Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-08-18
p TOO LATE.

moIuer. Wucu OnRr2eS MayheW
comes here tonight. you must tell
him T viii not marry him"
What has happenedg" screamed
the terrified woman. doubtful OF her
hearing
Again the coid. reientless tones.
with accents clear. and certain as the
voice Of fate itself repeated the
message.
Why. is viii, broak his heart. What
DO you mean?" demanded the fright,
ened mother.
Il Will not marry him" and with
this final decision Hannah Blair
turned and went To her room, whov
Der mother heard her turn tho key
How Mrs. Blair ever managed Il
break the startling nows 20 Oharles
Mayhem when he came that evening
she never could tell. AZ 1-st n was
received with startled incroduTfty
aud she was compelled to repeat Il
again and again. TO recall Hanuah's
words. her actions. So.
Aftor this Charles gave way to
such angry grief that Mrs. BLAIR
ionged for her husbands return.
Finally Charles rushed out OF the
house and 30 passed out OF Hunnnh's
life ta'r0
Ten years later Hannah married
John Maxwell. q well-to-do bachelor
from Newaerd. He was 40 years OF
age and man OF irreproachablo
character Hannah WAS handsome
women and her husband was really
In love with her, bui In her heart
che felt contempt for his affection
snd failed utterly to respond TO, his
feeling. Not oven the little daugh.
ter born tho second year OF their
married life. thawed out her frozen
heart. Dorothy was healthy, happy.
rosy child. and as she grow 10 Iom-
anhood her eweet disposition was
comfort TO her father. She had plen-
ty OF admirers and IL was but natur.
al that she should marry young.
When ehe dfd we'd young man To
the eiBhborhood the couple settled
down TO live With Dorothy's parents
IA they wished her TO remain In tho
old home.
But all this limo Mrs. Maxwell
preserved the calm austertty OF her
nsnner. even To her daughter. She
prepared fer the mari age with
lfhsrai hand but with no caross, no
sYmpathy. Her. life was matter OF
business. Il &6s an old habit at Go
ana she wac over that age when, az
she sat reading the evening paper
one Disht sho started suddenly from
her chair and with a CRY fell faint.
ing TO tho floor.
Dorothy ran 20 her mothers as
sistance, but as She returned to con!
sciousnees Mre. Maxwell whispered.
DonN call anyone" aud leaning on
her daughters shoulder her whole
body shaking with agonlzed sobs,
the suffering woman told strange
story. At laet her heart OF granite
had broken. .l..
The day on which che was to have
married Charles Mayhem she had re-
ceived letter from an unknown
writer end the Information II con.
tained caused her to doubt her lover
The statements were TO strong al
70 leave no doubt in her mind. "oh.
Dorothy" sobbed the unhappy won
an. when heard Charles Mayhew
leaving the house my heart was
wrung with anguish. Had seen him
| must have gone DOWN and do What
I thought sin. 80 steeled Myself
TO resist. although I thought I could
not stand ~. meant TO do mo
right thing. Dorothy. but today when
[ saw In the paper that he died last
week IN a lonely hospital. without
frignds. my heart came out OF ita
grave and smote mo Had I been
more sympathetic ! might have
hSiped him 90 DO right might
have saved MIN. lot6 him SOL"
Apd thus the taother passed. 9way
IN her daughtsEs arms.