St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1901-12-07

lie fiung himself down at his desk
and put his whirling head in his
hands, but think as he would no
plausible, practical solution to the
miserable problem came, AT last he
drew paper and pen to him and wrote
q note:
Dearest: Unforeseen circum-
stances have arisen and I must make
myself miserable by breaking our en-
gagement for four this afternoon.
viii explain as soon as ] can. VIII
you trust and forgive me, till then?
Your JIM
This note he copied five eonseeu-
tive times and addressed as many
enyelopes-one to each Of the women
he had msulted by asking to become
his wife. Then he rang for Perkins.
'Dr. Luther is out? Very well, [
am going, too. Here are seven letters
to be delivered by messenger. Call
them after I am gone, will be back
some timer Then, with a last.
look about him, he rushed out into
the street, determined to end his ex-
istence in the river But inside of
five minutes he found himself being
admitted into the Stearne home, with
no purpose in his oVerWrought mind
but confession.
And confess he did, holding back
nothing, excusing nothing.
Miserable fool that | am" he said
as he finished, 'SI cannot refrain from
telling you, Louise, that it is you and
you alone whom | truly love. | do
not expect you to believe me, but ]
must say it, and then"
Jim paused, struck dumb, for the
pretty, dark-haired girl was laughing
softly.
Dear boy" she cried, as he rose to
his feet excitedly, E'set your mind at
rest, for all this that you have been
telling me never happened. You
were sick last night, yes, but the
soothing draught that Dr. Luther
prepared for you worked strangely,
he told me, and you fell into a sleep
from which he could not arouse you.
He came last night and made your
apologies, and so, we did not go. I
was not sorry
'sThen I have dreamed it all!' cried
jim.
|SYes," she answered, a blush creep
ing into her pretty face.
'sAll except that I love you,' whis-
pered jim, quickly seeing his advan-
tage, Louise, dearest-I deserve
nothing, but beggars were ever choos-
ers. ! love you, as you must know
now-teH me-I am not dreaming
tell me there is HOPPE"
E'There is-if you can stop those
six letters you wrote before you came
here" said Miss Stearne, as she put
both hands in his. Were they real
or imaginary, dear?'
S'Have those messengers comeyet%
demanded Mr.. Newcomb as he burst
into his rooms few moments later
and was confronted by the astonished
Perkins.
"The first one is 'ere now, SIR . re-
piled the well trained servant
"Shall Il
''Throw him out the window! Give
me those letters-all six" cried his
master. I will murder you, Per-
kins, if any one Of them is delivered.
Here-into the fire they go! Now,
send the boys of-give them a tip,
kick them out-anything. Perkinsl
Perkins, I say! / won't be home to
dinner. Put out my evening clothes,
[ have an important engage mean,
an important meeting, that will keep
me all afternoon" His face went red
as he stumbled over the half-fnished
word that brought unhappy recollec-
tions Of a bad dream back to him.
Now, note to Luther he added to
himself, "and then to the florist and
the jeweler.'
Once again he threw himself down
before his desk, but in very different
frame Of mind. As he wrote he
hummed an air from a new opera and
smiled to himself.
Mark, you outcast," he began,
''the next time you mix a sleeping
draught for me, you will swallow it
yourself at the point of my pistol, and
then die BY the same weapon! T.
ought never to forgive you, but viii
have TO, temporarily, for I have no
one else to act as best man, two months
from to-day"
This signed Jim, and, Slipping
it in an envelope, leftit beside the pic.
ture Of the handsome girl on Dr..
Luther's dresser
Then he ran down stairs. jumped
into. the cab and drove off down the
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