The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-01-04
LITTLE DID CLINTON COLORME
KNOW WHAT DESTINY
HAD IN STORE,

If anyone had accused Clinton
Colorme of being in love with the
little woman he took pleasure in
walking with on the sands he would
have been very indignant He was
sorry for the poor invalid, and felt
he was doing an act of genuine
philanthropy in trying to cheer her
up.
Den evening late, as he was
smoking in his hammock, he saw
the young sister of the subject of
his thoughts approaching him.
MY sister babe me give you
this she said, placing in his hand
miniature of an old man whom
he remembered having been with
when he died in India. "She want
ed me to ask you if you couldn't
come over to the cottage tonight.
She's very badly, I'm afraid" add
ed the girl sadly.
| Clinton Colorme followed her.
/ Without any preliminaries the in
valid said:
MY uncle dies in Simla in your
arms, Mr.. Colorme, and left in your
hands a will which you duly for
warded to this country to it's prop
er executors. My uncle was a man
OF great eccentricity, and that will,
while it put me in possession of
this entire property, contained a
condition that will cause this prop
erty to revert to you in the event
of my dying unmarried and with
out natural heirs. In case of my
marriage and the failure of natur-
al heirs, the will permits me to
make testamentary disposition of
the lands, moneys and estate with
this singular stipulation, that |
have in the meantime become your
wife. Loving me, he would have
wished me to become the wife of
an honorable, true hearted man
only, and, believing you to be all
this, l have sent for you tonight
to ask of you the greatest favor,
it seems to me, that woman could
ask of man.
I'm all the world | have no rela-
tive or friend, save only my sister,
Blanche. | took her a wee, help
less babe, from our dying widowed
mothers arm, and gave that moth.
er my solemn promise to make the
child my sacred care while life
lasted.
"Only in one way can my last
hours on earth be smoother of the
intolerable dread for her future
which now Expresses them, and so
haxe courage to throw myself up
on your mercy-to ask you to make
me this night your wife, thus Civ
ing me the power to provide by
Will for my sisters future, and
then to go far away from here un,
til life shall have ended tor me,
and you are freed from the shadow
of bond that will have existed
only in name. 1t will be for such
a little time"
He wonders vaguely at himself
being so much moved, but with a
strong effort gathers his faculties
and says slowly, but with great
earnestness: 81 will do all you
ask, 1t will not be for long, but
please God, this good action shall
bear its fruits of righteousness for
you"
1t was strange betrothal; but
marriage there was, and as Clinton
Colorme went out at last alone
through the dewy, fragrant garden
path, woman's kiss burned upon
his lips, and a faint, passionate
whisper thrilled upon the night air
the strangest of whispers to
some throbbing up from this mans
heart, and yet 1t came softly, rev
erently and humbly tender, "My
wife,"
Five years passed and Clinton
Colorme was still a wandered over
the face Of the earth.
Once only in all this time he had
heard from the woman whose lips
, he had once kissed in solemn ac
acknowledgement of a VOW the letter
of which alone had been asked OF
him, leaving the spirit all unpledg
ed, and that once the Paris physi