Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-05-13

Yes, yes, I hope that some day my son
will love you"
Love me- love me, do you say?' fal-
tered poor Claire, like one in a dream;
''he is going to marry NE
What credit is there in his giving
his hand?" were the next paarlyzing
words; "are you not thousand times
more generous in giving his child
namer'
His childw muttered the girl, In
stupefed way; then suddenly seizing the
widows hand, she exclaimed violently,
Ibis child"
Listen, Claire; if it is your will, we
will unite our forces, set up our batteries
against our common enemy, against this
woman whom l hate, as you ought to
hate"
At this revelation Claire fell back
against the seat, while through her dazed
brain darted with lightning-liks rapidity
the thought:
"Oh, heaven grant me the strength
to hear her to the endl'
Then as Mrs. Courtlandt, amazed at
her sudden silence, turned and looked at
her, she started up, exclaiming hysteri-
cally:
"Ah, yes! The woman he loves-the
mother Of his child! But do not under
stand why she does not oppose my mar
riageW
II will tell you, Claire. Lucian wor-
ships me and is passionately attached to
his child; l promise you that he is en-
tirely reconciled to his marriage with
you, and regards it seriously, as he does
all other obligations in life."
yes" came the bitter response, so
low as scarcely to be audible, ''he has Il
noble hearth
'He will he here in few minutes, and
| will tell him where to find you," said
the lady, rising with the relieved air
Of one who has executed a painful duty.
$50 kiss me, my dear, and l will go in
and say good morning to your mother"
Claire submitted to the caress, and
when left alone sat for some minutes
among the swaying vines. At last the
burning words rose to her lips:
Heaven help me, how l loved him!
Fool that was to dream that / should
be loved in return! Why, they have been
specializing upon my approaching death;
and If he leads me to the altar to-mor-
row, he counts upon my lying dead be-
fore 1t ere long This luxury-this gold
ARE but the price of my dishonor! l
want no more of them, and only ask to
return to the misery of poverty"
Her last words escaped her lips In a
sigh of unutterable anguish, while TO her
unheeding ears came the beat of the
horses hoofs that bore her expectant
bridegroom!
Upon the spur of the moment she de-
termined to go at once to her father,
inform him that she retracted her prom
ise, and break off the unhallowed match
then and there, despite the consequences.
She sprang to her feet full of her resolve,
but ere she could take step the sound
of voices arrested her. Her woman's
curiosity asserted itself; she parted the
veil of vines with trembling hands and
gazed out across the sunlit lawn.
There she saw Lucian, the man she
loved with the one absorbing passion of
her life, standing in all his manly beau
ty, in conversation with DR.. Gresham,
who was about to take his leave. The
two men were shaking hands and ex-
changing smiling words Of congratula-
tion.
The girls heart rose in her breast as
she listened, and she clung family to the
vines for support until their thorns en-
tered her delicate flesh. The physical
pain and the mental anguish reused her
once again to the exigency of the mo-
ment, and with precipitate steps she
turned and fled in at the open door.
CTo he continued,