Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-01-26
Gales ana Skeifbts.
4 STRANGE STORY.
Confined from Yesterday. }

iSCntlnued lroui Yesterday
Miss Maude Wilton waited longer than
usual that evening for the customary invi-
tation for walk along the beach.
Guy Crawford felt that farewell must be
short, and he knew that. in honesty, it
must be hard.
Together in the moonlight night they
walked along the sands. The gravest crisis
in their lives stood before them.
He could not know how much OF life
and happiness lay within the reach OF his
hand if he put it forth in truth and honor.
He could not guess how much the woman
before him would shut back behind her
lips and never utter, though the silence
slew her heart. if coward and a traitor
sought what she might say.
Il am going away tomorrow. have
received telegram which makes it i'm
perative."
"Yes,, she answered, with much the
look that heather priestess might wear
who found a flaw in the idol she served.
But look OF faith in his truth came
back to her face as she continued
.Yes. ] am going ought to have gone
before. never knew-God help me =
until tonight that loved you. have
been blind to my own heart. must tell
You love you-I do; but we can never
be more than friends"
You have not asked me to give You any
hopep"
.No-nor shall |. I have no right 10 do
So"
"A true woman would never let a lack
of wealth deter her."
II know it,
IL refused each Of my cousins to-day"
IL am sorry. Since can never win
you for my wife wish some noble man
the good fortune which cannot be mine"
Zone OF my cousins is not a good man.
One Of them is as great scoundrei rs
ever lived"
You should find some little excuse for
him in the fact that he loves you. No man
can be wholly bad who truely loves
good woman"
..He doesn't love me. He merely pre-
tends he does,'
Merely pretends. don't understand
II will explain to you. have small
fortune from an aunt; but my fathers for
tune was left with strange conditions. He
loved my cousins almost as well as he did
me. He wanted me to marry one Of them.
but did not care to say which one. If his
wishes were carried out / was to have
sixth. Unless | marry one of them, |
lose my share. and it will be divided
among them. Unless each asks me except
for the reason that am already engaged
to one of the others. he loses his share, to
be divided among the rest. Two of these
men love me. One does not. But my
share of half million dollars would be a
temptation to any scoundrel. wouldn't
itp"
perhaps so. can scarcely say how
low a man might TALL. Which one is it ?"
A look of puzzled horror settled down
on her face.
II don't know which one, and ! never
shall. "she said.
what do you meanP"
He came IA step nearer.
'Tell me why you have not asked me
to be your wife, while you still saw you
love me. and will tell YOU
"You will not believe me. You will
think am mere tritler.'
Tell me the truth. no matter how
strange it is.'
swell. l will. Somewhere in the
world / have wife living. | married
her one night at her fathers grave, with a
revolver at my head. She was closely
yelled. My captors and hers were in dis
guisc. / love you, but minister married
me to her. Tie rascals forced him to give
her a regular certificate; my name is in
it. II is legally binding. / think il is
even morally binding. since chose it de
lberately rather than death"
''Guy Crawford. my name is in that
certificate. too, and the certificate is in my
pocket. One of my cousins was the lead
err in that plot which robbed me of my
fortune. God only knows which one of
three II was. except the cowardly hire
lings who helped him. Had you tried to
win nv promise TO be your wife without
owning to this. | should have carried my
secret to my grave with me. But love
you. and have tried as hard rs woman
modestly may to win you. think have
loved you ever since that terrible night
when you became my husband. Are you
satisfied to take what the gods have sent
your"
The closing scene is five years later.
The marriage which had taken place in
that rainy night had been supplemented
by another CEREMONY happy one this
time.
The guilty man has died and has con-
fessed his crime. The other two cousins
have restored the money that the Young
wife should justly have.
II IL evening. Mrs. Crawford has just
told the wonderful story of herself and
her husband to an interested audience of
neighbors and friends.
"A natural question suggests ITSELF"
say half dozen in concert.
The question as to why you were not
At the station to meet him, ClintonP'. says
practical man.
.'My question is as to whether Guy
Crawford would have found life as happy
as he has II Clinton had met him ?" asks
speculative one.
Providence and fate. chance and coinci-
dence, each of these had its adherents in
the group, and in favor of each there are
questions asked.
Up the hill comes the manly form of
Guy Crawford. The light of the setting
sun shines around him. His boy Gus runs
to meet him, and the wife and mother
follows the two with look Of which
father and son may we'll be proud.
..Hark." says Clinton. ~ hear the heart
Of my question beating up the breeze"
All listen. and up the hill comes the
music Of happy. honest heart.