The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-11-21

OF my own. You are the FIRST American
have spoken 10 for three years. but
shall be glad of your kind assurance
that You will give no account OF your
discovery 10 the newspapers. or 10 the
authorities. Not that have any occa-
sion TO fear them" ho said, 81 am not
a criminal, but the revelation Of my
true name and identity with the men
who disappeared from the train in
which you were travelling would cause
NE considerable inconvenience and
perhaps endanger the happiness Of my
home"
Il will keep your secret faithfully"
l said "But in return will you tell me
how and why you are here?"
Certainly" he said. "And give you
my permission to tell It TO the world
otter my death, or if you care to do so
in twenty years from this time. There
will be no difficulty then about letting
the truth be known. The fact is. have
from my boyhood been placed In UNI
congenial circumstances. I do not
know whether l can express to you
the loathing with which the life Of
civilization of modern cities fill me,
and has always filled me since | came
to years Of maturity. suppose I have
the soul of recluse-a hermit though
not, as you see, of a celibate My wife
| and children are the greatest joys of
my present life, but in order to gain
this haven of peace ! was obliged to
cut myself adrift from the world and
all my earlier associations.
II had made Finettes acquaintance
some time before you met me in Italy
and was convinced that my only
chance Of happiness lay in marrying
her. Unfortunately I nad a relative, an
uncle, who was a severe, uncompromis-
/ ing man. with a Calvinistic turn and
! a conviction that man would be eter-
nally lost if he did not apply him
! self to business. l hated him, but at
the same time l acknowledged that he
had a complete mastery over me when
! ever l was in his presence. He even
/ contTived that | should engage myself
to his daughter, a woman ten years
cider than myself, as hard and dry as
her father, and quite capable of suing
me for breach Of Promise of marriage
If l dared to terminate the engage
ment. Under these circumstances
took refuge in fight. But flight was
useles. l received letters from time to
time showing that my whereabouts
was known, and finally was told that
my uncle and his daughter had re-
solved to follow me to Italy, and insist
that the marriage should take place
Immediately. was forced upon desper-
ate courses, and you yourself know
what l did"
Upon my word I DON'T" I inter
polated hastily. 81 suppose you mean
you gave them the slip. But how did
you leave the train?"
my dear sir" said Edmund Justi-
can, don't you remember the snail's
pace at which the train was crawling
up the hill? l simply opened the door
and stepped out, made my way from
the railway line to place where l was
not known, concealed myself for some
days among the peasants, and adopted
as far as l could their dress and habits
Finally l made my way to Finett's ma
tive village and persuaded her to cast
in her lot with mine. You may have
observed that l took my handbag with
me, which contained a very fair pro
portion of my fortune in portable
form, We married, bought this little
homestead and here we live with gu
children, our garden and our animals
as happy as the day is long. Thanl
God, I shall never see city again!"
l stared at the man, for such an ex
preston of feeling seemed to me ex
traodinarily bizarre. But could detec
no sign of insanity in Edmund JUST
cans tone.
and do you never regret you
friends?" l said. Surely the relative
of whom you speak must have suffere
some anxiety on your account?"
? 81 took a very simple precaution,
| said Edmund Justican smiling, wit
! the air of man who had triumphe
over fate. Il wrote to them beforehan
, telling them of nv intention to commi
suicide. That is probably why the
made no search for me, and conclude
that l had carried out my threa
They had no affection for me, bu
7 they envied me my money and l ha
: no conjunction for the deception
pr2cticed. All that ask is that yo
> will not let them know"
' Il will most certainly not let thel
know" l answered. But l am gla
that have met you and solved a my