Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-08-04
'TWIXT LOVE
AND DEATH
By Martha
McCuIloch-WillisAms
Copyright. 1905, bg T. c. Mcclure
copm.tglt. Ia0s. bu Z. c. Meclure

the story might have been different.
Whether it was the color or the fluff
of it or the way it chung to and nodded
her slim suppleness, nobody could say
but the fact was patent, somehow it
transformed her from a very pretty
girl into an elfiand queen. Millie was.
you see. a Spanish blond, with velvet
dark eyes and hair of the palest gold.
Small wonder in the blue gown she
swept John Eustace off his feet and
made him forget some things he ought
to have remembered.
His betrothed, Alice Ellison, for ex-
ample. Alice was as good as her plen-
tiful gold, but stubby, dull colored and
on the surface dull witted. She was,
above all things, dutiful. Duty was
indeed the early root of her love for
John If 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 to 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 philosophically. Tn
til chance flung Mile across his path
he had never repined. An only child
and motherless he had grown up his
fathers intimate comrade. Thus wo
nor, oey,aoia INV x-a.1,acr xroraap had nov.
er worn for him the roseate glamour Of
unschooled youth Still his father had
by no means tried to put an old head
upon young shoulders nor to breed in
his son contempt for womankind. 1t
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 profita bic. Thus when
she came to eighteen John had a GER
tain satisfaction in putting the ring
upon her finger and even chafed a 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, he had guided her lettering baby
steps. He meant always to guide,
guard and cherish her as became gen
tleman, even though in his swelling
visions of the future she was no more
than dumb, submissive shade. If
she would never be a brilliant figure,
still less would she be one of whom a
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 we'd
ding day he came under Miles spell.
He saw her first upon a spring morn
ing full of hot, shining and languid ruff
fling airs. Dew still sparkled on the
grass, and overhead in the green gold
the joy of life and love. To his en-
chanted eyes Millie 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
contemplation Of newly open roses.
And then In a safe seclusion of green
est shade he drew her within his arms
and kissed her. not lightly, but as one
| who takes what is supremacy his own.
Then followed a heavenly fortnight.
M a cfo,.fr1IIv r,I1chad ont Of bic
mind all thought that might mar this
new bliss. He rarely spoke his love
| and after that first kiss was sparing
of demonstration There was no need
| of it when each understood so perfect
| ly 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
the next days end, but somehow, some
where, he knew he would be called to
pay bitter scot
! His chiefest care was for Mile. No
harm must touch her, however it Jared
noeently 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 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
ill star in its course that brought home
Joe CantrelI, Miles brother, who
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 a little later, her eyes were
starlike, her cheeks of damask bloom
| lint eifr Of I,o, Il,