The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-10-30
A TRAGEDY;
THE STORY OF THE CHAIN PIER.

No" | replied. Il made so great a
mistake when l had to choose for my
self that shall never attempt it again. :"
Circumstances happened that drew
terest In some land there, and not caring
aDout the trouble of it, | went over to
sell II. l succeeded in selling il to
great profit, and as l liked America
remained there three years. / sailed
for America in the month Of October,
TWO or three weeks after the incident
OIL the Chain Pier, and | returned to
England after an absence of three years
and seven months. | found myself at
home again when the lovely month Of
May was at its fairest. During all that
time only one incident of any note hap
Pened to me, or rather, happened that
interested me. Lance Fleming was
married.
He wrote whole volumes to me before
his marriage, and he wrote volumes af-
forwards. OF course she was perfec-
tlon-nay, just little beyond perfec-
ton, think; she was beautiful, clever,
accomplished, and such a darling,-of
course, might be sure of that. One
thing only was wanted to make him
perfectly happy-it was that | should
see his lady love. Her name WAS Fran
ceS Wynn, and he assured me that it
was the most pOetical name in the
world. Page after page of rhapsody
did he write and | read until at last l
believed him, that he had found the one
perfect woman in the world.
Lance wrote Oftener still when told
him that L was coming home. l must
go at once to DuttOn Manor. l should
find Dutton Manor an earthly Paradise,
he said, and he was doubly delighted
that | should be there in May, for in
May it wore its fairest aspect.
"a wife makes home Heaven, John,
kVcaV frn.1 IT
often why Heaven has blessed me so
greatly. Ay wife is-well, | worship
her-she IS fair, proud woman, calm,
fair, and lovely as a saint. You will
never know how much l love her until
you have seen her. She fills the old
manOr-hOuSe with sunshine and music
/ love to hear the gentle sound of her
voice, sweet and low rs the sound of
lute-the frOu-frou of her dress as she
moves about | am even more in love
with her than when | married her, and
/ should not have thought that posi-
bic. Make haste home, John, my dear
old friend; even my happy home is in
complete without you. Come and share
its brightness with me.n
lie wrote innumeTable directions for
my journey. The nearest railway sta
ton to DuttOn Manor was at Vale Roy
al, pretty little town about three
miles from the house. If l would let
him know by what train | should reach
Vale ROYAL. he would be at the station
to meet me. And he said,-Heaven
bless his dear, loving heart.-that he
was looking forward to it with untold
happiness;
WHEN | think of seeing Frances and
YOU together" be said, Il feel like
SchOolboy out for a holiday. | have
counted the hours. John, until YOU will
come
had to go to London on business,
aud while there it WAS impossible to re-
siSt the temptation of running on TO
Brighton. | loved the place so well, and
] had not seen it for 50 long. / wanted
to stand once more on the Chain Pier,
and think Of my lost Heaven. How
viyidIy it all came back to me-that ter
rible tragedy, although more than three
years had passed since it happened.
There was the corner where | had sat
in the thick, soft shadows; there was
the railing against which she leaned
when she threw the little bundle in the
water.
l remembered the fitful light, the
wash of the waves around the pier, the
beautiful, desperate face and the voice
that had walled: If | dare; oh, my
God, if | dare"
| went to see the little grave. The
thick green grass which covered it was
studded with white daisies; the golden
letters on the white cross seemed to
burn in the sunlight: 'Marah. found
drowned | had been to the other end
of the world. but no one had been to
shed one tear over the little grave.