The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-09-25

reasonable, and as for Edith, | almost
forgot my love in my intense
admiration of her self-sacrifice and
truth.
Every word the colonel had said
was true. | was a coward; | had no
right to retain my hold upon, and drag
down with me, any girl. much less
girl like Edith. And so it came to pass
that was preparing to write letter
Of Importance. or, rather, two letters
OF Importance.
At twelve. after innumerable fail
ures, they were finished and in their
envelopes. | took them to my bed
room determined to post them in the
morning. Tired out, [ Gid not follow
my usual custom to read myself to
sleep that night. but in my anxiety to
get some rest for my weary brain. put
| the gas out and lay down at once.
Sleep, however, was out of the uues-
ton. | turned from side to side. and
sought by every method | knew to win
an hour or two of blissful forgetful-
ness; but it was useless, my whole
mind and soul had been. in one short
day, Transformed. A new heaven and
darker one was above me, new
earth and a sadder one beneath my
feet. At length. unable to bear it long
er, | got up and paced the room, drew
up the blind, and looked out upon the
dimly lighted, silent streets.
Then l walked back to the table,
lighted my reading lamp. re-opened the
two letters, and read half aloud:
my Dear Colonel Pelham did
not behave with the self-respect that
you had right to expect of me. but
perhaps, just as my faults dawned on
me, when | left you, so the difficult
ties of my position may have dawned
on you. A man does not yield up such
priceless treasure as Edith's love
without struggle, and [ thought
should have been unworthy Of such a
love had done so; but now that | am
away from the glamour of her pres
ence, l can clearly see that my efforts
to keep her at all hazards were cow
ardly, as you said, and unjustifiable.
To give up the one thing that was to
me worth living for is like giving up
half my life, nay more than half my
| life, but l see now that there is no
other course open to me. OF the fu-
ture, I, of course, know nothing. but
| if it ever should come to pass that |
am free man, to rewin your conf
dence will be the one object OF my eff
forts. | will not try to see Edith
again. | have written to her by this
post, giving my reason for adopting
this course, and with that letter |
promise you our communications shall
cease. | remain, very faithfully yours,
"a. A. RIGBY."
| read this letter twice, then closing
it finally, took up my letter to Edith
and read that. l have no copy of it by
me, nor have | any memory Of the
wording of it. All know is, that in it
poured out, as man would all my
heart and soul to her. | tried to tell
her what the step | had taken was
costing me, and then | said goodbye,
with the hope "a hope very customary
at such times) that in happier world
we might consecrate and perpetuate
our love.
AT length, very cold and tired, but
still sleepless, | went down to the
Kitchen lighted the gas stove, and
made some coffee; then collecting
writing materials in the dining room,
went back to my bedroom to write
once more, and. perhaps the most inn
portant letter of all. 1t was to my
good friend Mrs. Needs, the medical
agent of Kings Cross. | told her that
great trouble had taken and over
whelmened me, and as a consequence
| had decided upon selling my prac-
tice: | told her a few particulars as
to it's value. etc, and requested her
| to sell it at once. even though she
could not get the full price; for within
one short hour a desperate hatred of
| the place had taken hold upon me-
and although knew that the sacrifice
must be great it could not be avoided
Under no circumstances now could
continue to live in the same district
as Miss Milne; even if she left, |
could never be happy in that home
again. And so the letter was sent
and within forty-eight hours a pur-
chaser found who would be satisfied
with one months introduction.
After my third letter was written
I did get an hour or two of sleep
but awoke in the morning unrefreshed
and heavy. l got through the day as
best | could, saw my patients per-
| functorily. and when evening came
put on my ulster and SLOUGH cap and
started for the theater. hoping some
how, amid the gayeties of the West
End. to lose some of my misery. But
| the enort was useless ore. Nnen
reached home | found the last post
had brought me letter from Colonel
Pelham. 1t was kind and courteous
f. the extreme: he told me that he
had had throughout too much conf
dence in my manlluess ever to really
doubt my ultimately seeing the wis
dom of his advice: he said nothing as
t. the future. but concluded with
( oh. ~
Edith" he said, is not we'll enough
| 10 Ia