The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1902-03-01
~Well. Dorothy" said Percy, some


what nettled, for his seh-love was hurt,
"you did seem awfully in love with me.
But / don't blame you for this misun-
derstanding. You should be glad that
we have both discovered our true feel
ings in time, before we had become
hcpelessly bound to each other. 1t u
best for you that should leave you,
best that we should part. / will return
you your letters and presents, and you
can throw my schoolboy illusions in
the fire."
every we'll, Percy" returned his dis
carded fiancee. "1'll throw them in the
fire. That will be the first time they
will have had any warmth in them"
"Ha, hal" laughed Percy, uneasily.
"You are positively brilliant" He did
not like the fact that Dorothy gave
him his freedom so readily. 1t some
what deprecated the high value he set
on himself. Believe me-" he said,
pompousIy, 81 shall always entertain
the highest opinion of you. But you
know yourself that your father is not
able to give you dowry, and that the
position in the Philippines is worth
| only 81 ZOO year. How could two Pc 20
pie live on that? with my tastes and
you with yours"
II don't choose to discuss the mat
ter with you, now that have released
you" said Dorothy; ''but be pleased
not to refer to my tastes. 1t is true 1
was born in luxury and accustomed to
have every taste gratified, but have
never let that fact stand in my way
since we lost our wealth. The fact
that ! was willing TO marry yon was
sufficient proof of that. However, that
is nothing. Good-by, Percy. Keep up
your spirits. This incident will soon
be forgotten. You have quite dispelled
any foolish ideas may have had. Still,
we can be friends. Call occasionally,
and people will think there has never
been anything between u.s." Had Per-
cy known anything of what was going
on in porothy's mind he would have
as soon entered lions den as have
called at the Smith mansion again.
Dorothy returned to town, resumed
in earnest the training of her voice,
which at first she had taken up as a
pastime, and made such good use OF
her tuition that her naturally flexible
soprano voice of wide range acquired
brilliancy and came SO perfectly un-
der control that bright future opened
before her. At the same time fortune,
as If tired of frowning on the Smiths,
gave such a turn to Dorothy's fathers
business that the gloomy aspect in his
affairs that had first frightened away
the selfish Percy vanished, and one fine
morning the merchant by successful
deal was able to pull out of specula-
ton into his legitimate business with
a large fortune.
Percy began to think he had made
a mistake, and took to frequenting the
Smith residence with regularity; but
Dorothy treated him with absolute
frankness. 81 am welded to my art
now" she said, ''even if you had not
effectually cured Inc Of all the folly.
Next month go to Germany to study;
but, my dear Percy, before go ] wish
to prove my friendship for you. Mrs.
vansittart is living at the Lexington.
She has two daughters. One is an angel
of beauty, but poor as church mouse;
the other has been lie # IS ,000,0 by her
uncle, the copper king. 1t 10 an awful
pity, though, that she is ugly, dull. and
some say an epileptic. Go down there.
You know Mrs. vansittart. You met
her at our house last winter. Call,
make yourself agreeable. Make love
| to the ogress. Five million dollars will
gild the most bitter pill. / hear she is
full of romance and would be charmed
If some one would elope with her."
A hint was enough. Avarice dulled
Percy's apprehension of everything,
and he lost no time in ingratiating
himself with Mrs. vansittart.
"Old chap, it's all right" he said to
his friend Billy, the trainer, few
weeks after his conversation with Dor
othy. TITS all right, old boy. I'll pay
you that $1,000 next week. have the
heiress hypnotized. Maud's her lovely
name. Ye gods! but she's ugly! May
be haven't played on her poor little
sentimental heart. "Come into the
garden, Maud" and all that sort OF
thing. We might as we'll be married
with her mothers consent, but I've per-
suaded her that the old lady is dead
against us, and we will eloPe to-mor-
row. Next day we will be on the road
to San Francisco, and I'll send you a
check from that city, just before we
sail for the Philippines. She would
have me go out there, though wished
to take an appointment at home. Wen
soon be back. though. and won't make
the epileptic's dollars fly! There's a
lot Of fun in $5,0O0,0 900. I'll have her
declared insane after a year or so,
and then we'll see about the horses.
You'll be in it, old chap. Ta-ta-auf
wiedersehen-asm my old flame, Dorothy
Smith, would say"
The elopement took place next night
on time. The unfortunate epileptic,
with ecstatic countenance, and the fat
uous Percy reached San Francisco,
where they had an explanation and a
scene. Leaving his wife on the Pacific
coast, he returned to Chicago to bor-
row funds, for the deluded couple were
desperate and penniless.
Arrived. in Chicago, the truth of the
whole affair came out. Everybody was
wondering at the elopement, but the