The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-01-26

tess daughter, and shall not attempt ,
to describe her graces. We fell in love |
with each other at once. and her moth. |
er ana my fother appeared TO en-.
courage the idea. She was but seven.
teen. and of course we did not think of
marriage at that age. We could pledge
each other, however, and we did. AFT.
er two months she sailed for home aud
carried my heart with her. On the day
she sailed ] began sending love mes
sages by cable, and she must have
found at least fourteen Of them whey
she landed.
"'iIad / ever been loved that way
sighed Mary.
"'There Is time for both Of us yet
replied Tillic.
"For two years we corresponded by
every steamer and kept the French
cables hot with messages. My father
had hnted that could marry when /
reached the age Of twenty. and was
counting the days when he called me
into the library one evening and an.
nounced that alone could save him
from felon's cell. He had forged the
name of an iccman to Il check for
S25O,000 and lost the money in Wall
street 1t was but trifle to the ice
man, but he had daughter whom he
wished TO marry into swagger family.
He therefore gave my father his chC.ce
Of either compelling me to marry the
girl or going 20 state prison himself.
"'Why, It's like novei.' gasped
Mary.
"T told you he was a hero as soon
az he asked for cold victuals.' an
swered Tillic.
Think OF the situation, ladies'! My
love was sworn TO Marie. and yet up
less married a girl with pale blue
eyes, a turned up nose and 2 chin with
, mole on it our family was to ~
tragged down from its high position
And disgraced forever. Father and
{ talked for hours and hours. but We
could see only the one way out OF It
Late as was the hour when we got
through, went of to the house Of tho
iceman to see if could not melt hia
cold heart I found it OF different iuG.
terial from his ice. Ii grew colder ali
the time instead Of melting. lie III.
terly refused 70 recede from his posi-.
ton. When l said that the blow
would kill Marie and me he offered &c
make the price of our ice 80 cents q
hundred for the next season, but tha,
was the best he would DO.
"'Base villain! bissed Mary.
"'sordid wretch" Kissed Tillle.
at was 4 terrific struggle between
love and duty, but duty finally pre-
I vailed. ArtCr being in bed Tor q
month with brain fever 1 sent 10. The
icouiun and agreed to bis trrms lia
brought his duu"hter right over IN bis
lee wagon ana we were mur,rI, and
the forged check was given 10 fa,Icr
to tenr mp.
What u noble son" whispered
Mary.
What n heroic sacrilcev whisper
ed Tlllie.
~ wccl; later, when was a Hide
stronger. ! wrote 10 Marie. There
were 150 pages OF coolscap but caI
recall every line and word. hid noth
ing from her, but told her the solemn
truth. told her how it wrcnchcd my
heart, but that there was lCpe ahead
In the course of year would pu,
rusty nails around where my wife
must step on them and meet her deaLt
by lockjaw and then l woud fly to
France and make my love my own.
received no reply 10 my lctter-uoi
from Marie. Her mother wrote tha,
upon receiving my epistla the dear CIR
had started for America on a tramp
steamer with the object Of killing her
self ON my doorstep and that should
look ont for her coming.
"'Tillie, did we ever read anything
like 1t in a novel?' asked Mary.
mo, dear. we never did, replied
Tlllie.
''F'or three long years I looked fol-
the coming Of sweet Marie, but she
came not. I had an alarm bell at
tached to the front steps, SO that II sht
came in the night ! would be awaken
ed But the bell never rang. hated
the woman l had married, and she
hated Inc. | kept house in the hall ant
she in the parlor, and we never me-
when we could help it. | realized tina
my life was wrecked, and father WA.
broken and penniless man. Driver
to desperation at last. IL
"'Don't say that you murdered you
wife" pleaded Mary.
"If he did and did Il gently / fot
one will forgive him. answered Tillie.
mo, did not murder her. Sh,
was lying i'll with The mumps wher
lightning struck the house and brough
her end. What was left Of 1t Wa.
seized next day by the sheriff for debt
my father was sent TO Blackwell's Is
land for six months for breaking {
show window, and in my loneliness
and desperation took 10 the road.
"And have you never found YOU,
Marlef Didn't she come TO America? ?
That Is why grIcvc AMI gTieyC
and refuse to bo coinfortcd learned
that she did reach these shores an(
started for my home and then sud
denly turned up missing No one car
tell me tonight where she is She MAY
be a waitress in summer hotel, o.
she may be wandering the highway
and hyyyaya In tho fnonnlipbt aud M n