Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-07-11

! that / first met Malcolm Ross. He
was very handsome and past master
in the arts of beguiling women. He de-
voted himself so completely to me that
at the close of that first evening my
poor, silly little head was in a whirl.
81 was accounted very pretty by my
| aunt's fashionable friends. and | was
pretty | can speak so now with I'M
personal frankness, for all my pretti-
ness and sweetness belong to the dear
dead 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 spell that l could not
break. / think my aunt must have
been but careless chaperon. Child
less herself, she had made no study of
| girl nature. She made remorseful ac-
acknowledgement later.
"Ah, well! What good did her re-
morse do then or does my bitter retro
spection now? Remember, 1 am doing
this for money.
Horace White came to the station
to meet me when l returned home.
started guilty. when the train slowed
up, and I saw his dear eyes rowing
anxiously over each window as it
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!
I felt like a creature who had been
supping on champagne and suddenly
found herself confronted by the cool
ing heaven sent waters Of pure foun-
| tain.
81 met him with fair semblance OF
the old cordially. Did he miss any
thing in my greeting? If he did he
was too much of a man to whlmper
about 1t. He did not tarry with me
long that first evening. He said it be-
longed of right to the home people.
He would come again in the morning.
Already my wicked heart was swing
! ing back to it's first love. How could
I 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 letters. Had
1 really been hypnotized? Perhaps.
But I knew my tickle heart at last.
With every fiber of my being 1 loved
Horace l had never really loved any
one else. l would write Malcolm as
much, and he would write me word
of liberation and pardon, and then
would make full confession to Horace.
my letter to Malcolm Ross was the
truest letter ever wrote. He answered
it 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.
81 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.
$50 then it is a question of another
man? Horace White, did l under
stand you to say? So fair lady as
Miss Helen Vaudeville may well have
lovers to choose from. We will talk OF
this later on
HE turned and walked out of the
house. l breathed prayer Of thanks
giving for my freedom. l cried myself
to sleep that night for very joy at my
escape You see, l 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 strange gilt
ter in his eyes, also a new gentleness
in his voice. Later on | came to asso-
ciate all these signs with his blacklist
moods.
HE seated himself by me on the
sofa and addressed me as if no word Of
disa greement had ever passed between
u.s. He took a paper from his pocket
and laid it down OH my lap. was not
to read it Immediately, for he placed
his hand over it. Then he put me
through a severe catechism about Hor-
ace White. God knows what my silly
tongue could have said to injure my
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. l tele-
graphed home for my clerk to procure
it. 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
pleasant postnuptial possibility, is it?
1 believe you spoke of this Mr.. Horace
White as the only man you ever had
truly loved or ever could?'
81 hung my frightened head in
abasement, but l managed to say au-
dibIy, I said it, and l meant it,
"'Yes? Well, then, Il suppose that
will have to stand as pleasant little
| stumbling block to trim our marital