Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-04-05

TO cOHlpetc tOl, Gnu "SN 80 A..
ing hero of every circle in which ne
moved. Everything he wished TOT nc
obtained. until he came to believe
that nothing could withstand him.
and that, ifhe chose, he could rule
the world. With a brilliant future,
in imagination already present, ne
fitted himself for the legal profession
in half the usual time, and entered
upon the practice OF the law WIN
prospects OF unusual success.
1T was at thiss point that there
came the period in his life which may
be called the high.water mark OF ms
audacity. A number OF his college
companions were with him on Ger.
tain occasion, talking ofthelr several
plans and prospects, my father as
usual vaunting his own as superior
to all others, when one ofthe number,
who had always been envious oihlm,
offered to bet any sum that my IN
Thesis luck would change within n
year. NV father at once caught up
the gauntlet thus recklessly cast
down, and offered to wager any sum
that there was nothingi in reason that
any one of them could mention which
he would not conquer, and conquer,
too, within year.
"Now it happened that there then
lived here in Mendon n very beautiful
girl, one of the rare sort that one
sees only once in u century or SO, the
sort that Helen of Troy must have
been, or Cleopatra perhaps, though
Mary De Long was fair and small,
they say. rather than OF the regal
type. She was fahulously rich also,
and had at her teet not only the whole
rural population OF Mendon, but also
the youths and bachelors OF the adj
joining city and of the whole country
around. Nothing could better meet
the requirements OF the young men
who wished to humiliate my father
tan to have him fail in q love affair.
Accordingly, when he offered thar
audacious wager il was Immediately
accepted, and he was challenged TO
marry Mary De Long within two
years. None of them believed for a
moment that he would undertake
such a task as this, far less that he
would succeed. But my father, moth
ing daunted, calmly accepted the
challenge, ana made arrangements
that very day to remove to MendOn.
You must remember that up TO
this time he had never failed in any
thing he had undertaken, thnt he be-
lieved himself inyincib,e, and, more
than all, that no idea of the POSSIBLE
ity of his failing 10 do anything he
chose, not only with himself hut with
every one else, had ever entered his
head. With the spirit of conquer.
ing hero, therefore, he entered Mem
don-descended upon it. | might
better say-to see and to conquer
being in his mind toregoue con.
illusions. And so far rs the
world was concerned he did not
conquer. He was successful here
as elsewhere. His first entrance into
society marked him its leader. The
young men gave way before him; the
girls secretly adored him. He met
Mary De Long before week had
passed; and the woman who had re-
jected scores OF suitors was conquer
ed by this man. And he alone wns
not her lover For how was il with
him? He was disappointed in Mary
De Long, and, try as hard as he
could, he did not, could not, love her.
This dilemma had not occurred
to him. He had supposed that
she must he what every one sud she
was-the most heautiiul oi women.
And possibly she might have been
this to him, rs well us To nll Others.
II IT had not happened to him to 4ee,
on the very evening he frat met her,
another woman, who tC him was lar
more beautiful lin tact, when lie on.
tered the room on that first evening
his first glance fell on this other girl.
and be took It Tor granted since abe
was the most beautiful girl he had
seen, thHt be must he Mary Ne Long
Here WIS un Unforeseen difficulty
his pride AMI his desire. for the frat
time in his life were posed. Re met
the other girl everywhere, dreamed
Of her, soon ndored her, willie o4ten.
sibIy pnying court to the bpHautilul
heiress. He was Disguised with him
sell for loving this pennilcss obscure
woman How fhu fellows would
laugh! But they should not
laugh, for they should never
knowl So his pride won. He
'tifled his love, or he believed no did
md committed tile double sin ~
the woman he didnotIoye
while promising before God To love
nd cherish her. and Of turning from
The woman he dill love with hl4 who's /
heart. when he knew, by the look IN I
1er pleading eyes, that she, too, loved
him.
THE wager was won. Once moro (
le bad conquered, but he had notcon. !
1uered himself. From the moment |
he minister pronounced them man
Ind wife he began to hate. NOT him
'elt, the true culprit, but her. the In.
iocent victim. Heneglected her from
he first, and-the story is too painfni
% tell--she died in a year ofn broLen
ieart, for she Ind loved him"
Hardened instead OF softened hv