Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-05-19

A MAN WITH LANTERN LEADS NE To A
LITTLE INN.
come quite usual with me, l began to
repeat the phrase that | had uttered
automatically before waking:
"As her husband is citizen of Rhode
Island
Could il be possible that | had put
those words into a letter addressed TO
the one person in the world who
mustn't know that the young woman
IN question has husband? l knew
myself too well TO doubt that | had
done it Ny memory. for all useful
purposes. is gone. | meet my friends
and do not know their names; | talk
with them and forget the subject
which is under discussion even while l
am in the very act of discussing it.
But when | am asleep-or sunk in
that purgatory of mental stress through
which never can quite win my way
into the heaven OF sleep-I am liable
to remember anything-minute details
OF my boyhood. the exact turn of a
phrase or glance Of an eye that mark
ed a scene of youth, but chiefly my
own faults and errors. These, whether
OF long ago or OF the day just done,
come into my mind with startling sud
denness and always with absolute ac-
curacy, so far as | am able to deter
mine. Sometimes | repeat aloud my
own words or those of others; some
times | utter vain protests against the
recurrence of such thoughts, but the
end Is always the Same-I pass through
purgatory in the wrong direction and
am cast into the torment Of Wide
awake.
The way in which this memory had
come TO me stamped it as genuine.
Moreover, l have Il rIile for such mat
tiers, and | rely upon It with sad GER
tainty- that which Is good is dream
that which is bad is true.
/ arose. shivering. and huddled some
clothes upon Inc, with a heavy hooded
bath robe over them Then | made a
fire Of sea coal in the parlor and sat
down before it to mediate upon n
state OF affairs whirh, briefly stated
was this:
An old gentleman named Christopher
Hooper who lives in Sayville, on the
Maine coast, a pretty little town where
| have spent a summer or two, had
written TO me for a legal opinion upon
the status of certain property. He
particularly desired TO know what
would become of ii in case he should
die without a will. He did not say
why he wished to die without a WILL
but was Of the opinion that he might
do worse Indeed, | was considerably
relieved TO find that such was his in
tention II he should not change his
mind upon this point his granddaugh-
ter, Gertrude Ellis. would inherit
about a quarter OF a million dollars, to
the best of my knowledge and belief.
In regard TO the property mentioned
in his letter asking my advice there
might be a squabble over the matter OF
partition. and if litigation should arise
the situation would be complicated by
the fact that Gertrude was no longer
minor. with a legal residence in Maine,
but was secretly married to Robert \.
Ellis OF Rhode Island
Ellis was a young man who had had
a little money and had lost it through
DegIecting the advice of Christopher
Hooper This was a serious Offense,
but he had cut himself Off from pardon
by taking position on newspaper.
Mr. Hooper despised all newspapers as
a result Of having been abused by one
OF them in the cO@rse OF n political
campaign IN 1868. Ellis had met
Gertrude in summer vacations, -
had. He was still in his youth and
with sunny view Of life. 1t was bet
ter that he should win her. | had nev-
er striyen against him nor said one
word In my own cause. | had no ex-
alted notions of self abnegation.
thought that this would be like other
sorrows, but somehow it isn't.
They made great friend of M, and
when it came to their childish foily OF
a secret marriage | was their sole con
fidunt. | tried 10 Gis.uad' them. self
iShly. generously. | don't know which
Perhaps the lnrt lHG ul LOSr storms Oh
different cons dcrationS in my brain
may have Lud ~ufa.tt.u= -o G1 With tie
condition Of il. 1t amy rd.r il IL hurt
me IL benefited nu ON else. They were
married as guarantee to Ell that
old Christopher Hoop RS opposition
should not wrccn hs hcpes. ! tr cere
mOuy occurred in New York. where
Gertrude spends Lrr winters with al
aunt who Is so dul! of wit that | think
the wedding might have taken place in
her own par3or and she have been none
the wiser / was the only accomplice.
1t Was some months later that ! had
my l,tter from Mr. Hooper. As | sal
down To answer ii ! said TO myself: 81
must be- careful | don't know what
Im about"
1 had done my best with 1t. and my