Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1911-05-05
A Defeated
Conqueror

People said / was the lucklest 1el-
low living, and I quite indorsed their
opinion, for I had not only entered
into possession of a decent little leg
acy left me by my uncle, but l had
also won the hand and heart OF Ada
Miller, the prettiest and most charm
ing young lady in the whole county.
People said her father was I'M
mensely rich and that she would come
in for a handsome fortune at his
death, but what cared l about that?
For had not sufficient for us both,
even If she were penniless. And did
not love her with the whole strength
Of pure and disinterested love?
cannot begin to describe her to
you, for the task Is quite beyond me.
Suffice 1t to say she was admired by
all who knew her. and loved by not
few The latter circumstances ceased
to disturb me when once became her
accepted lover, though before that
time 1t occasioned me great deal or
anxiety, and caused me to spend many
restless night.
OF one lover in particular had l
been Jealous, for to my excited and
l6dI -lducu hC oOSAiSo w
possess everything that young lady
could desire. He was tall, broad
shouldered, handsome, with pleasing
manner and faultless dress, and In ad-
dition to all this, he was endowed with
more than an average share of this
worlds goods.
He was madly in love with Ada.
but conducted his wooing In way
with which not even his closest rival
could find fault. Kind, considerate
and gentlemanly, never obtruding his
presence unnecessarily, he yet man.
aged to pay her considerable atten-
ton, and many an anxious time did
spend, fearing that his superior at
fractions would put me in the shade.
Fate, however, decided otherwise,
for when I summoned up courage to
put my fortune to the test, Ada shyly
accepted me, informing me in most
engaging manner that she had never
loved anyone else. You may be sure
that I was in ecstasies, and scarcely
knew for the next few months wheth-
er l walked upon air or upon solid
ground.
Our engagement was to last year,
at the end of that time our marriage
was to take place. The time had al
most elapsed, and nothing had occur
red to mar the harmony of the scene,
when, quite Unexpectedly. something
happened which filled me with the
deepest horror, and which causes me
to shudder even now as l recall 1t. 1t
has partly to do with my rival, Hor.
ace Rishton, whose existence for the
time had almost forgotten.
He had received the news OF our
engagement in an apparently calm
and quiet manner. and his subsequent
behavior had not led us to regard him
as being more than ordinarily affect.
ed by 1t. but in the event I am about
to describe, was enabled to see how
deep and tragic the effect upon him
really was.
The revelation came In this wise:
1t was but two days to our we'd
ding, and I had occasion to go on a
little business connected with it to a
neighboring town. place some four
miles distant from my home. Having
accomplished my errand, and finding
that I had some considerable time
to wait for train, resolved to walk
back, 80 striking out, soon left the
town behind me.
I had gone somewhere about two
miles when the moon suddenly cloud
ed over, and l was left in comparative
darkness AS l knew the way. how
ever, thought nothing of 1t, but
trudged cheerfully along, thinking
only Of Ada and our approaching
union. Suddenly, and without mo-
ments warning, the ground gave way
from under my feet and I felt myself
falling headlong down, down into the
depths of the earth. How far l fell
knew not at the time-I learned after.
ward that 1t was about thirty feet
but I expected instant death when
reached the bottom. and without
doubt that would have been my fate
had not the bottom of the hole been
filled with water to a considerable
depth. This broke my fall. and also
by its coldness restored me to my
senses.
struck out on coming to the sur.
face. and swan around to find some
thing to which could hold on. After
a considerable time spents1n search
ing, during which the full horror OF
the situation began to dawn upon me
knew at once the place into which
had fallen, and as the knowledge
flashed across my mind I cursed my.
self for having been so careless as to
stumble into 1t. 1t was an old, dis
used shaft which had been there fol
generations. Not many people were
aware Of its existence, for it was in q
wild and solitary spot scarcely ever
visited by anyone. I. however, had
seen 1t several times in my moorlani
wanderings, and had always regarded
it as dangerous place. 1t was par
TALLY fenced around, but I must haye