The Ocala evening star., 1911-06-10

exact wOrQS wnlcn naO COMPOSED this
note:
"Tonight-1O:3O train-we will be
married at P. Come, come, my dar-
ling. my life. She will forgive when
all IS done. Hesitation will only undo
Us Tonight at 1890. Do not fail me
| shall never marry any one but you"
Was that all: | had an indistinct
remembrance of having added some
Wild and incoherent words Of passion
ate affection affixed to her name Her
name, But IL may be that In the hur-
~ and furry Of the moment these
terms Of endearment simply passed
through my mind and found no ex-
preston on paper. | could not be sure
any more than | could be positive
from the half glimpse | got of these
lines which portion had been burned
of-the top, in which the word train"
occurred, or the final words. emphasiZ-
ing Il time OF meeting and my determi-
nation TO marry no one but the per
son addressed. The first gone, the lat
ter might take Oh any sinister mean
ing The latter gone, the first might
prove safeguard, corroborating my
statement that an errand had taken
me into town.
Ii would be hard to find an alibi for
Carmel II suspicion once turned her
way. She had not met me at the
train. The unknown but doubtless
easily to be found man who had hand
ed me her note could swear to that
fact
Then the note itself. | had destroyed
1t, it Is true, but its phrases were pres
ent to my mind. They were these-in-
nocent, If she We're innocent, but how
suggestive in the light of her probable
guilt:
Il cannot. Wait till tomorrow. Then
you will see the depth Of my love for
you-what l owe you. what l owe
Adelaide"
l was conscious that not a look or
movement Of mine had escaped the
considerate but watchful eye Of the
man before me.
You do not relish my questions"
he dryly observed. Perhaps you
would rather tell your story without
interruption. If so l beg you to be
as explicit as possible The circum-
stances are serious enough for per
feet candor on your part"
| took a quick resolve. | would ap-
pear to throw discretion to the winds.
to confide TO him what men usually
hold sacred. to risk my reputation as
gentleman. rather than incur a sus-
picion which might involve others
more than it did myself.
Il will give you an account Of my
SELF said /. Il did love Adelaide once,
or thought SO, but my feelings chang
ed. A great temptation came into my
life. Carmel returned from school and
you know her beauty, her fascina-
ton. A week in her presence and mar
riage with Adelaide became impossible.
But how evade 1t? | knew only the
/ towards way-to lure this tnexperi-
enced young girl. fresh from school,
into runaway match. This evening
l had set as the limit Of my endurance
of the intolerable situation. During a
minute of solitude preceding the din
ner at Miss Cumberand'S house ON the
hill / wrote Il few lines to her sister
urging her to trust me with her fate
and meet me at the station In time for
the 1870 train. ! meant to carry her
at once to T.. where l had a friend in
the ministry who would at once unite
Us in marriage. | was very peremp-
tory, for my nerves were giving way
under the secret strain to which they
had been subjected for SO long, and she
herself was looking worn with her own
silent and uncommunicated conflict
ITO write this note was easy, but to
deliver it involved difficulties. Miss
Cumberland's eyes seemed to be more
upon me than usual. Mine were oblig-
ed to respond, and Carmel, seeing this,
kept hers on her plate or ON the one
other person seated at the table, her
brother Arthur. But the opportunity
| came as we all rose and passed togeth-
er into the drawing room. Carmel fell
into place at my side, and slipped the
note into her hand She had not ex-
pected it, and | fear that the action
was observed. for when l took my
leave Of Miss Cumberland shortly aft
| er | was struck by her expression. I
had never seen such a look ON her face
before, nor can | conceive Of one pre-
senting a more extraordinary contrast
to the few and commonplace words
with which she bade me good evening.
Il neither knew Adelaide nor did /
know the girl whose love | had so
overestimated. She failed me, Dr.
| Perry. | was met at the station not
| by herself. but by q letter-a few bur
| ried lines given me by an unknown
man-in which she stated that | had
| asked too much of her-that she could
| not SO wrong her sister who had
| brought her up and done everything
| for her since her mother died. have
| not that letter now or | would show
1t TO you. In my raging disappoint-
ment tore it up on the place where
received it and threw the pieces away.
| had staked my whole future on one
desperate throw, and | had lost. II
had had pistol | stopped. warned
| by an easy movement on the part of
the man | addressed that had better
not dilate too much upon my feelings
| pulled myself together and proceed
ed to finish my story with greater dt-
rectueSS
Il did not leave the station till the
1870 train had gone. 1t was from
sheer preoccupation of mind that
| drove this way instead OF straight out
| by Marshall avenue. AS | reached the
bend in the road where you get your
first sight of the buildings / saw O