Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1906-10-10

az mummy NAMES.

which relieved 1t from the suggestion
Of fear and painted into his personal
dty the mark of the hero.
She saw it and understood-lindeT
stood not at all what his trouble an
his fear was, but understood that
was the desperation of a brave man
and neI heart Of hearts yearned to he'll
him ana comfort him.
She was no longer girl, yet re
tanned the ineffable charm of "swee
16" Her attitude toward the man wa
unmisldkable. She was his sweet
heart, his very own-patient, passion
ate, loving and self-abnegating.
He was a handsome fellow-or would
hay been had it not been for the linei
of care and suffering in his frail face
There were great lines in the face ant
the head was marvellous in its shape
and proportions, and the wide, straight
mouth and the steady eyes told Of in
domttable 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, bun
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, 16, 17-perhaps
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 her
promise, obtained it, and went brave
~ away to college to fit himself for a
great career. And in all the land
lived 10 such happy girl. She had
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 interviewed
between them and bliss.
Then came the crash, and in a single
moment Clarence learned he was the
orphan of bankrupt and suicide
and his loved and respected father
would have been a convict had he not
forestalled it all by taking his own
life.
1t was terrible blow, but Clarence
never wavered. He left college within
the hour, never to return, and bravely
took up the burden left by his father.
1t was an awful task for an inexperi.
enced youth, without business training,
who had always been taught that,
come what might, the fortune of the
family was safe and that his ambitions
were to find an outlet in other ways
than money-getting. Besides, he
loathed business with the true abhor-
renee OF the born aristocrat.
But he never flinched. He mastered
the situation and started in to work
out the problem. After the remnants
of his fathers fortune had been gath.
cred together and paid to his creditors,
despite the protests of his mother and
sisters, Clarence obtained employment
with a business concern and pushed
along doing work at which his very
soul abhorred. He supported his mo-
ther and the family, educated his
younger brother and, above and beyond
1t all, paid in year by year what he
could save to reduce his fathers debts,
But the years were long and dreary
and the great cloud of the debts hid
the sunlight beyond. Only one ray OF
light did 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-
cian and emerged from his Office with
In expression on his face which COM
oined resolution with fear. After this
ne ever looked haunted, but always
The debts had been paid, the boy ed
lcated, the girls married and the mo-
her dead. Then came an offer from
great magazine to take up a series OF
Investigations along the lines of his
writings on the basis of a very liberal
alary. A representative of the maya
line had come to see him and close
With him. The interview was over and
ie had come straight to Alice.
So they stood, she looking into hi
yes with self-effacing devotion, and he
cooking into hers with the expression
i a hunted stag.
How did 1t come out, dear?" she
sked, eagerly.
Il nave signed with Them" he said,
,ravely.
"Oh, Clarence" she said, claspins
Ter hands, "and were they nice about
he salary?"
They pay me more than ever
oped tc earn" he replied, looking at
er with an inscrutable expression.
She flushed like schoolgirl and her
yes sought the Garnet t.ff