The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-07-21
his position and advised him to give

it up.
II thought it was very funny, like
you," said to him, "but with Susie it
is frightfully real. You'd better stop,
Tom"
"Pshaw!" laughed Tom; ''you are
foolish; she will soon forget when am
gone. Women are quick to forget.
Anyway, you suggested the joke, and
since 1 have begun it am going to car.
ry it through"
told him it would be sad thing to
break girls heart, just Tor idle pas
time, and painted q very graphic pic
ture of Susie all clone, weeping her
very eyes out for him. His face grew 3
shade more serious.
SIT would be bad, mean, wicked to
really break her heart" he said.
'Susie is good little girl. She's not
like the rest of them up here-she,s
different. If thought she really cared
would leave here tomorrow. But I
will wait and hope that she will get
over it all right"
A day or so later he repeated to me q
conversation he had had with Susie.
She told him that her friends feared
that he was only fooling her and did
not intend to marry her at all. 81
don't think that at ALL" she said. 81
to ask you since we've set day for our
wedding and all has been fixed, that
you buy the marriage license SO can
tell them and they won't doubt you
any more"
''Like a fool to humor her bought
the license. There can't be any harm,
can there?" Tom went on. "People
are not obliged to use licenses when
they buy them, are they?"
The joke had indeed grown serious
Tom had not only appointed day for
the wedding, but had purchased the
license, and we had not yet been in the
mountains five weeks. And the worst
of it was that the wedding was to oc-
cur on the following Wednesday even
ing at seven o'clock. 1t took but little
argument from me to convince Tom
that he would have to leave the noun
tains before that time. "Of course. Well
slip out quietly on that very day. Susie
will soon forget"
Toms wedding day came around re.
lnarkably quick, it appeared to me. I
made all the arrangements with Hank
Hester for our baggage to be carried to
the station late that afternoon and eau
toned him to say nothing of our in
tended departure Tom went over to
see Susie the last time, while was
packing the trunks.
''Phil," said he, coming in just at
twilight, Sits tougher than had any
idea it could be. Susie is thinking of
nothing else but the-to-night. She
has all her things ready and would put
on her dress for me to see. 1t gave me
the cold chills. kissed the little girl
and left with something like a tear in
my eye, Poor little thing-she didn't
think it was the last kiss"
Darkness settled over the mountains
and tho vicinity OF Haunts Bend was
wrapped in q dreamy stiffness. Our
train passed the station at quarter be-
fore eight o'clock. Hester had gone
ahead with our trunks and we followed
on foot. We walked very rapidly along
the mountain road, talking as we went
of the poYel experiences OF our five
WSOho cooJ AAA VIC 0tSoASGAA4Ss
Just off the road bit was the home
of Susie Ricketts,. Its dim outline was
family visible through the trees, and
from It's two windows CLEANED cheerful
lights. A pathetic silence born of soli-
tude and night brooded about the little
mountain home. The lights shone
brighter than usual tonight Tom
stopped and gazed mutely through the
shadowy trees. His eyes were fixed upon
the lights and could see that his face
had grown very serious. There was that
regretful look upon his face that re.
mebered having seen when 9 boy whep
sorry for something he had done,
While he looked a shadow that I
tancied must have been Susie's crossed
the light. The figure stood an instant
at the window silhouetted against the
brilliance behind, anxiously watching
for Tom, 1 fancied, and then disap-
peared.
"Do you see thatS" asked Tom, husk-
ily. :!Do you see that? That was Susie,
and she is wondering why l am late.
It's just past seven now. Poor girl, ]
am very sorry did it, 4conld kill my:
| self for It."
He stopped an instant and then went
on:
''It was cowardly and mean. 1t was
contemplate. She never once doubted
me, and went on deceiving her like a
villain. Phil, never did anything half
SO mean in oil my life before"
His voice had grown tremulous. He
| pressed his hand to his forehead as il to
ease pain. 1t was growing late.
'.".Tom," I said, 'atts bad enough, I
know, but let's not stand here holding
funeral exercises or we'll miss our
train. Come along"
Just as 1 spoke the shadow-it was
Susie's-again appeared at the win
dow. She was leaning out listening
for his footsteps She had never
dresmed the truth and was waiting for
him even then.
Let the train CO." he said, vehe-
mently; 'let it go. would be muf.
derer to leave here like this" He took
a step yesolutely toward the distant,
beekonia,g light, and, stepping, locked
back at me standing in the E"~-- :, !.
mGsRtfi9 9'#si1 bss path ''''
! -..er to bring my trunk
oack," he said, at length, and the next
day Tom. Susie and myself left for the
city. The license had been used.-At-
lanta Constitution.
"strip, the Electrician"
A Brighton correspondent sends the