The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-01-29
Z raid Powell, savage-

bow dreadfulw she murmured.
"Oh, I'm I'm earnest" said Powell,
jerkily. Didn't you read in the pa
pers about that old millionaire who
left half Of his money to the son of
one friend and half to the daughter of
another on condition that they would
marry each other and not let any of
his accumulation get into the hands
of people he didn't know? We'll, I'm
the man In the story. We had never
set eyes on each other, but we both
wanted the money, so we complied
Nth the proviso."
"You-married her?' asked the girl,
paling q little.
"SiX weeks ago in New York. 1t
must have looked a queer affair to
outsiders. One dismal morning my
lawyer aud drove to the registrators
office, and as we came in by one door
another lawyer, with an old gentleman
and lady and three girls all in short
skirts and blouses and brown wells.
| entered by another We all bowed
and then the reglstrator called our
names and / and one of the girlS-it
might have been any Of them. for all
| knew-went up to the desk and an
swered few questions and wrote our
names. The lawyers gave us each q
deed Of separation to come into force
at once. Then we all bowed again
and the family party got into a car
rage and drove off, and II had
t1ryn 11c, f11rIn11nl1
the honeymoon--came abroad to get
out of the talk"
His listeners color had faded entire
ly.
"Her name was Margaret Kennedy,
wasn't it?' she said slowly. II went
to school with her. She"
"Oh. you needn't hesitate" said
Powell, with a short laugh "I've had
several fetching descriptions of her.
She's Al at bargain, as l know by
experience. And her voice and-er-
looks impressed me even through the
veil"
"She wasn't pretty, certainly. or very
popular, but she was we'll born, of
course, and" she was speaking with
evident effort now. ooh, there is the
steward" she said, rising. IL
must see if he hasn't something to
coax auntie to eat"
Powell gazed after her. his face
rather colorless. too.
cit can't be that She Bah!
haven't the right even to think of such
thing She'd resent it desperately"
he said under his breath, turning again
to the sea. "Wonder if I can get
through the next two days without
behaving like a cad?"
But in the morning Miss Lockhart |
emerged from her seclusion, probab-
ly against her will, and the day passed |
quite unconstrainedly. When the last |
morning came Powell was silent and |
stern and Madge was absorbedly So |
licitous of her aunt's comfort, but the |
final parting was conventional enough. |
AS their cab bore the aunt and niece |
away from the docks the girl drew a
quick sigh.
"a soldier and a gentleman" she |
murmured with little sigh, but there |
was glow in her face, nevertheless.
The city awoke under weeping skies.
Powell, in his club window, gazed |
gloomily down on the dripping streets.
The disgust that his whole appearance
bespoke, however, was not for the dis.
NAL prospect, but for the years that |
We're stretching, in his Imagination, |
without interest and weariSome ahead
of him. He was sick of the army, he |
told himself, and of civilization. AS
for that pile of money in the bank
he loathed the thought Of it.
One of the club walters brought him
a letter and he tore it open, indiffer-
emily, and his face changed as he
drew it out.
II would not write this" he read,
except that you would learn it from
some one else. 1t was your own mis-
take in the beginning you will re-
member, in taking for granted that my |
name was the same as that of my
mothers sister. And in self-defense |
could not do less than leave you under
the delusion, though my aunt strong
ly disapproved. / am sorry that the
only time we are likely to meet l
should seem to have been passing I'M
der false colors. But for the future,
beg you will believe, l shall take as
good care of your name as you do
yourself.
Margaret Kennedy Powell"
Without a change in his attitude
Powell stood staring down at the pa
per in his hand. Then he WINGED
sharply.
What fool I must have lookedw
L.. H.. 11,,. ..sr-s