Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1896-12-17
A RIVALS LOVE.

wa, '"a h"u hoV ouiy cHttItu inuo poS-
session of decent little legacy left me
by my uncle, but l had also won the
hand and heart OF Ada Miller, the pref
tiest and most charming young lady
in the whole. country.
People said her father was immensely
rich, and that she would come in for
handsome fortune ut his death; but
what cared / about that? For had
not sufficient for us both, even If she
were pennilcss? And did I not love her
with the whole strength of pure and
disinterested love? / cannot begin to
describe her to you, for the task is
quite beyond me. Suffice it to say that
she was admired by all who knew her,
nnd loved by not few.
The latter circumstances ceased 10.
disturb me when once became her ac-
cepted lover. though before that time 1t
occasloned me great deal Of anxiety,
nnd caused me to spend many restless
night.
OF one lover In particular had been
jealous, for to my excited and fear
laden imagination he seemed to possess
everything that young lady could de-
sire. He was TALL broad-shouldered,
handsome, with a pleasing manner and
faultless dress, and In addition to al,
this, he was endowed with more than
nn average share of this world's goods.
He was madly in love with Ada, but
conducted his wooing in q way with
which not even his closest rival could
find fault. Kind, considerate and gen.
tlemanly, never obtruding his presence
unnecessarily, he yet managed to pay
her considerable attention, and many
an anxious time did spend, fearing
that his superior attractions would put
me In the shade.
Fate, however, decided otherwise, for
when I summoned up courage to put my
fortunes to the test, Ada shyly accepted
me, informing me in most engaging
manner that she had never loved anyone
else. You may be sure that I was In
ecstasies, and scarcely knew for the
HlApiCW ilOlltilS MIlCtutI Ndlhtd ulOl
air or upon solid ground.
Our engagement was to last year.
Mt the end of which time our marriage
was 40 take place.
The time had almost elapsed, and
nothing had occurred to mar the har-
mony of the scene, when, quite unex-
pectedly, something happened which
filed me with the deepest horror, and
which causes me to shudder even now
MS recallit.
1t has partly to do with my rival,
Horace Rishton, whose existence for
the time had almost forgotten.
He Ind received the news OF our en-
gagement in an apparently calm and
quiet manner, and his subsequent be-
havior had not led us TO regard him as
being more than ordinarily affected by
It, but In the event / am about to de-
scribe / was enabled TO see how deep
and tragic the effect upon him really
was
The revelation came IN this wise:
1t wanted but two days to our we'd
ding, and l had occasion to 90 on q
little business connected with 1t to n
neighboring town, place some four
miles distant from my home. Having
accomplished my errand and finding
that had considerable time to wait for
train, resolved to walk back; 80,
striking out, I soon left the town be-
hind me.
Tt was fine moonlight night, and, as
It promised to continue so, l deter
mined to take 10 short cut across the
country, which I reckoncd would save
quarter of an hour at the least. The
ROAD would be very lonely, for 1t was a
path that was seldom used, but that
troubled me little, for my thoughts
were company enough that night.
had gone somewhere about two
miles when the moon suddenly clouded
over and was left in comparative dark
ness.
AsI knew the way, however, I thought
nothing of it, but trudged cheerfully
along, thinking only of Ada and our
approaching union. Suddenly and
without O moments warning the
ground gave way from under my feet
and I felt myself falling headlong down
down into the depths of the earth. How
far / fell I knew not at the time
learned afterward that 1t was about &c
feet-but I expected instant death
when I reached the bottom, and with.
out doubt that would have been my fate
had not the bottom Of the hole been
filled with water to considerable
depth. This broke my fall, and also
by it's coldness restored me to my
senses.
I struck out on coming to the surface
and swan AROUND to find something tc
which l could hold on. After consid
erable time spent in searching, during
which the full horror of the situation
began to dawn upon me, at last dis
covered a piece Of woodwork fixed In
the side Of the pit.
This I eagerly grasped, and, resting
partially on it with half my body IN
the water, I began to consider my po
sition.
I knew ut once the place into which
had fallen, and as the knowledge flashed
across my mind cursed myself for hav
ng been so careless as to stumble infe
1t. 1t was an old, disused shaft which
had been there for generations. No
many people were aware Of it's exist
ence, for 1t was in wild and solitary
spot scarcely ever visited by anyone. l
however, had seen it several times ir
my moorland wanderings, and had al
ways regarded it as a dangerous place
1t was partially fenced round, but
must have wandered in through one Of
the gaps.
There was no footpath anywhere neal
It, so I must in the darkness, have lost
my way. However, here l was, and the