The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1885-03-18
CALLED BACK"
CHAPTER /.
BY HUGH CONWAY.
IN DARKNESS AND IN DANGER.

have reason for writing this tale, CT
it would not become public property.
Once, In moment of confidence, I
made friend acquainted with some cur
1ous circumstances connected with one
period of my life. believe | asked him
to hold his tongue about them-he says
not. Any way, he told another friend,
with embellishments 1 suspect; this
friend told another, and so on and on.
What the tale grew to at last shall prob
ably never learn but since was weak
enough to trust my private affairs to
another have been looked upon by my
nelghbors as a man with history one
who has q romance hidden away beneath
an outwardly prosa;c life.
For myself should not trouble about
this. 1 should laugh at the garbled YER
sions OF my story set floating about by
my own indiscretion, 1t would matter
little to me that one good friend has an
1ffea that / iysgssT1ce Communist and a
member of the inner circle of a secret
society-that another has heard that I
have been tried on capital charge
that another knows [ was at one time
Roman Catholic, on whose behalf spec
ial miracle was performed If 1 were
alone in the world and young, dare say
l should take no steps to still these idle
rumors. Indeed, very young men feel
hattered by being made objects of Curl
osity and speculation.
But 1 am not very young, nor am I
alone There is one who is dearer to me
than life itself. One from whose heart,
am glad to say, every shadow left by
the past is rapidly fading one who only
wishes to live her true sweet life without
mystery or concealment- wishes to be
thought neither better nor worse than
she really is. 1t is she who shrinks from
the strange and absurd reports which
are flying about as to our anteced-
ents-she who is vexed by those leading
questions sometimes asked by inquisi-
tive friends; and it is for her sake that I
look up old journals, call back old men,
cries of Joy and grief, and tell every one,
who cares to read, all he can possibly
wish to know, and it may be, more than
he has right to know, of our lives. This
done, my lips are sealed forever On the
subject. My tale is here-let the inquisi-
tive take his answer from ii, not from
me.
Perhaps, after all, write this for my
own sake as well. / also hate mysteries.
One mystery which have never been
able to Determine may have given me a
dislike 90 every thing which will not adj
NIT of an easy explanation.
10 begin, must go back more years
than care to enumerate; although I
could, if necessary, fix the day and the
year. Twas young, just past twenty five.
was rich, having when 1 came of age
succeeded to an income of about two
Thousand year, an income which, being
drawn from the funds, was able to en-
JOY, without responsibilities or anxiety
as to its stability and endurance. Al
though since my twenty-first birthday
1 had been my own master, I had no
extravagant follies to weigh me down,
no debts to hamper me. was without
bodily ache or pain yet turned again
and again on my pillow and said that my
life for the future would be little more
than a curse to me.
Had death just robbed me of one who
was dear to me? No; the only ones 1
had ever loved, my father and mother,
had died years ago. Were my rawlings
those peculiar to an unhappy lover? No;
my eyes had not yet looked with passion
into .womans eyes-and now would
never do so. Neither Death nor Love
made my lot seem the most miserable
in the world.
L was young, rich, free as the wind to
follow my own devices. l could leave
England tomorrow and visit the most
beautiful places ON the earth those
places l had longed and determined to