The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-10-14

been a good daughter, and will try to
be good wife, Philip"
Apparently these young people had
attained the very pinnacle Of earthly
happiness. There was no cloud, no OBJ
stacle. All that was best in the world
was at their feet.
Some such thought fitted through
Philips active brain once when Evelyn
and he were discussing the future.
"Of course we will be busy" he said.
laughing. You are such an industri-
Gus little woman-what? Well such
an Industrious tall woman that the
days won't be long enough for all you
will find to do. AS for me, l suppose
must try and earn peerage, just to
give you your proper place in society,
and then we will grow old gracefully"
"Oh, Philip" she cried. placing her
hands on his shoulders, I'VE met once
as children for few minutes! Fate
ordained that we should meet again
under strange circumstances We were
separated for years. Can fate play us
any uncanny trick that will separate
us again.
"Well, sweetheart. fate, in the shape
OF Vale, is coming for me at g. I'm
less you wish ne to send for my man
and dress here
sometimes I cannot quite credit my
good fortune she said softly Tell
me, dearest, how did you manage to
live until you were twenty-five with
out falling in love with some other
girl?''
THAT Is rdiculously easy. Tell me
how you managed to escape matriC2ony
until you were twenty-five and you
are answered"
saw you in the square You were Il
woebegone little boy, but you were so
brave and gave me your hand to help
me from the carriage with the air Of
young lord
"And | have cherished your face in
my waking dreams ever since. You
looked like fairy. And how you stuck
up for me against your uncle!'
Tell me, what did you think Of me
when you saw me standing disconso-
late in the park?'
Tell, tell, tell-it was nothing but
sweet questions and sweet assurances
that this pair of turtle doves had been
seeking each other through all eternity.
Their wedding was fixed for the mid
die of July. Sharp work. it may be
said, but what need was there to wait?
Mr.. Abingdon was greatly pleased with
Philips choice and urged him to settle
down at the earliest possible date.
Mrs. Atherley, too raised no protest.
The sooner her beloved daughter was
married the more rapidly would life
resume its normal aspect. They would
not be long parted from each other
The young people had no housekeep-
ing cares. Philips mansions were re-
plcte with all that could be desired by
the most fastidious taste. His yacht
was brought to the Solent so that thsy
could run over to Portsmouth on a
motor car to inspect her, and Evelyn
instantly determined that their honey
moon in Etretat should be curtailed to
permit them to go for a three weeks
cruise around the British coast
This suggestion of course appealed
to Philip. Nothing could be more de-
lightful. He whispered in Evelyn's
ear that he would hug her for the idea
at the first favorable opportunity
One morning, a day of June rain,
letter reached Philip. 1t bore the print
ed superscription, The Hall, Beltham,
Devon but this was struck out and
another address substituted 1t was
written in scrawling wavering hand
the caligraphy of a man old and very
Ill. It read:
My Dear Phillip am lying at the point
Of death, so l use no labored words to
explain why I address you in such man
ner. I want to tell you how bitterly
regret the injustice 1 showed to your dear
mother and my sister. If. of your char
tty, you will come to my bedside and
sure feeble old man of your forgive
ness, can meet the coming ordeal strong
In the certainty that Mary Arson will not
refuse what you have given in her be-
half. Your sorrowing uncle
PHILIP MORLAND.
With this piteous epistle was inclosed
another:
Dear Mr.. Anson-I join my earnest sup
plication to my husbands that you will
console his last hours with visit. He
blaInes himself for what has happened
In the past. yet the fault was more mine
than his-far more. For his sake will
lngly admit it. And have been punished
for my sin. Ruined in fortune, with my
husband at deaths door, l am indeed a
Borrowing woman. Yours faithfully,
LOUISA MORLAND.
The angular Italian handwriting Of
the second letter recalled a faded
script in his safe at that moment. The
address in each case was a village on
the Yorkshire coast, a remote and in
accessible place according to Philips
unaided recollection of the map.
Grange House" might be farm or a
broken down manor, and Lady Nor
lands admission of reduced circum-
stances indicated that they had chosen
the locality for economy's sake.
These appeals brought frown Of in
decision to Anson's brow. His uncle
and his uncle's wife had unquestiona-
bly, been the means of shortening and
embittering his mothers life. The man
might have acted in ignorance; the
woman did not.
Yet what could he do? Refuse a dy-
ing relatives last request! They or
one Of them refused his mothers pitt
full demand for a little pecuniary help
at time when they were rich.
And what dire mischance could have
sunk them into poverty? Little more
than two months had passed Size Sir