The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1896-11-12
A RIVALS LOVE

.HA 8NN1hi Hh.lte ttNh't iEfh t@f Wy a.
aaeie bat bad alec san toe hsUd So
bssrt Of AIS Miller. ihe pfet lesl sad mos
cbtraias yg1ug i,jy 10 tie Whole caut
ts.
People saii her lsihar Was lmmeusel,
rteb std t5u sbe uoalI come 10 Tor
bsu8soms ioftlus q bfs Gestb bot Wis
cared ! about tbsl1 For bad not sufli
iaai Ter as baiD, tyea II she we're peuu
iss.y AID Il1 90, Lore with the Whole
i stfeuRth Of pure aud di stefested love-
! caau { begin to detcrlbe bef to you ilI
ths task If Qaite beyond me, suiice It tc
ssy that he sss admire BY sil Who kaes
hef aud lov 10y not fes.
The latter circumstaucts eeafed to die
tarb me sben once became ber accept
ed lover, trough before thst time It ocebs
stoned mea great deal OF sDIiely and
caused NE - spend msuy a restless night
OF oge l5ver 10 particular bal been
.slous. for to eIclled AID iesrsden imag
lnstion b. seemed TO potsess everything
taat young lady conld desire de was
It,ll, broad shouldered, hand,oue, With q
. easiug msuner sud fault rss cress snd 10
sidi' 0 to all tbls, be was endowed With
more than the average shera OF tins
Worll's goois.
b. vas madIy 10 love Ada, bat conduct
cd his wolug 10 way with which not ey
en- bis closest rIyal could fad fault
Kind, considers and geullemaaly, never
obtrudiug his presence unnecessarily, be
yet managed to pay her considerable at
'eutlon and many 40 unxIo1s time did !
spend, fearing that bis superior sttrso
ilons would put ms 10 the shade.
Fut', however, decided othersi'e, for
when 1 summoned up courage TO put my
iort1nes 10 the test, Ada slyly accepted
me, Informing me in a N ost eugsgi0g man
ner t1st she had never love any one else,
You may be sure that was 10 eotasIes
and scarcely knew forthe next few months
whether walked upon air or upon solid
ground.
Our engagement was to last year, at
the end of which time our marriage was to |
take place
The time had almost elapsed and moth
ias had occurred TO m n .he harmony OF
the scene, when, quite unexpectedly,
something happened which filled me with
The deepest horror and which causes me
TO shudder even roR as recall it,,
1t has partly to do With my rival, Hor
ace Rishton, whose ext tence for the time
| tai almost forgotten,
II g nsd received the news Of our engage
ment IN su apparently calm and quiet
led us to regard him ss being not more
than ordinarily effected by II, but IN the
event am about to describe, was ens
bled to see how deep and tragic the tl9ct
upon him really was.
The revelation came in this wise
1t wanted but two days to our wedding
and had occasion to go on a little bust ,
ness connected with it to a neighboriDg
town, place some four miles distaL from q
my home. Having accomplished my er
rand and finding that had some oonsiders
bic time 10 wait for train, ! resolved TO I
walk back, so, striking out. soon left the [
own behind me. /
1t was q fine moonlight night and as it .
promised to continue so. determined to d
AXE short cut across the country, which Il
reckoned would save q quarter OF an II
lour at the least. The road would be very h
onely, for it was path that was seldom |
Ised, but that troubled me little for my A
boughts were company enough that Y
light. Ii
| bad gone somhw here about two miles a
ghen the poon ,uddenly clouded over 81
I'D was If in comparative darkness n
AS knew the way, however, | thought fe
otLlng Ct IT, bat trudged cheerfully
on , thinking only Of Ada and our sp "
Il
moments warning, the ground gave way
rom under nv feet and ielt myself fall 81
lg hesdlong down, down into the depths II
I the earth. How far fell knew not at d.
he time i learned sfterward that 1t was b,
bout thirty feet Tut ! expected inst ant hi
es,h when | reached the bet ON and
ithout doubt that would have bee my y
,ts bad not tie bottom OF the hole been le
ID With water toa considerable depth. N
uis broke my FILL aud slso by IT. cold &C
sss restored me - my senses.
struck out 90 coming to the surface 10
I'd swsm around to fad somethiug to v
hich could bold on. After considers ed
le time spent 10 searching during which an
le foil horror OF the situation began to be
avn upon me. II l4,t disoov, red piece
oldvork fixed IN the side Of the pit So
This esgerly srIsped aud. resting par FL
ally 90 it with half my body 10 the wat pa
=, began to consider my position. an
kuew at once the place into which 10
ID fsllen aud as toe kuovledge flashed
,ross my mind | cursed myself for hav uf
q been 50 careless 10 stumble i4to it. 1t 10
a. 90 rlI, dlsused shalt, which bad been SIS
,efe or generations Not msny people
ere aware Of ITS existence Tor 1t vas - a 20
lid aud solitary spot scarcely ever visit 90
by auy Que |, hoseytr, hsi seen II
vetsI times 10 my moo isud wsuderiugs ff'
"a bad slssys regarded 1t as DAGGER co
Is place II vas pa'tlaily fenced round, pI
lt aus, have wandered 10 through ore De
tie gaps. y
Ttere vas 90 iootpa,h tuyShere nesr
80 mu.t, 10 lhe darkness, have lost ny &C