The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-01-14

ted me on the shoulder as a fatner would a child. and there was emotion in his own voice when he said:
 You've done the right thing, MT Clarke'-an echo of Elias own words -"and I honor you for doing it. You have spiked at least part of the guns of your enemies. It was an extra others. Where you have made new enemies you have also made new friends"
 I had long talk with him and he confirmed me in my resolution to call a special session of the Legislature the action that it saw fit. Like Jimmy Warfield he was Q, plain-spoken and wise friend. not seeking to conceal from me the fact that I must suffer often from insult and modification and that people willing to blacken my rep utation would always be found. My story might be proven true a thousand times, but many, wholly ignoring the circumstances, would dismiss me with the single assertion. "He was in the penitentiary once."
 The Judge not only preached his faith, but lived 1t. He asked me to dinner at his house the evening of the same day and took care that the fact should become known to our Kentucky world, thus putting upon me in the public eye the seal of his endorsement, which was no little thing, and I owe him for it a debt of gratitude that l can never hope to pay.
 The next morning came the letter from Uncle Paul and Aunt Jane. I say "the" letter instead of "a" letter because I had been expecting it. and I cannot describe the nervous dread with which I awaited it. I had raised myself from the depths into the high opinion of these two good people, the nearest of my blood kin, and now was I about to sink back into the deepest of deep slouehs?
 It was joint letter and they wrote: Our Dear Nephew:
 We have read in the newspapers the full accounts of your speech and con- fession, and we have thought it over a day or two before writing. It is bitter to us to know that a nephew of ours has ever been in the peniten- tiary, and to know that at a critical period of your life you told a great falsehood We do not find anywhere in the Bible a commendation of false hoods, but we are convinced that you told it to protect a woman and we do not greatly blame you. It has all ways been taught in Kentucky that men should protect women, and you were true to your training.
 we wish to say, after mature thought, that we approve of what you have done and that we are proud of you. We wish to say also that you are the Governor of Kentucky and that you should hold with all your
 Now the tears came to my eyes, tears of relief and joy. I cared vastly for the opinion of these two old people, yet I might have known that they would never have deserted me. I look ed again at the stiff formal handwrit- ;x,z {I,4 of ed my fingers caressingly over it, as if the sense of touch could carry to them in far away Sumter County.
 After a while I put the letter away in my breast pocket and entered upon my new life, resolved to make as much of 1t as could. I addressed myself to the pile of State papers, accumulat- ed in my absence. and sought the men tai relief that comes from absorption in work.
 I shall not describe the immediate days that followed. It is needless to and my poor character was shattered over and over again. Even when commended, the commendation often took forms that were not pleasing. l was favorite food for Sunday supple ments, in which I appeared in all forms and colors. and my story, in every possible eXaggeration, became common property. and alas! Alacia's with it. It was the thought of her that made my life almost unbearable at this period. I could do so little for her, nothing in fact; yet we wrote once to each other.
 She told me that she was we'll in body, mind and spirit, and happier than she had been for a long time before. She did not know what the world was saying about her, because it was kept from her, nor did she seek to know, but she was confident that it would do me full justice, and would elevate me to yet higher pedestal because of the sacrifice I had made. But she felt that it would be better that we should never see each other again. It was demanded by law, honor and reason alike.
 It was Alicia unchanged! Now that the storm was turned upon her she felt it not at all. Her arnor of right nev- CT failed her, it contained not a flaw where a weapon could enter. She will ingly sacrificed every ambition of the world for the serenity of the spirit that is only a little below the angels. How poor and mean I felt myself beside her!
 My friends would have kept from me most of the things that were said by could not hide all. I knew that her character was assailed. I knew-and this made me burn-that Grey had the impudence to talk about securing a divorce, but the people around him had sense enough to make him stop such talk-he was too vulnerable himself.
 When I first heard of Greys threat rejoiced, because I should have been glad for Alicia to come to me even with the smirch upon her name-I should know what a lie the charge was, but thought convinced me that she would not come in such a manner. Catch ing a reflection of her own lofty spirit I knew that she must be right. I could never bear that her name should not be white and clean before all the world, and if we were to meet by that road only it was better that we never meet at all.
 The Legislature met in special ses- sion and my resignation was laid be- fore it with all the forms prescribed by law My enemies made an attempt to shove the resignation aside and have me imreached, which would be a great CT disgrace, but they were defeated and then the question of accepting or re- jecting the resignation was taken up and debated.
 I, of course, did not go into either House or Senate while the question was up, but every detail was quick ly brought to me, and I followed them with an overmastering anxiety. liar rison was there in his old seat, pale, worn and more cynical than ever. He took no part in the debate and nobody