The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1909-08-27


1ted ne money FOR enc emau ~
her cor. and che al not iniena i0
oetWiiied now by woman who
q nothing bat Der hapd8ome faca %
ommen6 her.
Tou don't know anything about
she urged.
q don't ask 10 know anything that
BE- does not choose TO ten me. love
n vel enough 10 trust her," Peter
answered valiantiy.
Good heayensi she may BE- an a.
ventureSsl" cried biz sister. losing Der
temper.
Then Peter lost hia and declared that
be was going straight 10 Mrs. Wrest
20 ask her 20 marry him. He went
Mira. HOwlaEd, who lived opposite. saw
him 60 20 the door. saw Cornelia
Bangs admit him and take him into
the parlor. Then she Jew Tor the spy
glass which bad belonged to her "a
Their, an old sea captain. But the spy
glass was, after an, very inadequate
20 the occasion. she could not bear
what was said. though she drew her
own conclusions when Peter came
forth, detected
Mrs. Wrest had indeed refused him.
II was incredible. Peter took Il very
hard. II was his first experience in
not getting what be wanted.
Instead Of being grateful to Mrs.
Wrest for not accepting him, every
unmarried woman was angry with her.
Il was not long before scarcely q W0m-
an save Mrs. Rowland visited Mrs
Wrest. She was at liberty now TO read
and play the violin as much &c she
chose and to sew for all the poor that
needed new garments. ali because she
had refused Peter Meredith, whom no
body wanted her to have.
why had she done ST. There could
be only one reason. She had no busi-
ness TO marryl She had a husband
living from whom she had no divorced
Though Mrs. Wrest was apparently
conscious Of the increasing feeling
against her, she made no slgn. She
still attended church regularly, wear
ing black and sitting alone In her pew,
unconscious Of all who
were so fercely conscious Of her. She
was sitting thus one morning perfectly
still. with her small hands folded and
her face lifted 20 the minister.
The church was unusually well Oiled
and Mrs. Wrests pew was the only
one where there were. vacant sittings
The ushers understood that when there
ceased TO be room elsewhere strangers
might be shown 10 places beside her.
and so now. when a man entered the
vestibule very late, be was taken at
once TO Mrs. Wrest'S pew.
He was a tall man, with a pointed
blond beard and blond hair just slight
y gray, distinguished looking and
handsome. Mrs. 'Wrest moved a little
and lifted her eyes Then her face =
went suddenly white. and she crumpled
forward IN a dead faint.
The stranger lifted her up and with
out noticing any ones interference bore
her into the vestibue. Mrs. Rowland
md a few others rose instantly and
after the twain.
"This is my wife," the stranger sx-
planned tersely. els there anything
7Ou can do for herF'
Sine opened her eyes and looked
straight into those Of her husband,
who was holding her as II he would
never let 60 again.
'GOrdOnF' she said and tainted away
lgain.
Next day Mrs. Wrest had ceased to
% a mystery, for Mrs. Howland told
~ she knew, and she knew q great
leai She had heard the whole story
rom Edltha, while her husband sat
" ready 10 afHrm every word.
Gordon Wrest was the heir OF en-
10 uncle who had once been IN love
With Edltha's mother. Not feeling
lble II justice 20 provide for Editha
- be wished, be left his money 10
borden, only on the condition that b.
marry her. 30 Gordon carried out the
ID mans wishes and became possessed
10Th Of Editha and the fortune
All went well tiil Editha found out
be condition Of tho WIN. and Of
curse she Immediately thought that
borden had married her for the
moneys sake alone. She wna young
nd foolish and passionate, and with
nat stopping 20 ask her husband q
question OF reason with herself she
adhered up what was hers and ned.
She thought she would seek out some