Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-07-27
door. raised the lamp and screamed
In terror.

uoots thScu tue ldLlp 6uQ bCTedHeQ
In terror:
ut is Minnie's ghost!"
Those who heard the cry hurried
downstairs-to And the Mortified aunt
lying beside the body of the niece. who
had been dead not hours, but days.
Why did Minnie Wentz turn from a
love that promised all human tender
ness and creature comforts to clasp
the cold hand of death?
Why had she "bluffed" and how?
Artists Love and Death.
Leon Guipon, an artist of brilliant
gifts and prospects. faced the realiza-
ton Of his hopes. after several years
of struggle against the course Of love
which did not run smoothly He had
met and learned to love Miss Agnes
Foster, daughter Of Albert j. Foster.
president of the Peoples National
bank of Roxbury, Mass. A year and a
half ago clouds arose on the clear sky
Of their love, and they agreed to dis
agree. Guipon fed New York for Eu.
rope. and there, in work and the com.
partnership Of fellow artists, tried to
drown his grief. Here Is his own de.
scription of the vicissitudes OF the
heart through which he passed:
When A. and parted year and a
half ago my heart broke, broke literal
ly. You know that the time spent in
Europe. trying to forget her. did me
more harm than good. When we made
up again this year her warm, sunny
love gradually brought back health
and happiness to me,
When went to Boston to ask for
her hand felt like my old self again
and was full of hope for the future
thinking honestly that all my troubles
were past and that happiness was just
within my reach.
Since came back to New York
for no apparent reason my heart went
all to pieces again. told you 1t was
my throat and my stomach. Il suffer
more than words can describe. Nc
doctor can help me, and I,fully realize
that am doomed. do not want tt
poison her bright, happy life, yet
cannot live without her. have
fought manfully. but am beaten. 81
there is but one honorable path oper
to me and shall calmly step into i
because my conscience is clear.
ut is hard to leave this beautifu
world when one loves SO strongly ant
| Is loved as am now.
"rhe Great Judge above knows tina
! am doing what is best. A man abou
to die tells no lles.'
And these words were the las
penned by the gifted man, who sho
himself just as the long days Of court
ship promised to merge into the Bills,
of the honeymoon.
None to Answer Question.
That the artist still loved Miss Eos
ter was evident, for he left her all hi
worldly wealth. That he could no
make her happy was his one espresso,
reason for suicide. But why, why di,
he realize that he had no right t,
grasp the prize he had SO long GOV
eted? Why had he lost the power t,
make the woman Of his heart happy?
Only Guipon himself could have an
swered that question and his lips ar
sealed forever
George L. Knaut and Miss Estell
Rocktashel Of Reading, Pa, still Ii
1 their twenties, prosperous and of e1
cellent repute. were engaged to b
married. The wedding day approached
Friends gave reception in thei
honor.
4 At two o'clock in the morning the
| left the festive scene In a taxicab. TIL
chauffeur had driven the car but
short distance toward the home of tn
young woman when shot was fire
inside the cab and bullet flew pas
the drivers head. Young Knaut bad
the driver hurry to hospital. Mis-
/ Rocktashel had been accidentally sho
and slightly wounded. AS the ca
drew up before the hospital a secon,
shot rang out. and silence fell upol
the tonneau. The two young peopl
were found dead. huddled in opposit
sides Of the car.
What secrets had been divulged o.
! that homeward drive? What had tn
nights festivities and congratulation
brought forth to cause the hideou
deed? Who shall say whether the
had decided that happiness lay Ii
death together, rather than in If
which held not what they had hope
for?