The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-06-06
THE ADVERTISERS
DAILY SHORT STORY

II, And into his eyes there grew a light
of sorrow and yearning. When the baby
s sssnrs Z M B sp se nsy made That
worse, and not only did Helen change,
but brought little Alice up to stife and
look down upon all demonstrations Of af-
lection.
And so Harry Thornton began to be
seen more and more at the clubs and the
haunts of men and to go on long fishing
and hunting excursions and to spend less
| and less time at home. Helen appeared
sued her triumphant career.
Then came the other woman. She was
inevitable In the nature OF things Thorn
ton was handsome, entertaining and love-
able. He was an hungered for love. Into
his life drifted Eva La Sharpe, with baby
| blue eyes that made Helen's look like
tempered steel, light brown hair through
which the sun had thrown a ray of its
very own Hight, dimpled and fresh and
petite and ingenious. She had no theo-
ries about platonic affection, the perfect
| control of the passions, the value of self
denial to increase spirituality or any of
| the others. She was conscious only that
she was full of life and gladness and rev.
| eled IN mere existence. She was tender
and sympathetic and laughter and tears
were equally near to her blue eyes.
Thornton and Eva La Sharpe met cas-
uaily and were mutually attracted She
| had heard whispers of his dreary home
| life and when she saw the shadows in his
| eyes. her own shone with sympathy And
| sympathy Is a dangerous emotion for a
beautiful woman to feel for a handsome
| man.
She was destined by her ambitious
| mamma to be the bride of Herman Skin
| ner, fifty. bald-headed. thin-lipped, small
| eyed and president of the Sixteenth Ma
| tionai Bank. She wept at the very idea.
| Given this situation there could be but
| enc ending. This is best told by a letter
| from Thornton to his wife.
New York, June 4.
Dear Madam-When this reaches you |
will be on the ocean outward hound from
| the shores ! shall never see again. Eva
La Sharpe goes with me. We will estab-
4 lish ourselves In a modest way in some
village In southern Europe, there to find
| that love which seemed to be denied us
! in the more conventional Hfe which we
| leave.
l am very sorry to bring upon you and
| Alice this disgrace and can only say In
| extenuation that I am sure in your case
| the blow will be felt only by your pride
and not by your heart. God knows
| loved you dearly. and my love would
have kept alive on crumbs of encoura ge-
ment, but you killed 1t deliberately and
| Intentionally, and are rearing your daugh-
ter. I fear. to break some other mans
l wish you all the success and happi-
ness In the world and have arranged our
financial affairs in manner that will
meet your approval. Mr.. Birge will call
on you on that phase Of the matter.
As for me, l am going to live again
Cod. the joy of holding in my arms a
woman with pulsating heart and glad
ness and sympathy and love in her eyes
She gives up more than 7. for l can never
give her nor her children name unless
you should find It In your heart TO obtain
a divorce. That is wholly in your hands
Good bye, forever. and God bless and
keep you and Alice"
Opinion was divided as whether he was
all to blame or whether Helen should
| share a portion of the fault. Everybody
agreed, however, that there were no ex-
| tenuating circumstances regarding Eva
La Sharpe This is the habit Of the
| world.