Democratic messenger., 1903-01-31

lou VIII aiWdsS iONe iuc' D'SN'
It'll! my death. Flossie."
The unpleasant memory of those
words came to Richard Filby as he
sat on the cliffs a mile away from
the little village of Scarborough paint
ing. or rather attempting TO paint.
What a fool he had been. He had
fiirted disgracefully with the innkeep-
er's daughter, Flossie. who had SEEM
ingly taken all his attentions in earn
est. perfectly unaware that there was
another young woman up in London
to when he was engaged. Last eve
ming they had walked out together as
usual, vending their way along the
shore, and there the declaration OF
love recorded above had been made.
How on earth was he TO get out of
this imhroglio?
After few minutes Filby dropped
palette and brushes. Ambitious as he
was to he famous, he really could not
paint this morning. He slipped off
his campstool and. throwing himself
full length on the grass, gaZed up re-
fectively into the sky. What nuis-
ance this artistic temperament was.
He was formally betrothed to Freda
Withers at Forest Hill. and had no
desire 10 end the betrothal, and yet
down here in this romantic little spot
the temptation to enjoy himself with
Flossie Barnett. who had attracted
him the very first moment that he
arrived at the inn, had proved too
strong TO be resisted.
Mice day, sir,"
Filby looked up. It was the coast
guard on his round.
Yes, Rather warm for working
though. and for walking. too, | should
imagine"
'Oh. don't mind that. sir. Used
to 1t. you see. That's a grand bit OF
cliff you're painting, sir"
If could only get it right it
would be-
The coastguard mused. his hand
stroking his chin. his eyes taking in
the points of the picture.
"Ah. mind that spot we'll There
was suicide from there about year
back. A chap The was the son of a
farmer round here) as was gone on a
girl that he couldn't get jumped right
off there into the sea. His coat was
found on the cliff-he'd taken it off
before he jumped-but his body must
have been washed away by the sea, for
though we searched high and low. we
never found it. II was a sad case"
Directly the man had passed on Fill
by began pacing up and down on the
cliff. An idea had come. the execu-
tion of which might solve the difficulty
he was in, and with free movement
of his limbs Filby always thought bet
ter. The notion presented difficulties
at first. but cne by one he saw his
way ont of them. What lucky thing
TO have had that conversation with
the coastsuard. The means of relief
from all his troubles was at hand.
That night an unusual thing oc-
CURED at the Scarborough inn. I'm
seen by anycne. a man stole out at
midnight. holding some lark objects
under his arm. and made straight
for tee edge Of the cliffs. Not a soul
of the waves broke the stiffness. Hour
after hour passed by. yet the man did
not return. But the wind rose, the
signing OF the sea became a tumultu-
Gus roar. and by the time the light
broke regular tempest was in prog
ress.
Two hours prior TO that mysterious
midnight fight Flossie Barnett sat in
her bedroom, her usually smiling face
mcst seriously set. A letter on foreign
note paper and bearing the Cape Town
postmarli was in her hands and she
had committed the contents to men,
ory fer about the 10th time. II was
from her soldierlover. Jack Preston.
written couple of days before he
was to embark On the transport .or
England. In very short while the
writer would be here in person. with
the plainly stated object of claiming
her as his bride.
Nov F.ossie was in a uuandary.
Ter little Irritation with their visitor.
Mr.. Filby. had taken a far more seri-
ius turn than she had anticipated. She
sad merely intended to amuse her
elf with him during the absence of
er real lover. and surely n girl left
y herself for two whole years had
berty 10 seek some mild amusement.
)n a higher social level than herself
had treated her as an equal. and
lat had rather turned her head.
Leaving that side of the question.
oweve-, Flossie turned to the consid-
ration Of the more practical matter
what was TO be done now? Mr.. Fill.
by must be informed. and that speed
lily, OF Jack Preston's existence. but
how could the information be most
lelicaiely conveyed? A personal in
erview would be most satisfactory,
ut Flossic shrank from cutting a poor
that. What would be the
way of letting this artist
IN?
? had it, Mr.. Fflby was re-
o town on the morrow. She
London address, and would
re a letter, which would
l soon after his arrival nome.
as best she might her
commitment to another. Il
asy and capital solution of
lty.
she was up next morning