The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1903-07-31
Sir Ro1and's
Experience ~
Iy WILSON n. MATTHEWS
WHEN Sir Roland Chesterton al
W. nounced his engagement I
Copyright. 1908. by Daily Story Pub. Coz

NHEN Sir Roland Chesterton an.
w nounced his engagement to
Camille Rodays, a popular French ac-
tress, English society was Mortified,
while the French elite merely
shrugged their shoulders and said:
'"Ah Dieu!" Then the reported en-
gagement was declared false and
again Dame RumOr circulated the an
nouncement as a positive fact this
time.
Sir Roland, having just reached his
majority, was q handsome, reckless,
daredevil sort of fellow, with an
income of 100000 sterling year.
One day at the club, when in one
of his reckless moods, he publicly
announced the engagement. AS a
matter of fact it caused a great row
in the young baronet's family. Lady
ChestertoS, the mother of Sir Roland,
and the handsomest and haughtlest
woman in all England, became hys-
terical when dear" friend told her
the news. She actually took the boy
in her arms and in affectionate and
-endearing terms entreated him to re-
nounce this foolish love. The Ladies
Blanche and Eleanor, his elder sis
ters. went on their knees to him; his
cousin, who came next in succession
to the title and estates, asked him
to abdicate; his fellow clubmen sim
ply laughed at him; but Sir Roland
remained obdurate-for little
while.
Then very unexpectedly came the
announcement that the marriage
was indefinitely" postponed, and Sir
Roland suddenly determined to make
q tour of the continent. He was gone
almost a year when one morning he
returned as mysteriously as he had
departed. He was received with open
arms by all members of the baron
etcy. for thcV-were thoroughly con-
vinced that his infatuation for pretty
Camille was gone.
1t was shortly before midnight one
evening, as Sir Roland was preparing
to leave the club, that a letter was
handed to him by a messenger boy.
The hand writing on the back of the
envelope caused him to turn deathly
pale, and with trembling fingers he
broke the seal
MY Dear Roland" it ran. "Come to
me as soon as you get this. 1 have
but little while to live, the doctor
told me yesterday. My long sickness
has made me horribly ugly, but / am
starved for just ore smile from you.
am always at home and can see you
any time"
The next day at two o'clock he
went to see her and was Mortified at
her changed appearance. Her cheeks,
once oval and tinted with delicate
pink, were now sunken and colorless;
great, dark rings encircled her eyes,
and deep, heavy lines that told of
long suffering marred the face that
was once famous for it's beauty. The
eyes retained much of their former
brilliancy, the lips were still fresh
and pink, and the glorious locks Of
hair, as they lay in tangled disorder
on the white pillows, were still beau
tiful as when first he met her. The
room, with the curtains all drawn,
and the medicine bottles arranged in
profusion about her, Camille seemed
really about to enter the portals of
death. Sir Roland remained but q
short while in the sick room and as
he turned to 60 he met a large
brusque woman in the doorway wear
ing the garb of a nurse, and who
treated him in a surly fashion when
he inquired after the patient. 'The
illness is her affair, not yo--s!" she
said, brushing past him. The next
day Sir Roland again visited the sick
room and found Camille a trife bet
ter, he eyes flashed with the old
brilliancy and in every way her man
ner was quite like the Camille Of
former days. Sir Roland passed q
most congenial hour in her company
until the nurse came and in the same
brusque fashion dismissed him from
the room. When he reached the stair
way bell rang in the lower hall.
ST knew the doctor would come and
fird YOU here!" cried the nurse, shak-
ing her fist in Sir Roland's face. The
next instant fine, portly-looking
man entered the hallway. When the
nurse went upstairs to inform Ca
mile of the doctors arrival Sir
Roland seized the opportunity to
make inquiries.
els Mademoiselle Camille danger