The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-08-23

Il tried to spare you pain by keep
ing silence. She won't see you--oI
that I'm certain; so this is supposed
to come from friend of hers, asking
her to be at the main park gate by
9 o'clock. on life and death mat.
ter. It's quiet there-the gates
close at dusk. Say nothing as to
how you found out. and don't go
near the house itself Simply wait
and call here tomorrow to tell me-
Old chap. 1t would be cruel to wish
you luck!"
Some word rose in Dams throat
but 1t was not sound. He pressed
the others hands and went out. AL
most unconsciously he dispatched the
telegram.
Nine o'clock A thin powder of
snow was falling. Past 81 He stood
on there in the grip of the cold
lethargy because there seemed no.
where to go-nothing more to live
for. And then, Lottie! over there,
about to cross the white roadway,
came the dear slight figure that had
moved through his many dreams. He
wanted to leap forward, to shout
her name; he could only stand
rigid.
She had paused, looking around.
Only the curb railing was between
them. Then she had seen him, and
given the thrilling little cry for
which he waited. She realized! To
her he was ghost from q dead
past. He could just make out the
deathly whiteness of her face in the
surrounding gloom. She had quiv-
cred back; she was going without a
workout of his life for ever!
''Lottie! Lottie, dear hear me!
One word--if you ever loved mel"
mot one-no, not one!" She
faltered it family, but with deter
mination that went to his heart.
Don't come near mel am not
worth it, 1t was not-not like you
to stoop to such a trick with veal,
woman!"
"Hush! I won't move; l am not
going to frighten you, dearl Only
let me. speak quietly; only tell me
what it all means!" He stood mo-
tionless on his side of the iron rail-
ing. She had changed-yes There
was something in her attitude to-
night, in her chilling resolution, that
he had never known in the old days.
His Lottie!-yet not the Lottie who
] had clung to him and bade him be
strong and brave for her sake.
1 lr,N .r,lo I Il
you would forgive me this" he said,
imploringly quiet. 'It's all a mist i;
/ know nothing except that l have
done nothing to forfeit your love.
had your cruel letter and would not
believe it; came back home to tell
| you so. You never meant those
words. Lottie. you can't-you won t
say that you have given to some
other man what you gave to me-all
that l held precious In life. / worked
| for you out there; l waited, for
your futures sake l never will be-
lieve that you turned from me of
your own accord, knowing that /
prayed for yos on my knees every
night-that l.
1t quavered off His effort had
| been made. He caught at the rail
and put hand to his eyes. She was
looking down as If in deepest shame,
but without visible tremor.
''It is too late," she said in the
same faint, cold way. Il did not
realize you would take it so to heart.
There is no need to make a scene
here; l am known, and-and /
ought not to have been trapped by a
| trick like this. No, | can't tell you
any more than I wrote. / don't ask
you to forgive me, but Just to forget
me. If you persist now, IL must
| go still farther away and give up my
work here. But If you're the man l
think, you'll go back and find some
better woman who will repay you
| for all. | dare not stop; | must say
good-by."
"Good-by." The mans lips echoed
| it in a far-away whisper. His star
ing eyes saw nothing now. The lump
in his throat could not be gulped
back this time. Only once his hand
wavered out. as If in hopes of touch
| ing hers, but the dear figure in gray
had gone.
Ten o'clock, A cropping, haggard
| figure, he found himself back at the
house where Archie Ferrars lived. In
| that front room the gaslight still
| burned, but no one was there. He
moved to and fro with simply the
dull idea that he had come to say
"good-by" before he turned back to
that lone life in the bush All un-
consciously it was that he took up
newspaper lying there; vaguely
his strained eyes focused blue-pen-
ell mark around one paragraph. He
read and reread as a child might
| have done:
| Successful male impersonators are
| legion; but 1t Is rare. indeed, that we
| find the man who can don woman's
,garb, and don with it the graceful
charm and femlninity essentially ex-
elusive to the tender sex. Mr.
| Archie" Ferrars has evidently made
a careful study and mastered the
subtleties of a difficult role. Not a
few among his aDpreciative audience
at the Ambigu last night were left
skeptical as to the artists real SEX
Incidentally, we understand that any
such doubts are dispelled by the fact
that Mr.. Ferrars is shortly to be
married to charming lady who