Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1889-08-24

thSl were all ANU OelOTb
the relief party arrived, Mr.. Harry
Edwardes-for such was the truc
name Of the man known among his
chums by the nicknames Of Teddy"
and ''Gilpin"-had crawled out from
the ruins of his compartment, bruised
and shaken, but without any serious
hurt.
DRILLING rain foil from a leaden
sky upon the scene o. the disaster.
Signals misunderstood, and the I'M
expected shunting of a coal truck
across the linc-such were the theories
advanced afterwards us the cause Of
the accident.
But this Harry Elwardes did not
learn until many hours were passed.
The results were what he now real
izcd; a confused blockade of window
less carriages, flung off the line or
hurled one on top of the other. pyra-
midwisc, across the rails; shrieks and
means of injured or terrified passen-
gers; he himself standing upright and
unhurt, and at his feet the body of Il
dead man.
Sick and giddy with the horror of
the scene, he knelt beside the pros
trate figure, and, unfastcning his coat,
placed his hand above the still heart.
1t was his fellow-traveler, with whom
he had been wrangling, as it seemed,
only a few short minutes ago. His
back had been broken by the collapse
of the carriage, and the purpose of his
journey, good or bad, had been frus-
trated.
A folded letter rustlcd beneath
Harry Edwardcs' hand upon the dead
mans breast. Tears rushed to his
eyes at the sound, 1t was probably
from some who loved him, and
to whom the tldings of his CHASTITY
death must be communicated.
as he dcad?' asked man, stopping
before the two figures notebook in
hand,
Yes. lie was in the Same COM
pnrtmcnt with me, It's an awful
sight"
"A friend of yours? What is his
namc?."
a don't know. But here is a letter
tina. may tell us"
Even while Edwardcs drew out the
letter his questioncr had been called
away. Harry would have followed
him, when his eyes fell on the hand
writing.
Did all women write alike, or was
be the victim Of some dclusion acting
on his overweight brain?
He looked at the letter again. IT
was the distracted appeal of a married
woman, tempted, but striving to re-
sist temptation, to the honor and chiv.
airy of u man She had grown to love.
And the writer was his wifc-Isabel
Edwardcs.
81 have been wrong, terribly wrong
she wrote. a know it now. These
nSlh3 'lo'lS 10 Lohdon' ana the friend
ship that has grown up between Us
curing ''e past lew months so na'u-
rally, from your relationship to my SIS
tcr's husband, and constant prcscrce
at her house, have all been n mistake.
Your letter proves it. All, Gerald.
P!'y me ana forgive me- II have
gwen you PAM nave beer SO dull,
% unhappy Ior so long that your
'Fn'Pa''ly' ana your thoughtiulro,s
ana kindness made me forget the dam
VI my Po'l'loh' ii you knew the
me l icau AT ho'lei II you could tell
m""' II Is 10 u GIRL Drought up IN
l 'riS ana LONDON among surrOGnd-
,"@' ina were bright ana beautiful, to
oe ''"h'Pi"ilIeu 10 II dreary manu-
'ac'ur'hg town. with a household OF
oId man ana three good narrow
l''f"ea OLA maids VINO nave hardly
c'Cr u'c" o"'S'ue 'helr notlVc town.
WHO ,'i"N inc DIS" OF Oeing mar
10 tlc'r ro'her ought to keep
any woman happy' VI course lshou!d
'"'o protested long ago; but when
l''rrIco, | was eighteen ana he thirty
'"''c, nc ""o Oeeh single 100 long
'"" h'' occh 'anght 10 thlnk OF
women us Oh Two xmas only
'ruuSc' VT Joys ana as was
one hor Tue other' was a lhll-
urc' anu 'hey nave ooeycd hlm so
VIZ I'LL holne 'hat MS manner at once
In'' me IN inc wrong Besides all ]
'n"'' "cr"'o' IoVed hlm' nave
1oVer complained OF nm before, You
It, But my heart has been |
lying IN me for four years. And any {
man who treats me as a woman with a l
lcart and head has power to raise !
moro tenderness in me than the :
thought Of my husband can eve do {
again. ! am afraid,
You have often told me how you c
honor and reverence me. You must
prove 1t by keeping away from me
now. You have your work, your life, |
you. Gerald. Let me go back f
with feelings of gratitude, as |
veil as friendship, toward you. Don't C
.ry to see me again; for my sake | ask !
t. Don't even write, | can hear
iOout You from my sister, And when, q
ltpr on. Won MARRY Soma ronl wn,po, !