The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-11-13
A RIVALS LOVE.

PeOPs Nd quite Endorsed their opin-
lTlns' had not only entered into pos
i0 '.sop of decent little legacy lett me
SsSSl NV uncle, but | had also won the
/ By ~ and heart of Ada Miller, the pref
Dsnu and most charming young lady
,ea .,e whole country.
IN n 'uS said her father was immensely
ieOPd that she would come in for
Tlcn, " fortune at his death; but
hsna'C oared | about that? For had l
Wn's ,sicent for us both, even if she
O0' o.. 'nennless? And did not love her
Wei' Iho whole strength of a pure and
WIN Iu.arested love? l cannot begin to
oSnt ;ha her TO you, for the task is
d's ..a bevond me. Suffice it to say that
qui" admired by all who knew her.
sus ~ loved by not few.
w %.o latter circumstances ceased TO
.I.urb me when once became her ac-
a o,oted lover, though before that time it
~.fosioued me great deal of anxiety,
VI caused me 10 spend many restless
night.
,.slors for to my excited and fear
;sdsn Imagination he seemed to possess
.rarrtbing that a young lady could de-
.,ro He was tall, broad-shouldered,
snrdsome. with pleasing manner and
t.nltIess dress. and in addition to al.
tbis he was endowed with more than
- average share of this worlds goods.
Ne was madly in love with Ada, but
conducted his wooing in a way with
rbicb not even his closest rival could
And fault Kind, considerate and gen,
g.manlv, never obtruding his presence
unnecessarily, he yet managed to pay
bor considerable attention, and many
mn anxious time did I spend, fearing
.bot his superior attractions would put
me in the shade
Fate however, decided otherwise, for
when Summoned up courage to put my
tortunes 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
,csasies. and scarcely knew for the
reyt months whether walked upon
sir or unon solid ground.
Our engagement was to last a year,
Of the end Of which time our marriage
was to take place.
The time had almost elapsed, and
nothing had occurred to mar the har-
nonv of the scene, when, quite unex-
pcedly. something happened which
filed me with the deepest horror, and
which causes me to shudder even now
as recall It,
It has partly to do with my rival,
horace RishtOn. whose existence for
the time ] had almost forgotten.
He had received the news of our en-
ggement IN an apparently calm and
quiet manner and his subsequent be-
hayor had not led us to regard him as
being more than ordinarily affected by
It, but in the event l am about to de-
scribe I was enabled to see how deep
and tragic the effect upon him really
was.
The revelation came in this wise:
It wanted but two days to our wed.
ding, and 7 had occasion to go on a
little business connected with it to a
neighbOring town, a place some four
niles distant from my home. Having
accomplished my errand and finding
@atI had considerable time to wait for
train, [ resolved to walk back; so,
striking out, ] soon left the town be-
hind me-
1t was fine moonlight night, and, as
promised to continue SO, | deter
mined to take a short cut across the
country, which l reckoned would save
0U9rtpr of hnr1r. Of 1o TThA
road would be very lonely, for it 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
As knew the way, however, L thought
nothing of it, but trndged cheerfully
along, thinking only of Ada and our
approaching union. Suddenly and
without moments warning the
ground gave way from under my feet.
and felt myself falling headlong down,
GOWN into the depths of the earth. How
lar fell knew not at the time-I
learned afterward that it was about 80
ieet-but | expected instant death
"hen l reached the bottom, and with
out doubt that would have been my fate
Rad not the bottom of the hole been
nled with water to a considerable
depth This broke my fall, and also
Oy It's coldness restored me to my
senses.
struck out on coming to the surface
una swan around to find something to
winch | could hold on. After a consid-
cradle time spent in searching, during
winch the full horror of the situation
oegan to lawn upon me, at last dis
covered piece of woodwork fixed in
the side of the pit.
ms | eagerly grasped, and, resting
partially on it with half my body in
me water, | began to consider my po-
stion
l Knew at once the place into which
nau falen, and as the knowledge flashed
ocroSs mymind cursed myself for hav-
ns oeen so careless as to stumble into
~ IL was an old, disused shaft which
uau been there for generations. Not
H'hy people were aware of it's exist
'"ce' for it was in wild and solitary
SpOC scarcely ever visited by anyone. [.
however, had seen it several times in
my InOorland wan5erinDs and had al