The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-12-13

One day she received information tina
he had become an embezzler. A yea
later the news came that he had become
swindler in South American state
Later, through the alleged kindness o
friends, she had learned of his contin
ued degradation, until at last she heart
of him no more in any way. The aver
age woman would have speedily forgot
ten such an experience. Not so witt
Laura Wittemore. The men who be
lieved that she was like the ordinary
1un of women (thcre were many such
men) and proposed, with the delightful
hope of winning a celebrated beauty
and fortune at the same time, got
curt mo" for an answer. And few oil
them ever had the courage to meet heI
again - always excepting Charley
| Thornton. His was case of such blind
devotion and such courage that even
Laura Wittemore respected it; and in
time he became, not her accepted lover,
hut her tolerated admirer, and he was
quite satisfied with the role. People
| said it was because he was the poorest
of her admirers that she gave him the
unusual privilege. 1t seemed trifle
cruel. His case being hopeless, it APP
peared as if she were making the stu
alton all the more tormenting.
The years rolled on. Miss Wittemore
never mentioned the name of her recre-
ant lover, but there was no one who did
not believe, who did not know, in fact,
that she still believed in him, still loved
him. She was waiting for him to come
back to her. All women have faith in
the men they love. Hers was an unusual
example of the faith of a perfectly
organized woman. In the meantime she
changed but slightly. A gray hair or SO
appeared above her temples, and she had
occasional lapses into melancholy.
During these she was usually rather dis
tant to the ever-faithful Thornton. He,
naturally, would be thrown into the
depths of dependency on such occa-
sions. But his friends agreed, to man
land even to woman), that these were
the most hopeful signs he could desire.
And they instilled this idea into him to
such an extent that he took advantage
of one of these melancholy periods and
proposed again. 1t was for the last
time The result was quite the usual
one, but more decisive. She said: Il
think you might spare me repetition
OF this" and left the room. And then
Thornton, in his turn, gave up all hope.
After that Miss Wittemore seemed to
interest herself in but one being-her
niece, Maud.
1t was the night of the garden party.
The gathering was interested in the lit
tie romance that was eliminating that
evening, mainly because rumors of a
somewhat disagreeable nature had pre-
coded the arrival of the count. But
every visiting foreigner, in these fin de
steele days, is regarded in America
with more or less suspicious; and, by
virtue of that fact, he had found, from
pure sympathy, many admirers and
During his stay in New |
York, before his trip to the country for |
this garden party, he had made no bet
ter friend than Charley Thornton. The |
TACT that he was engaged to the niece |
Of Laura Wittemore may have ac-
for this. Or Thornton may |
have been careless and unsophisticated |
Is usual. At any rate they were every |
where together-which initiated very |
much in favor of the count. Still re-
aiming some of the rights of friend |
IF the family" even though he had
abandoned all pretensions to the hand I
If the hostess, Thornton was at the |
counts side when he was presented to
Miss Wittemore. He saw the varying
of surprise, terror and de-
in her face. He, perhaps |
lie alone, heard hef gasp almost mar
,iculately: "Raoulw For the first
lime in his life he was brilliant enough
o divine the truth, and by cleverly
table loaded with flowers
he turned silence into confusion, sus-
1ense into laughter and climax into
Miss Wittemore, leaning
lpon the arm of the imperturbable
COUNT Kanollly, was enabled to escape
rom the laughing throng, while Maud
buchanan helped the supposedly un-
fortunate Thornton to rescue the
lowers.
Miss Wittemore and the count strolled
lway to remote corner of the lawn.
they had the appearance of being old
'riends-or old enemies.
$50" she said, opening the converse
ion when they had reached seat un-
Ter an old shade tree, 80 you have
Jared, Raoul, to come even to my house
md under an assumed name, as the
iarce of my niece?"
"Yes." he laughed, with shrug of his
title, half-stooping shoulders, II have
Jared. 1t is but q little trick in The |