The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-04-15
'TWIXT LOVE
AND DEATH
By Martha
McCulloch-v vtilliAa/


Copyright, isos. bp I. C. MeCh~s
II Millie had not worn her blue gown
the story might have been different.
Whether it was the color or the nun
Of it or the way It chung to and nodded
her slim suppleness. nobody could say.
but the fact was patent. somehow Il
transformed her from a very pretty
girl into an elfiand queen. Millie was.
you see, Spanish blond, with velvet
dark eyes and hair Of the palest gold
Small wonder in the blue gown she
swept John Eustace on his feet and
made him forget some things he ought
| to have remembered
His betrothed, Alice Ellison. for ex-
ample. Alice was as good az 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. II she had not happened to be
born, the Ellison fortune would have
gone to Johns father, Ellison Eustace.
Her father had married In q At Of
pique when he was on the edge Of 6ev-
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. Un-
til chance flung Mile across his path
lie had never repined. An only child
and motherless, he had grown up his
fathers intimate comrade. Thrs wo-
men. especially young women, had nev-
er worn for him the roseate glamour Of
unschooIed 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. 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
riage was honorable In all men-mar-
riage with Alice would be thrice hon.
orable, safe and profitable. Thus when
she came to eighteen John had q Ger
tain satisfaction In putting the ring
upon her finger and even chafed q 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 q tender fondness
that had begun when. a sturdy little
lad, he had guided her tottering baby
steps. He meant always to guide.
guard and cherish her as became q gen.
tleman, even though in his swelling
visions Of the future she was no more
than a dumb. submissive shade. II
she would never be a brilliant Agure.
still less would she be one Of whom q
husband must needs be ashamed. In
deed he was altogether q little more
than content with the ordering of
things until six months before his wed.
ding day he came under Miles spell.
He saw her first upon q spring morn.
ing full of hot, shining and ianguid ruf.
ding airs. Dew still sparkled on the
grass, and overhead In the green gold
Of new LEAKAGE robins nuted deiicately
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. Fol-
two hours they walked together ovel
the ragged lawn turf or stood In rapi
contemplation Of newly open rosea
And then In a safe seclusion Of green
est shade he drew her within his ARM
and kissed her, not lightly. but ss ons
who takes what is supremeIy his own.
Then followed heavenly fortnight
Eustace masterfuily pushed out Of hil
mind all thought that might mar thil
new bliss. He rarely spoke his love
and after that first kiss was sparinl
Of demonstration. There was no neet
of 1t when each understood 30 perfect
ly what was In the others heart. Ye
at the end Of every days comraderJ
Eustace had a sense Of something i'm
pending ever drawing nearer. He re
fused to let himself look further thar
the next days end, but somehow. some
where, he knew he would be called u
pay bitter scot.
His chiefest care was for Miliie. NJ
harm must touch her. however II faret
with him. She was so young. % In
nocently gay. so innocentiy foolish, b.
was doubly bound to protect her, evei
against himself. 1t was heaven to se
her bloom and sparkle at his approach
She left herself so artlessly undefende'
!, now and again there came a lump u
his throat A man who could speak
!. who could even think, lightly Of he
would deserve death twice over.
So the idyi drifted through hour
sunlit and starlit. Perhaps II was som
|, III star In its course that brought hom
Joe Cantreli. Miles brother, VIII
lived out in the big world and kney
/, Its ways. He came unannounced Jus
as dusk fell down. making his wa
through the devious side path all tar
gled with sweet shrubs. When Mill
met him a little later. her eyes wer
, | starilke. her cheeks Of damask bloom
but sight OF her could not win hiI
from icy anger. He never explaine
y anything. "You will be ready to 6
back with me two days hence" he SAID
{ frowning heavily. Millie got yer
L white. but went silently toward IN
stair foot. As she was mounting
!, her brother said. with a taunting laugl
Next time you choose to kiss and FOL
die a man take care that I am not
sight or that he is not engaged to ma
~ another woman"
!. She knelt. shivering. by her Sedsit
until she heard him go out after q ls
, surely supper. And she was still knee
y ing when he came in. stamping hea
iiy, well toward midnight. He stoppt
. beside her fathers high black secr
y eary. n1ax down the Ia with Q -