Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-03-25
A Serious
stake
By E. NEWTON BUNc6Y

~ murmured, hardly believing my
ears.
More than my life" she replied. pas
sionately.
AS in a dream l Sazed into the beau
tiful eyes of Joan Ainslie, while held
her tightly in my arms.
We stood in the old garden which sur
rounded the home of my love in the little
town of Errington. Joan was an or
phan, and, with the exception of an old
servant. she lived alone. 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 party almost
directly after | went to live at ErrinG-
ton. and at once | 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 fairies, in
my ear.
ALLAN, have little confession to
make to you" said Joan during the even
ing. She nestled closer to me and hid
her face against my shoulder as shs
spoke
How terrible," cried. with laugh
Say on. and will consider the case"
'You-you are not the first man
whom / promised to-" She paused.
aud Aer hands cs1Jcned nervously at
each other
"Ha! Then there is another?" I
cried, in affected dramatic style.
Joan seemed glad that was only
nd toll 4 hot two
ago, when she was only Is years of age.
she had agreed to marry a visitor from
Philadelphia. His name was Jack Car
stairs. and he left Errington. promising
to write to her. This he did, but eventu-
ally went TO South America since when
Joan had not heard anything from him.
"And what was my rival like?" Ques-
toned.
"Oh, not your rival. dear" she muir
INJURED. IL did not really love him; IL
was but girlish infatuation. which /
got over almost directly after Mr.. Car
stairs left Errington"
But what was he like?" repeated.
We'll. not quite so tall as you, nor so
good-looking, and he had thick beard.
Ugh! I'm glad you haven't a beard AL
Ian" Joan stopped and blushed vio-
lently, and after little while she made
me understand why she preferred clean
shaver faces.
Time went on, and Joan and lived
In the little earthly paradise we had con-
structed until, as in olden time. the ser
pent entered
Although had laughed away the story
ai Uat 4 ri
of an absurd. jealous feeling that chung
to me. By degrees l 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 / climbed
into Joan's garden over the fence, in my
usual manner, for it saved going roun.l
to the gate Suddenly caught sight of
figure striding up the path. In my as
constituent paused, and there came n
wild, jealous tug at my heartstrings.
1t was Jack Carstairs!
There he was, just as Joan had de-
scribed him. Slightly shorter than /
was, wearing beard. and bronzed, pre-
Sumably by the warm sun of South
America.
The door was open, and, without
knocking, he deliberately entered. From
where l stood l could see Joan through
the open window. I saw her spring to
her feet as her visitor entered, for mo-
me: they gazed at each other uncer-
tainly.
"Jack!"
"Joani"
l heard their voices distinctly, and
then-then they were clasped in each
others arms.
For moment all became dark around
me, while a great pain seemed to tear
my heart asurder. Again looked, and
he was kissing her. Then, with a smoth-
cred groan | burst from the garden and
rushed madly away. whittier knew not
nor cared.
When I returned to my senses, dark
ness had settled down over the land.
was striding rapidly along the high road
A little way ahead of me through the
trees could see the light in Joan's house
and toward this point | hurried, a duI
rage burning in me. and a red glare
seeming to burn before my eyes.
/ entered the garden and then
caught sight of Joan standing alone OIL
the lawn. The rage within me burst
forth into relentless fury, and, hasten
ing up to her seized her harshly by the
arm.
$50 your lover has gomez" almost