Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-03-15

Used was equivalent almost to not mar
rying at all. Eight or nine years at
least must pass before Cynthia would
love, and she might never love at all.
Had l not met Irving Peck l would
have promised my aunt all she asked
without hesitation. l had only known
him a little while, but 1t was long
enough to tell me that l had met my
fate. The truest love, to my thinking,
Is that which comes upon both the
man and the woman from the moment
they meet. Irving Peck and | each
recognized in the other a mate, and
a month after my foster mothers
death he asked me to be his wife
When l told him of my promise he did
not ask me to break it; indeed, he told
me that if | did he would not respect
me- He said that he would marry no
other woman, and If Cynthia stood al
ways in our way he would never mar
ry. We did not think it best that we
should remain near each other and
Irving went away.
| neither saw nor heard from him
till Cynthia was seventeen; then he
wrote me that since she was Of q mar
riageahle age we might meet again. l
replied that Cynthia promised to be a
coquette. and there would be little hope
of her choosing a husband. l contin-
ued after this to hear from him occa-
sionally. At nineteen Cynthia had
fiirted with every young man in the
village, and, like Alexander. there
were no more conquests for her to
make At this time a friend in CaId-
well invited her to n visit, and Cynthia
gladly accepted the invitation | wrote
Irving while she was away that he
might come to see me. The truth Is.
CYNTHIA was so full of witchery and
withal was so much younger than |
that | feared to have him come while
she was at home. l was disappointed
to learn from him that a special project
would prevent his coming till about
the time Cynthia would return.
When Cynthia was fifteen she had
discovered the secret of my promise.
We slept together, and | talked in nv
sleep. l had never told her. fearing
that she might feel constrained to
marry on my account. But | did not
know her. Realizing that l looked to
each of her love affairs to release me,
she seemed to take q malicious pleas
ure in tantaliZing me. l wrote Irving
of this. and should not have done So
for It made him furious.
One morning received a letter from
Cynthia, and, to my great delight. II
told me that she had met man whom
she fancied she could love. She had
not thought to give me his name. but
this was of little consequence to me
for | would not know him. Her next
letter, written two weeks later, an
nounced her engagement which meant
that at last l was free. Before finish
ing reading her letter l threw it dowr
and took up my pen to write Irving
announcing the good news; but, turn
ing to the letter again for the name o.
Cynthia's fiance, the room swan, anC
/ fell In n swoon. The name was Ir
wing Peck.
What strange coincidence haC
brought these two together? Did Gym
thia know that her lover had been my
lover? Did Irving know that Cynthls
was the girl who had stood between
US? Cynthia could not know the trutl
unless he told her. Irving might an(
might not know her. He had not seer
her before since she was a little girl
ssut he must surely know her by name
Another week passed, and nothin.
from Irving. Then one morning a car
riage drove up to the door, and maj
alighted. He came to the door witt
a quick step, pulled the bell and with
out waiting for it to be answered
strobe into the house. On seeing M
he stepped forward to take me in hi
arms. l drew back
1--WE are Free" he said. Cynthia /
engaged
what is our freedom worth sine
you are engaged as well?"
-Your promise was TO remain singl