The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-05-21
Blossman's camp, with provisions and

camp, with provisions and
tools for mining on low scale.
They had only been there two
months when they thought they had
enough to take to Denver for sale,
AM to purchase tools and hire men
for working the mine on a higher
scale.
Durant wrote his wife letter, with
money enclosed to pay her fare to
Denver. BY some accident the letter
never reached his wife, and when he
later saw in a paper the death of a
Mrs. H. L. Durant he believed her to
be dead. AS the paper containing the
account of the death was three weeks
old he thought there would be no use
for him to go back east, as he had no
relatives, and he had married an or
phan.
1t was very sad news for him, and
for several weeks he suffered great
grief for her. But he buried himself
/ in his work, and soon got over it.
Meanwhile Mrs Durant was still
living with her sister and had not
heard a word from her husband. She
wrote him several letters at Denver
but as he was not at Denver the let
tiers were returned, and she was final
ly persuaded that her husband had
died.
Meanwhile Durant was working out
at his mine, little dreaming that his
wife was alive, and grieving for him
as dead.
A few years passed and Mrs. Du
rants sister was a widow, and the
two women were out in the world
alone. They sewed, and did other
things for a living, but could hardly
manage to make both ends meet, and
were having a hard time of it, when
DR.. Whitney, seeing his old friends
wife in need, went to her and offered
help. Mrs. Durant for a while would
not accept, but WAS finally prevailed
to accept.
Dr. Whitney became constant Wis
itor at the home of the two women,
and finally became conscious of the
fact that he loved Mrs. Durant, ana
he went to her and told her of his
love He had been a friend to her
and she had grown TO love him-as a
brother
They were married in the little vii
lage church in the spring, five years
after the departure of her husband
for Denver.
Hal Durant was reading a newSpa-
per from the east when his startled
eyes fell on a marriage notice of Mrs.
H. L. Durant and DR.. ]. A. Whitney
The news that his wife was still
alive caused all the love that he hao
held for her to come back to him, and
he longed to be with her.
He took the first train for the east
and was soon in his native town. He
disguised himself and walked around
the town a while to try to get a
glimpse of her.
He stopped at a shabby boarding
house and registered as William
Long. His disguise was hardly need
ed, however, as his skin had beer
bronzed and he wore a heavy nous
tache
Finally, he decided on his course
He had his interests in the "Secre
Valley" mine sold and the money plac
ed in a Denver bank. while he secur
ed a position at a livery stable. ever,
day getting a glimpse of his wife
, yet not his. as he could not claim he
without causing great notoriety anC
causing her to be arrested for big
amy
So he bided his time until seyera
years had passed.
One day when he went down 10 tn,
stable 10 his work, as usual, he saw
D. small crowds gathered together AM
! talking eXcitedly. He asked someon,
what was the matter
Doctor Whitney was out to see
: patient last night" he was told: "ant
his horse ran away, and the docto
was killed"
> Durant could hardly restrain his 10,
at the news, for although he love,
DR.. Whitney as friend, he could nov
claim his wife before the world.
He decided to wait until after tn
=. funeral TO let himself be known.
The rest of the story We will hav,
to take from the lips of Jane. Mrs
:. Durant'S maid. AS she afterward
: said TO her friends: when Missu
had got back from de fun'ral dar WI
er man waitin' fer her, an he looked
lax Marse Durant used ter look. De,
= jes' cried an talked, an cried an kiss
al aapb otbor + .