The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-07-31


voted himself so completely To me that
at the close of that first evening my
poor. silly little head was In n whirl.
Il was accounted very pretty by my
aunt's fashionable friends. and l was
pretty. l can speak 80 now with i'm
personal frankncss. for all my pretti-
hess and sweetness belong TO the dear
lead past when l was a guileless girl
on the old plantation home.
Then Malcolm Ross came into my
life. and the limpid waters ran turbid-
ly. So long as he WAS by my side |
was under a spell that 1 could not
break. | think my aunt must have
been but careless chapcron. Child
less herself, she had made no study of
girl nature. She made remorscful ac-
| acknowledgement later.
"Ah. well, What good did her re-
morse do then or does my bitter retro
spection now? Remember, l am doing
this for money.
Horace White came 10 the station
to meet me when 1 returned home.
| started guiltily when the train slowed
up. and | saw his dear eyes rowing
anxiously over each window as il
passed in review. How they lighted
| up with gladness when he finally To-
| Gated me,
81 was come back to him. That was
| what his luminous smile said to me be-
| fore he could reach me with his voice.
Yes, had come back to him, but how?
| 1 felt like a creature who had been
| supping on champagne and suddenly
Il
| ing heaven sent waters of pure foun-
| tain.
81 met him with a fair semblance of
the old cordiality. Did he miss any
| thing in my greeting? If he did he
was too much of man to whimper
| about II. He did not tarry with me
long that first evening. He said IL be-
4 longed Of right to the home people.
/ He would come again in the morning.
Already my wicked heart was swing
| ing back to its first love. How could
1 ever have put any man In his place.
my Horace of the clear eye. of the true
heart. of the clean soul?
"That night when went to my room
| I removed the betrothal ring Malcolm
Ross had put on my finger. 1t was
like loosening myself from fetters. Had
1 really been hypnotized? Perhaps.
But l knew my tickle heart ut last.
With every fiber of my being l loved
Horace. l had never really loved any
one else. I would write Malcolm as
much. and he would write me word
of liberation and pardon. and then l
would make full confession to Horace.
II ~.
truest letter l ever wrote. He answered
II in person.
HE held me in hot. unyielding en-
brace when we met. He laughed mock
ingly down into my frightened face as
he asked me what child's nonsense
had been giving him.
II flushed angrily under his malicious
levity and told him more than my let
ter had. He released me almost as
roughly as he had seized me. His
handsome face turned livid with rage.
so then 1t is question of another
man? Horace White. did / under
stand you to say? So fair a lady as
Miss Helen Vaudeville may we'll have
lovers TO choose from. We will talk Of
this later on
He turned and walked out of the
house. l breathed a prayer OF thanks
giving fo- my freedom. cried myself
to sleep that night for very joy at my
escape. You see. was still an ignorant
young fool.
1.-TWO days later Malcolm Ross came
back TO me. There was an evil look on
his handsome face and a strange gilt
II l.. l..
in his voice. Later on came To asso-
ciate all these signs with mis- blackest
moods.
He seated himself by me on the
sofa and addressed me as IL no word of
disagreement had ever passed between
Us. He took paper from his pocket
and laid IL down on my lap. ! was not
to read IL Immediately. for he placed
his hand over IL. Then he put me
through a severe catechism about Hor-
ace White. God knows what my silly
beloved. but when Malcolm apparently
had no more questions TO ask he re-
moved his hand and said:
"'You have satisfied me that he is
the man. Read that slip. Istele-
graphed home for my clerk to procure
1t. You can marry your fugitive from
justice as soon as YOU please. but when
he turns from the altar he will find
handouts waiting for him. Not a
pleasant postnuptial possibility. is it?
believe you spoke OF this Mr.. Horace
White as the only man you ever had
truly loved or ever could?'
L
abascment, but | managed to say au
dibly, L said ii. and meant it,
"'Yes? Well. then, suppose that
will have to stand rs n pleasant little
stumbling block to trip our marital
steps, for you do not imagine for u
moment propose To be set aside like d
tiresome boy. You will make your
choice here and now, my love. You
will either name an early date upon
which you will become Mrs. Malcolm
Ross or you will marry Horace White
| and take his conviction upon your owl
fair shoulders
; Il named my wedding day-an early
, one. 1t was the price of safety to Ior
ace. was too bewildered to under
, stand all the iniquity that paper
charged him with, but my own lip:
9 had sealed his fate by admitting tha
, he had been I'm New York city on th'
I date charging him with abscondini
r with money secured on forged note.
II was as powerless as bird i'm thu
= snare of the fowler. Six weeks afte
y my return hoIv' left IL again as th'
wife of Malcohs Ross. ! never saw
o Horace after the morning visit he pai,
\ me when | told him I was going L
a marry nnnther mnn. [ looked into hi