Bisbee daily review., 1903-03-25
A CRUEL
 DESERTION
1Original.l

sons, fortune. All that remained to her was her daughter, Frances. Mrs. Franklin's. gloom wore upon her daugh- ter. who was at that age when the world is most delicious-the age of keen interest, of warm friendships, of love. Nevertheless Frances bore with her mothers infirmities and made the best of the. situation.
 Then came Langdon Carr, who fell desperately in love with Frances, she returning his affection. Carr was in every respect capable of rendering her happy He was brilliant. well started in his profession for 50 young a man, heir to prospective wealth. Every one said. At last poor Frances is to be made happy"
 The. lover during his courtship had | observed the condition in the Franklin home and spoke of Mrs. Franklin as Mrs. Dismal" He was irritated to | find that it was impossible to get Fran i ees out with him one evening, for her | mother objected to being left alone. If he spent the evening at the house and | be and Frances wandered away into another room, Mrs. Franklin would | take on a sour countepance and after | LangdOn's departure accuse her daugh- ter of having no feeling for her. Carr resolved to end the unpleasant situation by marriage.
 Frances he said, i've will have no comfort until we set up for ourselves | ;,,O fThara WI shall he free and independent"
 | This speech set Frances to thinking. l What would her mother do without her? Either Mrs. Franklin must live with her and her husband or sink un- der a load of loneliness and sorrow, Yet if she lived with them the daugh- | ter's condition would not be improved. while the sOn-in-law would be reduced to a similar condition. Frances stud jed to find a solution, but there was no solution. She must choose between her mother and her lover. She decided 10 remain single.
 When Langdon Carr received her de- cision he was very much troubled. However, he realized that Mrs. Dis mar' would make his married life mis- erable so long as she lived and felt that Frances was doing right to decide between them and her. Any other course would be an injustice to him. 1t was better that she should sacrifice him and herself and cling to her moth- CT than drag that mother into her mar } ried life.
 sweetheart" he said, ''your act only makes it harder for me to give you up, , since it shows your nobility" ] Five years passed and Langdon Carr did not marry. He is waiting for Mrs Dismal to die" said his friends. Then the doctors recommended trip abroad for Mrs. Franklin, and on the steamer who should appear but Lang don Carr. He showed great surprise at meeting the FranklinS, but this did not deceive Mrs. Franklin. She feigned , seasickness, remaining in her berth and keeping Frances in constant at- . tendance.
 One night in a fog there was a sud- den jar, stopping of machinery, hur- rying footsteps on deck, shouting or or ders. Langdon Carr slipped on his clothes and rushed up the companion- way to find that there had been col : lision with sailing ship. and the steamer was supposed to be sinking Hurrying back to tSe cabin, he sought . Frances in her stateroom with her mother and begged them to come with him. Mrs. Franklin declared that she : did not wish to live and begged her daughter to remain and die with heP,
 whereupon Langdon took the old won- an in his arms and carried her on deck,
 A boat was receiving the women. It
 was the last boat at hand, and there
 was none left for the men. Langdon
 put Mrs Franklin in it, then turned to hand in Frances. Frances hesitated.
 "Get in,' he said.
 "No. l once decided between you and
 mother in her favor. Now it is your
 turn. I shall stay with you"
 In another moment the boat was low
 cred into the water.
 Langdon was so happy that even the death which threatened both Frances
 and himself had not the expected ter
 TOT for him. He tried hard to keep
 from a muttered prayer that the boat
 containing Mrs. Dismar' would be
 lost. But there was little time for any
 
 thing except preparation. Langdou se- cured life preservers, which he put on
 Frances and himself, then dashed Fran
 ces to a skyhght, securing himself to it
 afterward. They then waited for the
 ship to go down, the happiest period ei-
 ther had known in five years. But the
 ship did not go down. The breach was patched up, and she proceeded on her journey.
 As soon as the lovers reacheu Eng [ land they learned that the boat in
 which Mrs. Franklin had left the steam
 CT had landed on Newfoundland. Fran ces cabed to know if she was well. A
 reply came:
 "For your cruel desertion can never
 forgive you"
 That was the feather that broke the
 cameITs back" Frances concluded to
 sacrifice neither herself nor her lover
 any longer, and they were married an
 hour after receipt of the message.
 Lancdon Carr is very proud of the