The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-07-13

IncTe out continuation OF lne CunkeT
that scared the outside.
What romantic fellow Caldwell
must have been! quite an old time
Ellzabethan lover who feared his fate
too much.
Why had Elise kept the bronze all
this timer She had an artistic eye and
admired its colorlng.
Besides had she not been wise In
having no desire to revive old memo
rlcs In Caldwell by sending the thing
back to him.
There was one other thing she could
have given back to Caldwell.
Hartley felt In his pocket and took
out n paper folded and rcfolded till It
was but m inch square. He fitted it
In the compartment in the base of the
bronze. 1t wedged In like n part Of the
metal. He had found 1t In a lOckct
they took from his wife's neck when
she was dead, n simple piece Of jew.
elry her father had given her ns II child
and which she always wore in rcmem
brance Of him, for she had loved him.
IIo had opened 1t and found the paper
pressed over the portrait OF her father
He took the paper from the bronze
Jar. Ought 1t to have been buried with
her. as was done with the locket2 No:
she had been his wife. and this was
love letter from another man.
Rather had she been cruel or kind to
Caldwell or himself In showing the
letter that time to her afTlanccd huB.
band. though could she have done 9th
erwise when that accepted husband
CHANGED upon her with tho letter not
yet hidden from him2 And was he do.
ing II loyal or kind thing TO her In read
ing II second time? There were hard
lines about his mouth as his eyes scan.
ned the hastily scrawled words: II am
poor, but you. too, are poor. Why must
wealth be such n power and love DO
80 dcfcnseless? ! love you as no man
ever loved before. will work for you,
slave for you
IIc folded It again. Why had Elise
kept it2 And what n crazy idiot Cald.
well must he 10 take n lifting ns he
had done. md scarcely jilting either,
Che would swear to that, for he knew
Ellse's honor, only accepting another
man who spoke first. And Caldwell
had gone down. What n wreck the
man was. avoided by one time init.
mates, dcbnslnR his talents, WELDON.
ing the mahdest excitement at no mat
ter what cost to fame and consclenCel
And yet one friend remained to him,
old Senator Nicholson. the friend Of
tho president, the early Chum Of his
father. Old Nicholson held out, offer
ing his hand when others stood alOof
Only two days GGo the papers an
nounCeh the gaining of consulship
by Nicholson for Caldwell, which might
yet save him and rc.establish him In
the good opinion Of the world. And
Caldwell had boasted at the club that
he ignored The appointment Could
love do 40 much to dcbase man?
Caldwell had been loved by Elise
The mnn had been weak enough to let
himself sink because he thought his
feeling had not been reclprocatcd by
her.
But am ! strong enough TO let an
other man know how little ! was
priced? And yet
If Caldwell were set on his feet again
and accepted the consulship!
But Elise does not mention his name
In the letter OF instructions. Did not
her feeling for him wear away when
she discovered how weak he was2 Still
she kept his letter, and 1t Is the prov
ince OF woman to elevate what she
loves What she loves!'
Suddenly he wheeled townrd the gold
inlaid desk and let down the lid. He
could not write the letter ut Elise's
desk.
He took the bronze jar and left the
rosy room, locking the door behind him,
and passed on TO the library. There he
threw the curtains wide, letting In the
sunshine. and, seating himself In his
accustomed chair. wrote and addressed
few lines to Caldwell.
Caldwell was at the club when the
note was handed to him. He was at
his worst