The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1906-07-28


self-effacing devotion pertaining to
women. He looked into hers with the
expression Of the hunted stag.
There was that in his face. however,
which relieved it from the suggestion
of fear and painted into his personal
fly the mark of the hero.
She saw it and underStood-under-
stood not at all what his trouble and
his fear was, but understood that il
was the desperation of a brave man;
and nel heart of hearts yearned to help
him and comfort him.
She was no longer girl, yet re-
tanned tho ineffable charm of sweet
16." Her attitude toward the man was
unmisLdkable. She was his sweet
heart, his very own-patient, passion
ate, loving and self-abnegating.
He was a handsome fellow-or would
hav been had it not been for the lines
OF care and suffering il his frail face.
There were great lines in the face and
the head was marvellous in its shape
and proportions, and the wide, strai ght
mouth and the steady eyes told OF in
domitable purpose to conquer physical
weakness.
They had been lovers for so long
that they had forgotten the measure of
the years. Since early childhood they
had been playmates and chums, but
since one memorable day-ah! the wo-
man remembered the very day and
date, after all--they had been accepted
lovers the one to the other. 1t was
very, very long ago, Is, l6, 17-perhaSs
as much as 20 years back in the past.
1t was all SO full of promise and
happiness then. He was young, bril-
liant, rich, with every prospect ahead
of him, when he asked her for Der
promise, obtained it, and went brave
ly away to college to fit himself for a
great career. And in all the land
lived no such happy girl. She mad
found her own true knight and he had
broken his lance at her very feet All
she mad to do was to wait and dream.
What more could fair maid desire?
And So meath sunny skies, with no
cloud on the horizon, the two fond
hearts waited the fruition of their
hopes, impatient only at the length OF
the days and nights which interyened
between them and bliss.
Then came the crash, and in single
momen; Clarence learned he waS the
orphan of a bankrupt and suicide
and his loved and respected father
would have been convict had be not
forestalled it all by taking his own
life.
1t was a terrible blow, but Clarence
never wavered. He left college, within
the hour, never to return, and travely
took up the burden left by his father.
1t was an awful task for an ineXperi-
enced'y youth, without business tanning,
who had always been taught that,
come what might, the fortuneIof the
family was safe and that his ambitions
were to find an outlet in other ways
than money-getti1g. Besides, he
loathed business with the true abhor-
renee OF the born aristocrat
But he never tinched. He Mastered
the situation and started in - work
out Tic problem. After the remnants
cred together and paid to his creditors,
despite the protests of his mother and
sisters, Clarence obtained employment
with d business concern and pushed
along doing work at which his very
soul abhorred. He supported his mo-
Their and the family, educated his
younger brother and, above and beyond
it all, paid in year by year what he
could save to reduce his fathers debts
But the years We're long and dreary
and the great cloud of the debts hid
the sunlight beyond. Only one ray Of
light aid he have-eXcepting Alice, of
Course-and that was that certain ar
ticleS he wrote were accepted from
time to time by magazines of the bet
ter class. Upon these articles and
their acceptance Clarence and Alice
built their fondest hopes. For Alice
never Wavered in her love and accept
ed the years of waiting as her very
heritage.
The strain on the man was fearful,
and he felt things giving way within
him. One day he consulted a physi
clan and emerged from his Office with
an expression on his face which COM
bined resolution with fear. After this
he ever looked haunted but always
Tesolute.
The debts had been paid, the boy ed
ucated, the girls married and the no.
Their dead, Then came an offer from a
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