Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-02-24
'TWIXT LOVE
AND DEATH
By Martha
NJ. Culloch-Nill:amS
COPYRIGHT. 'asz. b. 7. c. Mcclure
copyrseh'. 'aa'. D. T-o. Mcclure

/ II Ak4tAlt haiAA Alhh- WIN ANA hAd1 NNN ~
the story might have been different.
| Whether il was the color or the fiuff
| OF it or the way il clung to and nodded
her slim suppleness, nobody could say,
| but the fact was patent somehow II
/ transformed her from "A very pretty
girl INFO an eldaud queen. Mile was
I you see. a Spanish blond. with velvet
| dark eyes and hair Of the palest gold.
/ Small wonder in the blue gown she
I swept John Eustace of his feet and
made him forget some things be ought
/ to have remembered.
/ His betrothcd. Alice Ellison, for ex-
ample. Alice was rs good as her plen-
tiful gold hut stubhy duh colored aud
on the surface dull witted. She was
I above all things dutifuL Duty was
/ indeed the early root Of her love for
/ John. Ii she had not happened to be
+ born. the Ellison fortune would have
+ gone TO Johns father. Ellison Eustace.
/ Her father had married in a fit of
pique when he was On the edge of sew
enty He lived 10 see his daughter
/ nine years old and to impress upon her
/ that she must marry her second cousin
and so keep the money in the Ellison
blood.
John. FIVE years older than Alice had
accepted his fate philGsophically. I'm
til chance flung Miilie across his path
he had never repined An only child
aud motherloss, he had grown mp his
fathers intimate comrade Thus wo.
men. especially young women. had new
er worn for him the roseate glamour %
unschooled youth. stih his father had
by no means tried 10 put an old head
upon young shoulders nor to breed In
his son contempt for womankiud. Ii
was only that love and women were
pushed TO the background, reckoned
mere episodes beside the rush and
scurry OF truly manly pursuits. Mar
rage was honorable in all men-mar-
riage with Alice would be thrice hon
orable, safe and profitable. Thus when
she came 10 eighteen John had q Ger
tain satisfaction in putting the ring
upon her finger and even chafed lit
tie over the fact that by her fathers
express desire she was to stay single
until she was one and twenty.
He honestly believed himself in love
and truly felt for her tender fondness
that had begun when. a sturdy little
lad be had guided her lettering baby
. steps. He meant always to guide
guard and cherish her as became q gen
tleman. even though In his swelling
visions OF tie future she was no more
than a dumb. submissive shade. II
she would never be brilliant figure
still less would she be one Of whom
husband must needs be ashamed In
deed he was altogether a little more
than content with the ordering of
things until six months before his wed
ding day be came under MILES spell
He saw her first upon spring morn
ing full Of hot. shining and languid ruff
ding airs. Dew still sparkled IN the
grass. and overhead in the green gold
. Of new LEAKAGE robins fluted deiieately
the joy Of life and love To bis en-
chanted eyes Mile embodied the shin
ing. the bird song, the softness Of the
south wind. the warmth of the sun.
What they said Is immateriaL For
two hours they walked together over
the ragged lawn turf or stood IN rapt
contemplation OF newly open roses
And then in a safe secIusion OF green
est shade he drew her within his arms
and kissed her. not lightly. but as one
who takes what IS supremacy has own
Then followed q heavenly fortnight.
/ Eustace masterfulIy pushed out Of his
mind all thought that might mar this
new bliss. He rarely spoke his love
and after that first kiss was spaTing
of demonstration There was no need
of il when each understood so perfect
/ by what was in the others heart Yet
at the end OF every days comradery
! Eustace had a sense Of something i'm
/ pending ever drawing nearer He re-
/ fused to let himself look further than
1 the next days end, but somehow. some
I where, he knew he would be called TO
| pay a bitter scot
/ His chiefest care was for Mile. No
| harm must touch her, however il Jared
I with him. She was so young. so in
( aocently gay. so innocently foolish. he
was doubly bound to protect her. even
/ against himself 1t was heaven TO see
/ her bloom and sparkle at his approach
| She left herself so artlessly undefended
now and again there came a lump in
/ his throat. a man who could speak
who could even think. lightly of her
/ would deserve death twice over
So the idyl drifted through hours
sunlit and starlit. Perhaps it was some
! I'll star In its course that brought home
( lived out in the big world and knew
| its ways. He came unannounced just
as dusk fell down, making his way
through the devious side path all tan
! gled with sweet shrubs. When Mile
/ met him 8 little later. her eyes were
/ ktarlike. her cheeks OF damask bloom:
but sight of her could not win him
| from icy anger He never explained
/ anything. You viii be ready TO go
I hack with me- two DAYS hayfa ~ ba said