guilt by performing
an abortion. I tried hard to dissuade her from a step which might result
in her own death, but she was resolute in her determination not to wait
for the child's natural birth. She said that if I would stay with her
until she recovered, she would return to Springfield with me and never
see Pattmore again. She spoke very feelingly about Henry, and she seemed
so deeply and truly penitent that I was finally won over to her wishes,
and I agreed to stay with her until she had an operation performed. I
determined to take her to stay with Lucy, at Morristown, at first, and
she accordingly prepared to leave Greenville.

"She had a long private interview with Pattmore before leaving, and when
she came out I saw she had been shedding bitter tears. As I stepped to
the office desk to pay my bill, I saw Pattmore in the clerk's room back
of the office, and he, too, seemed very much dejected. I could hardly
keep my hands off his throat when I recollected his villainy; but I
curbed my temper by a great effort, as I knew that a personal encounter
between us would only publish my sister's shame to the world. On our
arrival in Morristown, Lucy and I had a long talk with Annie, which was
far from satisfactory to me, as I saw that she was still infatuated with
Pattmore.

"I thought best to go some distance away from the places where we were
known during Annie's trial, and I therefore brought her to Chicago. Here
I obtained board in a very respectable family, where there were only a
few other boarders. Annie did not show her condition in her appearance
at all, and no one could possibly have suspected her. I found a
physician named Enfield, who was a noted operator in such cases, and
Annie at once placed herself under his treatment.

"I knew that I was about to assist in committing a great crime, yet I
felt that I must shield Annie at all hazards