The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-13
THE CULPABLE FLEA.
BY ELIZABETH A. RYAN.
fcopyrisht, 1901. by Daily Story Pub Col

, her not inconsiderable stock of vitupers- It; tive adiectivr and declaring that the same roof should no longer shelter ms shameless immorality h nnsa,c ana n,,rt,s ner and innocence of their daughter. betook her self to another apartment and tmpa- tiently awaited the dawn. When left alone, wild plans TOT eseapSS ppS from the consequences of his sin anu folly whirIed with bewildering rapidlty through the mind of the hapless Hiram, and just as one peculiarly feasioie gre. most exasperating bite, for the nea' symes, had taken un temporary quar- ters on the anatomy or the guii.y ear maI disposition and years of servitude Hiram clawed and snatched, and alas for the precepts of Buddha. the hea was iala stiff and stark, cut on In the prinie Az the first streak of light in the east: Mrs. Symes arose, dressed hastily ana knocked at the door of her hated rivai; she asked for the injured husband anu when he entered her presence she sala' oh, sir. how pity you; you have nurSeo, as I have, a viper in your bosom. HOW shall I ever command words 10 teil you Know. then. that my husband IS the ac cepted lover of your wife" The injured husband being of holeric turn or mind, at once took steps to vindicate hls honor and challenge to mortal combat being dispatched to the destroyer of his household peace, he arranged his ar fairs and waited in deadly calm the fa- tai hour. The affair was one of swords. and af- ter the principals had hacked at each other and the circumambient atmos- nhere for several minutes. the seconds i fell into @ dispute over some technicat- ity which had or had not been observeu and fell upon each other with sucn hearty good will that maimed ana ;s as, <a- An stAd or honor before the surprised principals could enter a protest at their Irregular and unsportsmanlike conduct. The prin. cipals themselves had recelved seVerai ugly cuts and they were slowly and sol emnly conveyed back to their respective
 Young Tom symes. Geaf alike to his mothers complaints and entreatiee. stayed with his father and nursed him | tenderly, while, she accompanied by the obedient but heart-broken Alice, return ed to the home of her aged parents. An irascibie but wealthy old uncle. learning of the lapse from virtue of his favorite | nephew Hiram cut him off without even | the traditional shilling. and dying while money for the founding of home for
 the widows and orphans of indigent | sailors.
 The husband of Airline had loved her | devotedlv and. weakened by the wounds he had received, consented, at the earn est solicitation of Armand, his wifes | brother, to receive her in the sick-room. The willy and guilty woman found little he had cruelty wronged her by his sus- picions as to her fidelity. By pointing out to him that many young women were, like her, named Airline, she made his doubts of her appear ridiculous and | unjust, and when he was reduced to the proper stage of humiliation and regret,
 she magnanimously forgave him ana most complete and happy reconciliation | followed.
 Relief at so narrow an escape from social shipwreck was soon followed by virtue for Airline having once wandered l into a forbidden paradise found exist ence without its gates rather tame, ana six months after the duel she eloped | with a handsome gardener in the em- ploy of her husband and returned to | sunny France.
 Sweet Alice symes had for some time been betrothed to the handsome Armand,
 but after the distressing events which
 had followed her motherfs adventure
 with the flea she sent for Armand and
 told him that union with him was
 impossible in view of the shame and
 misery that had fallen on their homes
 through her fathers sin. In vain did
 the young man plead his cause and hers
 though her beautiful, agonized eyes and
 gray white face testified to what she sui
 fered
 
 lies and excesses reached the Symes
 family. Alice brooded over her lover
 misspent life and feeling powerless tc
 recall him. spent her time in prayer foI ,Gl his redemption She staid hours daily
 in the damp and moldy old church and
 contracted q severe cold. which resulted
 in her death. One year from the date
 of her separation from her lover she wa:
 borne to a lonely grave on a bleak hill side
 One dreary November evening Benjamin
 Dawson, F. R. S.. ascended the hill and ; idly roamed about among the graves
 At one he paused and slowly read in tho
 waning light the inscription on simple
 marble column, Sacred to the memory
 of Alice Symes. Aged 10. Rest in the
 Lord
 Nineteen" repeated Benjamin softly young and fair and beautiful, no doubt
 What a hapnv fate was hers Taker
 from this sordid, wretched world before
 she knew aught of its sin and sorrow. As he spoke a belated sun ray pierced
 the gloom and a single shaft of ligh
 glorifed with its radiance the wort
 "Alice."
 O N" by J. Percy Barnltz.