Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1900-10-12
one k%1 W. A Fascinating
90 Romance
WaY& % Alan AZ As.ir~

1 \ WOiHdH ma Id4len CLOSE DSSlue DltIs
/ a dark-haired. slight woman. He
| rushed forward 10 help hel up. quite
unconscious then that the shot that
had been fired WAS meant for him, and
! that the woman had intercepted it. He
had a dim idea too. that he saw
| Hutchinson slipping away somewhere;
but he. as Well ne every one else, was
occupied by the fallen woman.
His We're the arms that helped her
up. and his we're the eyes that recoE
niZed Veronica. MY God," he cried.
And when they said DO you know
herr" he answered Yes. and the shot
has killed her was meant for mel"
He carried her To i room near, and
when he laid her down she opened her
eyes and smiled Il am 50 happy" she
said. softly Alan, never thought
to feel your arms round me again"
Veronica, he said. renorsefully. Il
would gladly have given my life If this
had not happened,
Il know it." she said, but think OF
me for one instant. Alan. You see.
love you. darling. | am dying. so that
il does not matter. and my life made
you unhappy. BY dying for you
make you and her happy. 1t is the
only way, Alan-the only way"
But, Veronica" he urged. But
she would not let him speak.
Il don't think / have long. dear. Let
ire die like this in your arms, my head
upon your shoulder-so You think
I'm pretty still don't You What was
1 saying? Oh, that it will not matter,
except for the boy. But | know you
ard she will be good to him. | should
have liked 10 have seen him just once
again. You know Hutchinson swore
he would be revenged en- you, and so
| followed him: and when he fired at
you l threw myself between. | was
so happy, Alan. dear The happiest
moment of my life was when l felt
that might die for you
-, eronica." he said touched to the
heart, Il don't deserve it-indeed l
DON'T"
You See she went on, Il made
you 50 unhappy by liying-it is the
only way"
AMI when the doetcr came few mo-
ments after Alan could see there was
no hope The bullet had pierced ner
side, and she was bleeding internally
She fell into a state of semi-consclous-
ness; but toward midnight she
opened her eyes suddenly.
Kiss NE. Alan" she said, and love
my boy"
And whilst his lips touched hers her
spirit passed away.
Joyce waiting at the docks for
glimpse of the man she loved, saw the
great vessel glide ont 10 sea without
him. Something must have happened
to delay him, she thought. Full of fear
and anxiety, she returned home. wen
Gering what had detained him; but
the next day she had a telegram with
these words: Veronica died last night
am coming at once" And then she
knew that something serious had oc-
Cured.
Alan came to her. chastened. grey
haired: but still Alan. And when he
told her the simple. touching story OF
poor Vercnica's sacrifice and death
they wept together. And Joyce re-
solved then and there 10 be good ana
loving mother IN Alan and VerOnca's
boy which vow she nobly kept. In
deed, there was nothing stepmotherly
about Joyce. and she could say truly
that she had had nothing but pity for
poor Veronica. even whilst she was
keeping Alan and herself apart.
Alan lost no time In marrying Joyce
again They had suffered so much"
he said. there was no need to pro-
long their suffering" Now, indeed,
eheir Lire is the ideal life of married
people whose strong love for each
other is not stronger than their love
of duty. and who did not scruple to
sacrifice everything they loved best
for what they knew to be right
And as for Veronica's boy. he Is like
Joyce's own. Indeed, if anything. she
spells him more than her own chill
dren
His mother saved your life, DEAR"
she said once. in after days, when
Alan expCstulated with her. and he
is dear boy, and he is yours, SO you
see | have three of the most excellent
reasons for spelling him.
Hutchinson was never seen again.
There was a hue-and-cry after him.
but he was never found. Whether he
knew that the shot meant for Alan
mad been received by Veronica no one
could tell. lie disappeared. and Joyce
and Alan We're glad that 1t should be
so. They had suffered so much that
they wanted a little peace Most of
all. they did not want revenge. 1t was
poor Veronica who had paid the debt,
and she had done IL gladly. saying that
Il was The Only Way"
(The Enid