Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-04-24

SOOu zeal startled by this dennite Sug-
gestion, and l wrote to my mother on
the subject for the first time. The gen.
tleman took the letter to post, and it
has not been delivered yet, thank heav-
EN-
Before It was time to get an answer
sudden business Of great Importance
called my fance to Philadelphia. How
opportunc! Well. Brenda, packed a
little hand bag and went What must
you think Of me?"
Brenda bent down gently and kissed
Elsie's hand and held it against her
fnco,
IL don't know the story yet" she said,
"but you have portrayed thorough
scoundrcl. And you have also shown
me a trusting and true hearted girl who
went to be married with an innocent
heart. Blessed heaven! Think of a
man for whom young and pure girl
will go out into the world like that, as
If to walk in the fields! Should not ev-
cry fiber of his soul he thrilled to loyal
ty for all his lifeY
"The gentleman in question had no
SOUL" said Elsie. II think he will be
spared all punishment hereafter, as the
Drutes are. Let us proceed. Brenda,
dear. The remainder Of the story Is
not long. We took the II o'clock train
and reached Philadelphia in time for
luncheon. Our marriage was to be
kept secret for awhile. and there SEEM
e1 70 ha o1inh< nl,iootjpn IN n
public dining room of the hotel where
our hanson set us down. However
we lunched there quite hastily, for
had no appetite. Then we re-entered
the hanson and went to look for min
lister. We had remarkable difficulty in
finding one, considering that Philadel
phia is large city full of churches, but
we finally succeeded. Then it appeared
that we had neglected to comply with
certain formalities, but the clergyman
was able to rectify the matter, and so
we were married ptfully. as l see it
now, with stupid old servants and a
chance laborer who happened to be Mt
work in the house as our witnesses.
when we got back to the hotel 1t
was 6 o'clock, and l was nearly fam
ished. We hurried right into the din
ing room, and my husband ordered n
great spread with champagne, for our
miserable celebration. and now I will
tell you the unromantic part In the
midst Of that dinner, and while fam
cied that l was eating with a splendid
appetite, 1 was suddenly seized with
the most awful pain that ever devas-
tated my poor little stomach. Yes.
Brenda, it was a regular, terrible
of nausea. l felt as if some one had
my stomach in his banda hand about
the size of Captain Neales-and was
crushing it to pieces.
"My husband said lie guessed it
would soon pass away, but it didn't,
and so he left his dinner and ran out
to drug store to get me something to
take. When he came back, 1 took it.,
and I didn't feel any worse, because
that wasn't possible, but l certainly
felt no better. In few minutes | be-
gan to realize that l was going out Of
my wits. l talked insanely and saw
things that weren't there. The next
thing 1 knew we were riding up in an
elevator and 1t seemed to so up for a
week. Then there was a woman lead
Ing me along q hall and into a room,
and she began to take off my clothes in
the bedroom of little suit. l stared
at her and asked her who she was.
- 'T't1, ho nj coI.a I,o
said. 4 belong to the hotel
"As if she had been piece Of furni-
ture. Then | asked where my hus-
band was, and she said he had gone
out for doctor. So she made me lie
Gown. Probably l seemed to be there
on that bed. but in reality-my own
reality-I was playing in that old barn
storming company and studying,
studying, studying on long parts that
were always changing. but sometimes
l was little girl again in town way
out in Michigan, running through the
streets, with my long legs flying and
my heels touching the back of my
head, as my mother used to say. l
stole the neighbors' flowers in the
scented June evenings and staid out
under the little whispering stars till
my mother came, weeping with anx-
iety, to bring me home. And, strange
ly enough, right in the midst of it all
there stood the doctor, tall, gaunt
young man, asking me how l felt.
But where was my husband?
He has not got back, said the wo-
man. Il was afraid to wait any lon
ger, so | got this gentleman, who is a
New York doctor stopping in the
hotel
Then felt something sharp prick
Ing my arm and afterward the pain
was easier, and my mind suddenly be-
came as clear as it. is now. l heard
the doctor say that l would be all
right when had had some sleep, and
then my husband appeared, looking in
between the curtains that hung by the
bedroom door. 1t seems that he had
not brought doctor, but had left
word for one to come.
my husband remained there, be-
tween the curtains, perfectly rigid,
staring, pale MS ghost. He was look
[ q I ( Hl.