Willmar tribune., 1906-06-20
A COMMONPLACE MAN.
BY ASA PRATT.

The, months sped and strange reports
came regarding the eloping couple. The
final one was that the Mr.. T. Seymour
Esterly was a common adventurer-in
fact valet of a distinguished member ct
the stock exchange who while takinga
trip abroad had left his ablishment
In the hands of his valet. And the valet
with the curb off had started out in
search Of adventure with his employers
automobile and clothes and had sue
ceede In infaming the imagina-
ton o. the ambitious country belle
ana inducing her to elope with
him. And sadder than all it was whis-
pered that he had not married her at
all and that she was living ir miserable
quarters the very creature OF his whims.
r Homer Dent had survived the blow
Win the stoicism which ever had been
MS saving grace. God alone knows
what it meant to him and the hours of
mortal agony he suffered, but he made
no sign and plodded on as he ever had
ana one day many, many months
after the catastrophe there came to him
a letter-oh such a pathetic and hope
ANoo
lady OF his dreams. The end had come.
She was deserted, alone and without
friends, money or hope. Her own people
mad cast her off-and she did not blame
them. Her board was paid for the bal
ance of the week. Then she had re-
solved to end the whole miserable busi-
ness and let the silent river tell the
story IT it would. Only she could not
go out of the world without letting
Homer know how keenly she appre-
clated her mistake and how much better
she knew than he, his nobility of char
acter.
Il am saying these things. not to
justify myself nor with any hope of the
tuture, she wrote. But want YOU
TO know your own worth which you al
ways have underestlmated and discred-
lted. People in this world are taken en-
their own valuation. Since I went
away from the truest lover ever maiden
mad l have seen many men of all de-
grees, and l want to tell you for your
own good that you are better and
stronger and braver than any of them.
When am gone I wish you might for
give me for my disloyalty to you-God
KNOWS | have suffered enough for it.
And wish might awaken in you some
conception of your own power. If you
could appreciate it all success and all
happiness would be yours All business
success would open to you if only you
would demand it-and all women
would lie at your feet if you would
command instead of beg. This is the
only reparatiOn can make-to awaken
| you to your own possibilities. 1t is
poor one, but believe me it is attempted
| In all sincerity and with all the love
which woman can feel toward mana
love intensified a thousand times be-
cause she knows she has sacrificed it.
And it should have all the weight of
voice from the grave-because next
Monday will be numbered with the
dead"
Long and prayerfu1ly did Homer Dent
struggle with this letter. 1t rekindled
all the passion of his first and only love
and he realized all the terrible conse-
qu4nces of her fall. Finally in the cold
gray dawn he threw his meager ward
robe into a trunk and wrote letter to
his employer resigning his position and
stating he was going away to be mar
ried and would not return.
Later he drew his money from the
savings bank and boarded train for
the city praying he would arrive in
time.
| <ron,r;oh+ 1on6 bv Dailv Story Puh 60