The Opelousas courier., 1905-04-01
ASeriOuS Mistake
BY T. Newton Bungey.



"And you really love me, Joan?'
I murmured, hardly believing me
ears.
More than my life,' she replied
passionately.
AS in a dream l gazed into the
beautiful eyes of Joan Ainslie, while
heid her tightly in my arms.
We stood in the old garden which
surrounded the home of my love in
the little town of Errington. Joan
was an orphan, and, with the excep
ton Of an old servant, she lived a'one.
She sometimes spoke of her brother,
Jack Ainslie, who had long ago gone
to Oregon, and had never since been
heard of, but otherwise she had no
living relative.
met Joan at a garden partly al.
most directly after l went to live at
Errington, and at once I fell in love
with her. Now, six months afterward,
had asked her to marry me, and
her reply was still sounding, like the
music of the fairies, in my ear.
Allan, have a little confession to
make to you," said Joan, during the
evening. She nestled closer % me
and hid her face against my shoulder
as she spoke.
How terrible!" I cried, with a
laugh. Say on, and I will consider
the case"
"you--ycu are not the first man
Wnom | promised to-" she paus-
ed, and her hands ciutched nervously
at each other.
"Ha! Then there is another2" I
cried, in affected dramatic style.
Joan seemed glad that / was only
amused, and then told me that two
years ago, when she, was only eigh.
teen years of age, she had agreed to
marry a visitor from PHILADELPHIA.
His name was Jack Carstairs, and he
left Errington, promising to write to
her. This he did, but eventually went
to South America, since when Joan
had not heard anything from him.
And what was my rival iike?" I
questioned.
on, not your rival. DEAR" muir
INJURED. Il did not really love him; it
was but a girlish i%nfatuation, which
| got over almost directly after Mr..
Carstairs left Errington.'
But what was he like?. / repeated.
We'll not quite so tall as you. nor
SO good-looking, and he had a thick
beard. Ugh! I'm glad you haven't a
beard, Allan" Joan stopped and
biushed violently, and after a little
while she made me understand wby
she preferred clean-shaven faces.
Time went on, and Joan and / lived
i n the little earthly paradise that we
had constructed, until, as in olden
time, the serpent entered.
Although | had laughed away the
story of Jack Carstairs, yet I could
not get rid of an absurd, jea i, feel
ing that chung to me. BY d.s,rees /
began to hate this man whom / had
never met, and whom / thought /
never should.
1t was one evening about nine
months after our engagement, that j
climbed into Joan's garden, over the
fence, in my usual manner, for it.
saved going round to the gate. Sud
denly | caught sight of a figure strid-
ing up the path. In establishment
paused, and there came a wild, jeal-
Gus tug at my heartstrings.
1t was Jack Carstairsi :
There he was, just as Joan had de-
scribed him. Slightly shorter than /
was. wearing a beard, and bronzed,
presumably by the warm sun of South
America.
The door was open, and. without
knocking, he deliberately entered.
From where / stood I could see Joan
through the open window. / saw her
spring to her feet as her visitor en-
tered, for a moment they gazed at
each other uncertainty.
jack"
"Joani'
I heard their voices distinctly, ana
shen-then they were clasped in each
arms.
For a moment all became aari,
around me, while a great pain seemed
to tear my heart asunder. Again I
looked, and he was kissing her.
Then, with a smothered groan,
burst from the garden and rushed
lnadly away, whittier / knew not, nor
When I returned to my senses, dark
ness had settled down over the land.
. little way ahead of me through the
trees ! could see the light in Joan's
house, and toward this point / hur
a dull rage burning in me, and
red glare seeming to burn before
my eyes.
entered the garden, and then I
caught sight Of Joan standing alone
on the lawn. The rage within me
burst forth into a relentless fury, and,
hsatening up to her / seized her
1arshly by the arm.
SO your lover has gomez | almost
shouted.
She gazed at me in terror, and tried
D shrink away from me, but held