Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-09-20
JUST IN TIME.


promised to remain true to him till his re-
turn. When they parted, he decided to re-
turn to Baltimore at once and make ar
engagements to go to Mexico Lila Ravens
went on alone to friends she was to visit
at Sharpsburg.
We expected you this morning" said
her hostess.
-" Yes, dear, but, you see, | was unavoid-
ably delayed. What lovely day it has
been'
And there is a telegram for you Lila. -
Really? Something aunt forgot to
mention, dare say. Excuse me-" She
broke it open oarelessly. "Dear mer'
She puckered her brow. "Only fancy
The admiral is coming down here tomor.
row."
The admiral appeared on the scene at
noon the day following.
MY dear Lila" he said, II must have
little talk with you"
Eyes, uncle"
Lila, my dear'-they werequite alone
81 have had a proposal for your hand in
marriage If had chosen the man, !
could not be better pleased than to see you
the wife of Judge Mason"
Uncle! He is more than twice my
age. never dreamed of it,
He is a young man, my dear-a vigor-
GUS young man. He will idolize you.
You knew he admired you"
He is q widower.
"But his only daughter is married."
ooh, uncle, tit is out of the ques-
ton"
MY dear, you give me great cause for
apprehension 1t will disappoint me ter
ribly if you do not accept him."
"But, uncle, am but IS. Why should
I marry for five Or six years yet? I'll never
be young but once-neyer!" she said pa
thetically, land l am not penniless
creature that requires home. might
be allowed to pick and choose"
MY dear''-the old man looked sudden
ly grave and pale there is bad news You
must make up your mind to meet it brave
~"
Lilas face reflected some of the paleness
of his own.
"Uncle-my--my money-have l lost
it?"
There has been a terrible financial fail
IRE. hardly know how to tell you. We
only heard yesterday, and we don't know
for sure as yet. | am afraid-Lila, you
must bear up-I am afraid you have lost
nearly all you had
The girl leaned back in the chair. There
was a stunned look in her face. She did
not speak. The admiral went on, speaking
more rapidly:
81 can hardly blame myself. 1t was an
little real estate left you. Heaven knows
+ It'll, 4 Ill
Mason
"Oh," the girl broke in suddenly, "he
won't want~me now--when he knows l
am penniless!"
"My child, he came as soon as he knew
it,"
She went to her room and locked herself
in. Then she wrote to Carroll Trainor:
II am no longer rich. There is no use
of an engagement. l have lost everything.
Perhaps you will be rich some day, Car
roll. If SO, you must come and find ME. F"
But she said nothing of Hon. Thomas
Mason.
Trainor felt grieved at tho tone of the
letter. He wrote back reproachfully. She
had made promise. Perhaps she sought
to be released from it, If so, he would re-
lease her. In her place he would hardly
have so written.
But, then, he was only man.
The girls soul sickened within her. A
brief note from Trainor told her that he
was just leaving for the gulf coast, where
he would find steamship for Vera Cruz.
He thought he would never return to the
United States
A great despair came over her. In her
,.t>., Ct 1.
cared for her
She capitulated and consented to receive
Judge Mason's addresses.
Three months had passed. The wedding
was to take place the last week of June.
Miss Ravens was to become Mrs. Thomas
Mason.
The wedding invitations were about to
be sent out. The wedding day was fixed a
fortnight hence. Miss Ravens, out on
shopping GRAND, turned street corner
sharply and ran against some one. She
looked up and grew pale. 1t was Carroll
Trainor.
"Youw she said family.
You didn't expect to see me? Lila, for
heavens sake, is it true that you are going (
to marry Judge Mason!'
She nodded with an effort. The idea of
the marriage to which she had become
reconoiled, but never enthusiastically dis
posed, suddenly seemed sickening. Her
whole soul revolted'
CARROLL" she gasped. ooh, Carroll !
If there were any escaped
Escape? What do you mean? Isn't it J
your own choosing? Areyou being forced !
into marrying the old widower?'
i
and uncle and aunt seemed not to want |
mel Nobody seemed to want me-except
Judge Mason. He was very kind, but l
never have loved him. Carroll, if you had
not deserted me!'
"I-deserted you! I've just returned
from Mexico" said Trainer, 'and I'm
going back there at once I've gota splen-
did chance. It's lonesome for man to be
by himself The climate is like paradise. F"
The admiral and his good lady were at
the breakfast table.
His morning mail lay before him. He
took up the top letter of all and gazed Sc
verely at it. The handwriting was Lila's.
The letter had been posted the night be-
fore. He opened it, read it in silence and
passed it to his wife.
do not send the invitations, :" it said
"for shall not marry Judge Mason He
is good man and will understand it was
a mistake. love some one else and have
gone away to marry him. We shall spend
our honeymoon in palm matched hut in
Mexico"
Mrs Blair could not speak. After
silence the admiral observed
son the whole Pm glad the marriage is
off. The judges daughter was greatly op-
posed. She might have made things un-
pleasant after bit"
And still again, "She's plucky little
creature, Lila is! God bless her"-Ex-
change.
PatrOnizing.