The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1905-06-09

of Tallahassee. had never married
and he was at the time about sixty
years of age.
=" why not lay seige to the lady's
heart yourself, Colonei?' said jok-
ingly, you are handsome and dis
tinguished man YOURSELF but he
shook his head saying. No, my lat,
my love is waiting for me in that land
where partings are unknown. Win
the widow for yourself, if you cam
"With that suggestion the devil
entered my heart. had never felt
the CALLING yoke of poverty as l did
at that moment. My salary was
barely enough for the modest wants
of my wife and child. What was I
to hope for, encountered as l was
with poverty and helpless family.
What was before me but life of slave
ry, and what grand triumphs might
not achieve, socially and politically,
had l wealth at my command? 1
asked myself these questions1as l
tossed on my restless pillow that
night, wrestling weakly with the
mighty temptation which assailed
and finally overpowered me.
''The next day 1 met the young
widow again, and every day for days
afterwards. Camilla, do you not
curse me for the base cowardly
wretch I was? I tried to win Mrs.
Shaw's love, and she thinking, of
course, that was an unmarried man,
favored me in the most fattering
terms. When I was convinced that
1 could win her consent to become
my wife, announced that business
called me away, but before bidding
Mrs. Shaw farewell I won a confess
sion of her love for me, and gained
her consent to correspond
with me. 1 went to an out of
! the way town in Indiana, and wrote
my employers from there, stating
that circumstances forced me to
| sever my connections with the firm.
had entrusted me over to them in
good shape, and then wrote long
! letter to your mother, told her that
a splendid opportunity was presented
me if I were not encumbered by a
family, and now 1 was able to see
! what blind idiot 1 had been to mar
ry her and condemn her to life of
poverty and dI udgery.
- cannot endure it longer;
to endeavor to do Sd would
drive me mad, so 1 have resolved
to free myself from poverty's
grasp before it is too late, and
for your sake, Ruth, more than
my own,' falsely added, Il shall get
a divorce from you. When L have
gained this wealth which lies nearly
within my grasp, L shall place you
and your child in such comfortable
circumstances that you will bless the
day that freed you from a husband,
who. at best, could hardly keep you
from starvation
Il enclosed in this letter check
for two hundred dollars, being with
L
possessed in the world. Within a
weeks time l received letter from
my wife in answer to the one | had
written her. The check was returned
to me. She did not upbraid me fol-
my unfaIthfulness in a manner that
:. one would have supposed she would
have done.
Il am too much overwhelmed
with shame to know that l am the
mother of a child whose father is
capable of such heartless wickedness
to say more than this, she wrote. &c
your way, enjoy the wealth which
, Judas-ike, you have obtained, rest
assured that your day of reckoning
will come, and that the Father of the
fatherless, and the widows God. in
; whom l put my trust, will avenge
the wrong which you have perpetrat-
ed against me. Your innocent child,
God help her! shall never hear the
| name. if l can prevent it, of hel
father, who for gold and its allure
: ments, turned traitor to his family
the helpless loved ones who trusted
him. L have no idea what plea
you will base your divorce suit
upon. 1t may be that you in
: tend to blast my fair name as
: we'll as to break my heart. 1t mat
: tiers not. The worst misfortune that
! could happen came to me on the
day l became your wife,
This was the substance of the reply