The Dickinson press., 1884-12-13

she snail have some sort of a chance
again. but my identity must, of course
remain concealed forever"
Lord John was awfully cut up by tn,
affair, which proved more than a nine
days talk. The story assumed protean
shapes, and was told in eyery cluh
room, saloon and public place. It fur.
nished the basis for columns of sn;cv
comment in most of the local and c;tv
Journals of the state, and the main
facts we're telegraphed far and wide,
The old Colonel tried to seize him b1
the throat when they first met after
the expose, and his feebler mothe,
rushed between, and soon after tainted
on the floor, while his sister simply
ignored his existence. They all Of
them Went too far. It was the public
disgrace and the being talked about fal
more than the treatment of the poo1
little factory girl that the old Colonel
grew wild over. And Lord John, after
swearing at his relatives and the COM
munlty at large, went West without
more $40 in his pocket. And he
went alone.
Mary Beeton moved to a little village
on the eastern slope of the Alleghanies.
overlooking the blue and broad Sus.
q~uehanna, and here for nearly q yea,
u gained a scanty subsistence by her
needle, steadily living down reproach,
put still in many ways a social outcast,
for the story had followed her footsteps
with its accustomed amplifications.
Though she guessed itnot her footstep,
were watched by friends who were well
satisfied with what they saw, and so re-,
ported to the young Creole heiress.
Then there came to her a letter say.
ing, so long as you, Mary Beeton, con.
tinue to live a good, pure life, and sc
long as you try to help others, you will
each month receive $50 from an I'M.
known friend who advises you to ga
to some distant region where O ara
not.known at all and where you can be.
gin life under another name only com.
municate your moves to the enclosed ad.
dress, q lawyer in New York"
She went to. Western Nebraska. on
the very frontier, became Mary Atwood
and q schoolteacher at that. People say
she was greatly admired and had q host
OF offers, but she never encouraged them,
The fact is it was Lord John she had in
her mind all the while. But he was
away off on the Rio Grande and going
to the dogs fast enough; and the old
Colonel was dying, and Angevine Dutot
had just married and gone to Europe.
Then, suddenly, circumstances took
Mary to Denver for q visit to friends,
Quiet, ladylike Miss Atwood she was
now, and the past seemed to her each
year more like a bad dream. A few
weeks later, as some tourists drove
into O mountain town, shots vera
heard, then shouts, and horses galloping
away; a disturbance had evidently oc.
Cured.
"What is it," they cried, and the Ia,
dies of the party shuddered with fear.
"Only cowboys from the Rio Grande.
Two rival parties and a quarrel. One
of them is badly hurt and is apt to
de-"
can it'll serve him right" said a by
stander. "He's been a terror these five
years; ever since he cum to the noun.
tains."
"Well," said another. chats all right.
His times short. But I'm kinder sorry
to hear him calm for mother and TO,
Mary"
There was a moments pause. Then
Mary Atwood spoke up. II must see
this poor man." And after e~xpostulating
with her in vain they took her to his
presence.
Lord John? Yes; the wreck Of him,
Scared by knife-thrust and bullet,
w%oundednow so that life seemed impos-
sible. and showing in every feature the
result Of dissipation.
Mary turned to the little company,
some friends, some strangers. Her
eyes frightened, she spoke in a firm,
clear tone:
"This is John Lord, a gentleman Of
good family" she said. HE promised
to marry me, but failed to keep his
promise. Ny place is by his bedside"
1t was q close shave, but Lord recov-
cred, and married Mary, and she has
made quite q respectable citizen out Of
what was rather crooked material, to
tell the truth, for a man doesn't spend
five years as a reckless desperate with
out getting some habits and principles
that nothing on earth can destroy.
They live on a Colorado rancho, and are
happy in that free and inspiring land
beneath the snow peaks of the Rockies.
@. H. S.