Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1897-09-09
JUST IN TINE.

went On dIOHe 10 IElGHie size was 10 Visit
ut ShaHF sburg
1--WE expected you this morning, - said
her hostess.
eyes, dear, hut, you see, 1 was unavoid-
IDLY delayed What lovely day it has
been"
"And there is telegram for you, Lila. "
Really something aunt forgot to
mention, dare say Excuse me. She
broke it open carelessly. 90 Dear me-"
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, I must have
little talk with you.
Is. une.e.
Lila, my dear9-they We're quite alone
u have had proposal for your hand in
marriage If had chosen the man,
could pot be better pleased than to see you
the wife of Judge Mason. >
Unclel He is more than twice my
age. l never dreamed eff 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 cut of the ques
tion"
"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? III never
be young but onee-neNero she said pa
thetically, and l am not a penniless
creature that requires home. l might
be allowed to pick and choose. "
"My dear''-the old man looked sudden
1y grave and pale there is bad news You
must make up your mind to meet it brave
ly."
Lila face reflected some of the paeness
of his own.
ncle-my-my money-have lost
it?''
"There has been terrible financial fail
ure l 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:
Il can hardly blame myself 1t was an
undreamed Of thing. OF course there is a
little real estate left you Heaven knows
l wish it had been all in houses. Judge
Mason =
ooh, the girl broke in suddenly, "he
won't want me now-when he knows
am penniless.9
My child, he came as soon as he knew
it"
She went to her room and locked herself
In. Then she wrote to Carroll Trainer;
Il am ne longer rich. There is no use
of an engagement. | have lost everything.
Perhaps you will be rich SEINE day, Car
roll. II SO, yea must come and find me. -
But she said nothing of Hon. Thomas
Mason.
Trainor felt grieved at the 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 be would hardly
have SO written.
But, then, he was only a man.
The girl 5 soul sickened within her. !
brief note FROM Irainor told her that he
was just leaving for the gulf coast, where
he would find a steamship for Vera Cruz.
he thought he would never return to the
United states.
A great despair came over her. In her
sensitive state she felt that he no longer
cared for her.
She capitulatcd and consented TO receive
Judge Mason ; addresses.
Three months had passed. The wedding
was to take place the last week of June,
Miss Havens was TO become Mrs. Thomas
Mason.
The wedding invitations were about TO
be sent out. The wedding day was fixed a
fortnight hence Miss Havens, out on "a
shopping errand, turned a street corner
sharply and ran against some one She
i Il
Trainor
"Ioui' she said family.
lyon didu, expect to see me? Lila, for
heaven 5 sake, is it true that you are going
to marry Judge Mason2'
She nodded with an effort. The idea Of
the marriage to which she had become
reconeiled, lat never enthusiastically dis
posed, suddenly seemed sickcniuc Her
whole soul revolted
Carroll" she gasped. "Oh, Carroll
If there were any escape"
"Escapcs " lat do You means Isn't il
your own choosing: Areyo being forced
into MARI! Hg tie old widuwer:'
.'I-I-eh, Yea seemed bet To want me,
and uncle and aunt seemed not to want
me- Nobody seemed to want me-except
Judge Mason. De was very kind, but
never have loved him Carroll if you had
not deserted me-
''I-deserted you! I've just returned
from Mexico" said 1raiuor, land I'm
going lack there at once I've gota splen-
did chance. Its lonesome for "a man TO be
by himself, The climate is Ike paradise -
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 Be invitations, - it said,
"for I shall not ry Judge Mason. He
is good man ana will understand it was
a mistake l love some one else and have
gone away to marry him. We shah spend