The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-29
Our Daily $bcrt Story
50 soon? Will not tomorrow"

! G0O SoOu' "lAA AVt LOhioilO" 'Tmpossible.''
 Alicia threw him a glance of quick sur prise. The tone was, to say the least, | unusual. Harrington caught the cloud in her eyes and hastened to reassure her, | You must believe me-and-and trust me" he faltered. looking away.
 'I will, do. Haven't I always, dear?'' l He nodded without turning toward | her. | as you can, you will see about the license and the-the minister-everything?" Everything shall be arranged for you us both, should have said before to- | morrow night" re bent suddenly and l kissed her twice on the lips. And now, good-by,'' he said; the next minute he had passed through the gate, and soon | the chatter of horses hoofs rang fainter and fainter down the long clay road. Alicia slipped back weariiy on the | bench and gave herself up to meditation. In the dim moonlight her face showed a | trife paler, and a shade more serious than its wont, but an expression of per- | feet love threw a wonderful light on her features, transforming them into simple | beauty.
 It was a cloudless morning that broke. The sun had never shone so golden: the
  | whole world so fair.
 Alicia was up and out with the first rose streaks of dawn. She gathered the | roses-great armfuls of them-and smoth- cred the rooms in their fragrance. All through the day she went from place to place, seeing that everything was perfect on this-her wedding day.
 The hours sped by on gold wings. Af- | ternoon came and went; after awhile had dnNNr aNxA k..I~N. the pretty pink haze, and one by one the stars came out again.
 | Alicia drew the shutters close and sat down in her favorite spot by the window overlooking the road that wound up to the gate
 Presently the sound of a horses im- patient gait broke sharply into the still ness. She rose with a little glad ex- clamation and ran to open the door. Outside man was just in the act of | dismounting. Alicia peered eagerly | through the darkness; then suddenly she drew back with a startled hearthrob. It was a stranger who came rapidly up the flower path! In one hand he carried a riding crop, in the other, her strained eyes glimpsed, apprehensively, an omi- nous white envelope.
 ''T"nre's answer" he said, thrust ing it into her extended hand, and dis dppVdliilB pSLOIt Sll6 ndu tlIIlS COIIGcI | herself.
 | When he had gone she tore open the letter with fingers that trembled beyond | her control For a moment the words | danced and blurred before her eyes. But
 in a little while she had calmed herself and read:
 My Dear Alicia: Call me a coward, liar, scoundrel-what you will. I de- serve it all. Last night I meant to tell | you everything. I came back on purpose t0 tell you. but-well, l could not-then. My family have discovered all about our about, well, they know the truth, now. After this it will, of course, be out of the question for me to marry you, even though I've both know that he was to blame. My dear girl, I absolve you from all possible harm in this matter. feel toward you just the same, but pride and success and life are before me, and you will understand. I am providing for your future; you will never lack for anything. send you $50 for your present needs"
 For minute the woman stared duly at the paper; then she crumpled 1t in her hands, and her head dropped forward on her breast. "Oh, my God" she cried, brokenly, he can prate to me of pride and success and life. when there Is honbr, and a woman's broken heart lies at his feetr'