The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1889-06-06
A GREAT TEMPTATION.
Story OF q Bachelors Love and
Self-Sacri1ce.

l think now, looking back sadly
over my life experience, that | fell
in love with Lorna HilIburn when she
was a baby and man nearly forty.
Absurd Well, it may have been.
My whole life from my bOyhood until
was past middle age was a hand. to-
hand struggle with poverty, downright
grinding want, when |, a youngster,
split wood for my mothers washings,
by which she earned our bread; a little
easier when | was old enough to be err
rand boy in the wholesale store OF En-
mis- " Lee, dealers in country produce.
There was another lad about my
own age in the employ Of the firm, and
we shared an attic room for seven
years after poor mother gave up her
life in weary toll. David Hillburn
was a boy like myself, toiling up the
ladder Of wealth, and we worked
shoulder to shoulder, fast friends ever,
until we proudly contemplated the
sign over our produce house, that told
the partnership Of "Hillburn Il East
man"
This was when our ladder was firm
ly planted in the savings of close
economy. David took n wife, a pretty
blue-eyed mite, and four noble BOYS
were born, who dropped and died
when mere children.
So, as | said, David and | were near
ly forty when Lorna, the only girl,
was born, and | became the willing
slave OF every baby caprice, every girl
lsh within, until she was a fair maiden
Of eighteen, and | knew that | loved
her-l, "A man old enough almost to be
her grandfather.
! had sense enough to keep my Sc
crct locked in my own breast, and
Lornu had nc suspicion OF it when her
own troubles began.
Long before this the house Of ''Hill-
burn & Eastman" had ceased to exist,
and the partners, men OF large wealth,
had retired upon the fruits Of their la
Dor. But while | was satisfied to draw
the income of sure investments that
were not enormously profitable, David
had a restless mania for speculation
that kept mo very uneasy. He could
not be content without some active in
terast in business affairs, and ~spcculat-
ed constantly, winning and losing, but
never firing of the dangerous employ
meut.
At the time we left the old firm of
Ennis y Lee, Mr.. Ennis chose. most
unfairly, to consider we did him a
g%rievous wrong by going into the same
business, the only Il we understood.
from that time there was a feeling OF
lll-wtl toward us. that d~ecponcd as
Ralph Ennis bee ame enfeebled by age.
80 when DonalcN Ennis, the grandson
OF our Old employe r, a handsome fell
OF twenty-five, began to hover
toout Lorna, David b, came anxious to
the two.
vi Ralph Ennis owes us a grudge,"
lie said to me, land l d. MT want it
pent upon Lorna"
But Cupid laughs ut prudo IS in a
'dS' generation, and these two loved
"'n o'ner deeply All me! I KEEP. my
am closely locked in my heart. VIII EN-
saw Lorna's violet eyes full of love +
gnu not for me, when I saw soft rose
nus on her cheeks deepen at Donald's
Dice or footstep.
David Hillburn was STRONGLY onnos.,
the visits of Donald Ennis from the tc
Out he did not wish to insult the
'ung man, and Lorna met him CON- b,
antly In society. When the fact that re
ey were lovers was too evident IN, III
'ncealment, David had. not the hear. A
tell his darling the truth. f.
FOR In the shadow Of those four tjrv b,
aVes' Lorna had grown up ~literalIv m
e idol OF both parents, Had she NOT
blessed with u sweet, gentle dis W,
sltlon, she must have been utterly dr.
oiled; for | do not think she WIS da
crossed in her life by either father TO,
mother. ~,
IaVld was not surprised when Lorna. 10,
ling her face upon his shoulder. wi,
lspered that Donald had asked her ,
DO his wife, but he was troubled. do,
d, not many hours later, his pro- the
tic fears were realized. Ralph n n
lis, on being asked by Donald for n has
'sing upon his new hopes, burst into the
ORIENT Of vituuerntio, ondi.. l.