The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-15
THE EVENING STOR Y
Mrs. JeIine.

oSTl FTeSLOn ana E1OT6nCe 1O1I met 4
when he was twenty-three and she
was eighteen. Had not Bert gone
west to seek his fortune they would
undoubtedly have made match. As
| it was. neither knew of the predisposi-
ton of the other. In time Bert fell
under the influence of a widow, Mrs.
Jeliffe. considerably older than he, and
married her. Marriage is said to be a
| lottery, but it is rather matter of
common sense. There was certainly no
| common sense in the Preston-Jeliffe
union. Mrs. Jeliffe was a shrew, and
there was no knowledge to be derived
from any one as to the taking off of
| her first husband; not that any sus-
| there was a mystery concerning his
death. She led Preston a miserable
/ life for few years. then to his great
| reilef suddenly disappeared.
II was five years after Preston went
west and two years after his marriage
| that he made a visit to his old home in
the east. Florence Holt had heard of
his matrimonial venture and, since
there had always been a place for him
in her own heart, felt a deep SYM
pathy for him. She had not married
and there. seemed to be one whom
she wished to marry. Then when it
was too late she and Preston learned
that they should have been plighted to
each other before he went west. He
and Florence would have been happy
| together.
When Preston went back west he car
ried with him the assurance that if at
any time he learned of his wife's death
| Florence would marry him. They cor
| responded daily and, with the exception
| of being together, were as happy as
possible. Then a paper came to Preston
| from a southern city with a marked
death notiee-that of Mrs Anthony
ton on the train bound east. He wrote
| the newspaper containing the notice for
| information, but could get none. After
| a long period of inquiry as to the late
| Mrs. Preston-Jeliffe and failure to
learn why the notice had not read Pres
ton instead of Jeliffe, Bert and Florence
concluded to consider the woman dead
and marry. When this time Preston re-
turned to his western home he took with
him the woman he should have taken
in the first place. They made each other
very happy, and several children sprang
up about them. Their neighborS all said
that if marriage is failure there was
one exception to the rule-the case OF
the Preston family.
One evening when Preston was sitting
on the front porch, with his children
climbing over him, Mrs. Preston sitting
by sewing, there was a click at the
gate. Mrs. Preston looked up to see a
strange woman coming in, while Preston
| was paralyzed with the sight of the
late Mrs. Jelfffe-P Preston.
! "Bertie," said the intruder, i've come
back. Aren't you glad to see me?''
When Florence glanced at her hus-
band. or. rather, the man she had sup
posed was her husband, she knew by
the despair on his face that the dead
wife had come to life. Mrs. Jeliffe. as
she must be called to distinguish her,
came up to the porch, took a seat and
famed herself.
Bert said Florence, there is moth
ing for us to do, for the children's sake
if not our own. but to stand by each
other" Then, turning to the intruder.
she continued: This man may be your
husband in the sight of an imperfect
/ law, but he is mine in the sight OF a
/ perfect God. Co"
There was something so impressive
in the speaking of the words that Mrs
JeIiffe was for the moment vanquished.
She arose and departed, but before go
ing out the gate she turned and fired
one shot. "N ell see about that"
| Mrs. Jeliffe settled herself down in
the town, intending to get rid of her
rival, not by legal process, but by per-
secution. She would have failed to
make any great impression had 1T not
been for the man. Florence overawed
her by a superiority in every respect
1t was the terrible effect the intruder
4 had upon Preston that destroyed the
family happiness. The woman had
only to remain in the place where the
of Preston. Such situations at times
induce murder, and Florence watched
Preston night and day that under the
terrible temptation he should not make
the matter a thousand times worse by
crime, but the strain was too greas
even for woman of superior strength,
and Florence at last broke down.
One morning while at breakfast
J Preston took up his newspaper, and
, his eye lit on the following:
Matilda Jeliffe was last night ar
. rested, at the instigation of her hus-
band Anthony Jeliffe, on charge OF
bigamy. It is charged that Mrs
Jeliffe deserted her husband and mar
ried Mr.. Adelbert Preston of this city.
Her husband (Jeliffe) by threat of ex-
posture induced her to return to him,
and in order to conceal herself she
| sent a printed notice of her death to
| Mr. Preston. Recently the Jeliffe
couple agreed that Mrs. Jeliffe should
f return to Mr.. Preston, presumably to
| lew bIackmail If any was obtained,
JeIiffe got none of it; hence the split
between the Jeliffes. When rogues
5 fall out honest men get their dues.
Florence who was pouring out cor
t fee. was astonished to see her hus-
, band jump up from his chair and,
darting around to where she sat,
throw his arms about her Then ne
J EN- braced each of the children. AT
last she thought, This mind has
given way under this terrible strain.
, Rut preston, taking up the paper, read
the announcement showing that the
mother of his children was his only,
MS 4eS' MARION MAY HOLT.
1rurD uErv ErvTvONa