Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-16

everything clearly and quietly now
and you can think out the way as you com
along. will tell you my story from the begin
ming, story I never thought to tell human soul
and you will save Elsie's life. | know YOU will
have been told So just now, ON my knees.
am Mrs. Bolton Nv name before 7 wo
married was Glandyne: Esther Glandvne NJ,
mother, fortunately for her died when 7 vo
baby, and | spent my early life an only child
with my father on the borders of Soutbamptor
water near Hythe. When | was about ffteor
my father died, too, and I went to live with
some neighbors and friends of ours. Lord and
Lady Home at Holmworth Park, near bv E1
sic Holme, their only daughter, had been nv
dearest friend as child she was NV bosom
companion then, she has been an angel to me
ever since There is not woman Aike her in
the world
Lord and Lady Holme cared little for society
or entertaining, and we girls were allowed to
i've .ne me winch pleased us best, riding about
.he lorest, exploring the country reading arm
in-arm through the Park chatting of a tbou.
sanu grhsh things All what happy innocent
days those were, how we both look back unon
tnat happy time with love and gratitude to the
KIND people who gave it to us.
When we were about eighteen an event ~.
Cured which was destined to alter all orr lives
Near us a large house which had been for
many years unoccupied, and about the grounds
OF which Elsie and I used to wander freely Ono
day we heard that this house had been sold and
That the pure laser was coming to occunv II
he was reputed to he a young handsome and
very wealthy man. His name was Bolton.
The idea of this new arrival, and speculat;on
as to his appearance and character, took large
place in our minds from that day. OF course
glrl-ilke, we decided that he would fall in 1--we
with one of us; and quarreled gaylv as 70
which should be the favored one. / wonder INV
tongue didn't blister with the innocent. careless
words i spoke at that time; wish 7 had dron
ped down dead at Elsie's feet when first I heard
that news which caused us SO much excitement
Mr.. Bolton arrived and we met him frequent
ly. We could not help doing so, for he was AL
most the only young man in the neghborhood
we took to him at first sight What girls.
brought up as we had BEEN and of our age
would not have liked him? He was young, hand
some, gay and enormously wealthy He had
been everywhere. seen everything; g. possessed
yachts, horses and dogs which were superior to
any we had ever SEEM; did everything well; and
with it all had charming, frank, simple manner
which irresistible
Lord and Lady Holme, knowing nothing Of
him, liked and admired him: Elsie almost wor-
shipped; / loved him at first sight Within
month we were engaged; in three we were
married and I had eaid goodbye for ever to
my happy grlhood.
have no one but myself to blame that when
] married this man his character was sealed
book to me. | what was on the surface and
l loved that. I never looked beneath; heaven
knows, infatuated as l was, if should not have
married him even if l had There was no one
to tell me what the step which I was tax
ing; Elsie, without loving him, was almost as
infatuated | myself. Lord and Lady Holme
dear simple folk, living out of the world, made
the usual necessary inquiries and found them
absolutely satisfactory. How could they do 9th
erwise; who speaks i'll of young, handsome and
good-natured man who has an income of ten thou
sand yearl They gave me the handsomest pres
ents and their blessing, cried a little over me,
and considered me, like the rest of our little
world, the lucEiest of girls.
Yet the man I had married was drunkard
even then, was dissipated as, i hope and think,
few gentlemen are in these days. and was as
false and selfish under that frank exterior as he
was on the surface gay, handsome and charming.
Do / wrong him? Am ] too harsh after oil
these years, now that know the world? l want
TO make YOU think the best of me, of Elsie's
don't think am.
The blow did not fall, the crash did not come
suddenly. For months I happy. / adored
him, and he loved me in those days. For long
time even to my girsh and romantic eyes, he
was all that 1 could wish.
will spare you the story of my establishment.
II was gradual, it was horrible, 1t wrecked my
life before I was twenty.
/ discovered first that he drank. That is a
fault women will forgive in the man they love;
look round you, you will Sc it every day. for
gave him and tried to cure him. If ever could
have done so it was then too late. The vice, un-
checked for years save by his few months love
for me, had grown till it was part of him and far
stronger than my poor love. Then Elsie was
born, and he tired of me, and firing added in
fidelity to the other griefs l had to bear.
woman doesn't forgive that, but she bears it
sometimes. | bore it. l tried to make excuses
for him. He loved society, and the set he had
always lived in was the fastest of its time.
One day he put the browning insult upon met
he invited one of his mistresses to stay in my
house, AT time, too, when Elsie Holme was with
me- 10 was Lady --, a well-known person
IN his set, one of those women who spend three
thousand year on dress while their husbands
have not Ns many hundreds i was rude 10 her
and she left, Furious and under the influence
Of drink, he insuted Elsie in my presence Heart
broken for my sake, yet frightened, she cut her
Visit short, and | knew that she had crossed
my thrcehold for the last time.
After that he broke down all restrant-let me
hasten 10 the end. He had one innocent pleas
ure, 4 was photography On one occasion, when
he was more drunk and brutal to me than usual
lost control Of myself and bursting into tears
,eishrd that was dead and at rest for ever
with a sneerns geatute he pointed to one of the
d. ~ a