The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-12-22
A Startling Sensation.
BY AN Ex-DETEcTIvE.
CHAPTER v.

HIS son, Burt, proved 10 Oe a very
bright fellow, and with James Willis
attended commercial college for several
years, In st. Louis.
In the year 1880, Mr.. and Mrs. Will
lis and Mrs. Mills having died, James
and Burt took charge of the business of
Mr.. Mills, and shortly after Mr.. Mills
died. From 1880 to 1884 the business
was conducted under the firm name of
Willis & Mills.
James and Burt had grown up to be
fine looking men, and they could have
had their choice of the many beauties
that inhabited their little village, but
there were none SO lovely IN their eyes
as the beautiful and accomplished
daughter of Mr.. Lund, and his ward,
Edna Latimer Burt Mills was not
long in asking for the hand of Emma
Lund, which was freely given with
fathers blessings. In the meantime
James Willis had fallen in love with
Edua Latimer. While his love was
reciprocated it seemed that fate was
working against their union. While
James was thorough business man
and a gentleman, he had by some
means incurred the ennity of Mr..
Lund, and it was evident that he
would have to wait until Edna became
of age or else elope, and this Edna did
not wish to do, as she was prone to
disobey the one who had done so much
for her II will not marry you, Jim,
against Mr.. Lund's Wishes" said Ed
ma, when James had made known to
her his plans for an elopement. II
love you, Jim," she continued, with
all my heart, but my obligations to
Mr.. Lund are such that it would be
impossible for me to disregard his
wishes in the matter. He says that |
can do as | please when | am of age,
or should he die ! would then be at
liberty to wed who l choose; but as it
is, Jim, you must wait. | shall never
love another, and | shall never be hap
py until we can settle down in peace
together"
How true these assertions were will
be seen in the next chapter. Little did
Mr.. Lund think that his interference
in the matter would cause such com.
plications as followed.
Burt's and Emma's love affairs ran
smoothly for some time, but as the old
saying is, "the course of true love
never runs smooth" and there was no
exception to the rule in this case. Burt
was sometimes seen with young lady
of the town, who took great delight liz
flirting with young men who she be-
lieved to be not heart-whole. These
little flirtations greatly annoyed Emma
and she frankly told Burt that his con-
duct was not pleasing to her. Now it
was Burt's time to get angry and he
forbade Emma's flirting with Prof.
Humphrey. This was only a COM
mencement of their little spats and
quarrels, which finally ended in hasty
spite-work. While Prof. Humphrey
was often with his old pupils he never
thought of making loYe to either of
them, but he was, ignorantly, of
course, the cause of all the trouble that
followed. James, too, was jealous of
the professor, which caused quarrels
between him and Edna, and these
quarrels, too, finally ended in rash
steps, and all for spite. Revenge IS
sweet, but Oh! how bitter
In 1883 the community was startled
by the announcement that Burt Mills
and Edna Latimer were privately mar
ried on tie evening before, and It was
reported that James Willis and Emma
Lund had eloped, which proved to be
true. James and Emma soon returned
man and wife, and settled down. Burt
and Edna also went to housekeeping.
This change in affairs troubled Mr..
Lund very much, but it was done and
he could but make the best 1t,
While James and Burt continued In