Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-05-08

aimed at Barclays he
You se~s-$ssil" ~ AIS ~ y
dare yous ~, yoo need n " :. xal
your friends; they are half way to
town now. And as for you, you are
liable to good long sentence for this
nights work. kidnapping is serious
offense."
"You wouldn't give me up to the po.
liceY whined Barclay.
"And why not prayi You richly
deserve 1t, am sure"
Mrs. Bryan, beg Of you, l implore
you, don't let him do It Save me from
disgrace. oh, save me, Mrs. Bryant"
You should have thought OF the dis
grace sooner, Mr.. Barclay" answered
Mrs. Bryan in frigid tones, but with
perfect self-command.
"oh, my poor mother" groaned the
coward; "it will kill her II go to
Jail"
You should have thought OF her
sooner, also. But she is a good woman,
and for her sake l am half inclined to
spare you. What do you say, Judge
HamiltonT
II will do with him as you wish"
"Then, Mr.. Barclay, If we do not de-
liver you up, will you promise to return
to your home on the first train and
never annoy me againT
Il will promise anything. anything,
only let me 60"
well, If Judge Hamilton win be
good enough to see you to the station,
go, and hope my eyes may never rest
on you again."
A year had gone by, and though Mrs
Bryan's health had greatly improved,
she decided to live with her widowed
mother instead Of returning to her lone
~ home In the South.
Barclay had been but the first Of a
regiment of suitors so large that Judge
Hamilton had almost given up hope, SO
coyly~ did she keep them all at bay.
But the peculiar charm of her attitude
was that all her lovers agreed that
shes not to blame who treats all the
same" and the spice of competition
made them love her all the more. All
through the summer new knights en-
tered the lists, but never did one drop
out-they would fight the battle to the
finish.
At last the time Of harvest came and
husklng bee was held at the old
Thorne place. 1t fell to HamiIton's
happy lot to take Mrs. Bryan. 1t was
just such a night as that other that the
Judge remembered 80 well-the night
Of another husking bee 80 many years
agol The mellow harvest moon shone
on them again just as 1t had done then:
the fair woman at his side was fairer
even than she had been then; the
Judge could keep silent no longer.
"Ethel," he said, do you remember
night like this and husking party
at this same old place over twenty
years agof'
Eyes, Blake, remember It well. 1t
was the last time saw you before /
was married-it was the night l ac-
cepted Mr.. Bryan"
ut was the night first knew that
loved you"
"Why-why did you not tell me so?''
II was a fool You had left me to
walk with him, and l was hurt and
angry and l would not search for you
afterwards. l saw you no more that
night. The next morning was callell
away, and before l could come back
your engagement was announced"
IF you had told me-ah, well, II Is
useless to dwell on the might have
BEEN l had thought you loved me,
but you had never said so; and Mr..
Bryan had l did not love him, and
you knew 1t; but when you didn't
speak, l thought perhaps l was mis-
taken, that you did not love me, and
1t would be best to marry a man whom
l knew to be good and well able to care
for me. Ny father was very anxious
for lt--and so accepted him. l do
not greatly regret it. He always loved
me. and II he did not have my best
love | think he never knew It,"
Ethel we have wasted half our
May we not redeem the past?"
"Yes, Blake, we will redeem the
past"
The morning of October 18th was
the time set for the marriage. In Judge
Ifamilton's mail that morning there
was letter in Barclays handwriting
addressed to Mrs. Blake Hamilton.
The Judge suspected that something
was amiss, so he opened the letter. 1t
ran as follows:
"You have ruined my life; you are
responsible for my death. l would kill
you If could; would certainly make
the rest Of your life miserable, but
even that is denied me. However, It
lies within my power to make your
wedding day miserable, and 1t is with
the greatest pleasure that l grasp the
opportunity. When you receive this
will be dead and you are responsible.
BARCLAY"
Judge Hamilton burned the letter
and left with his bride on the morn
ing train. The news of the suicide
came out In the evening paper; but he
took care that Mrs. Hamilton should
not see any papers for several days
and so it was not until they returned
home after their honeymoon that she
heard of It. She never knew the cause,
so Barclays last evil purpose was de-
feated, and her happiness knew no
shadows.-Waverley Magazine.
Quite a MOuthfuk
But" said the real estate man, ''you
shouldn't let this bargain get away