The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1912-12-27
AN
INTERRUPTION
By ANNABEL BRINsMADE

Preparations were being made for
funeral in the Margot family In,
body of Betty Margot. aged eighteen
was to be buried at II O'Clock. and IL
was now 10. great deal of sympathy
was shown the family. for there were
very sad circumstances attending the
young girls death. In fact. II was con
sidered case OF suicide.
About a year before Betty began to
show signs of dependency. She had
left school and was ready to take
social position among the young people
OF the town in which she lived Her
mother. partly TO divert her from her
condition Of mind. did what she could
to induce her to do so. Betty did
not refuse TO go among those OF her
own age. but when with them. instead
Of being the bright. CHEEKY girl of a
year before. she was listless. The young
men and maidens who had grown mp
with her endeavored for awhile TO
draw her from her lethargy. but. fnd-
ing their efforts futile. at last gave up
trying.
The family physician was. OF course.
consulted. He talked with Betty. ask
ed her a great many questions. pre-
scribed a tonic TO be taken three times
day before meals" but told her moth
er that be could find no organic dis
ease. He thought that change of scene
might be beneficial. but the Margots
could not afford to take the patient
away. Besides. she said she didn't care
to go away. The doctor suggested that
there might be a young man IN the
case. but Mrs. Margot declared that
her daughter had never shown any pref
erences for any Of her male acquaint
ances. To this the doctor replied that
first love on the part of a young girl
from sixteen to twenty was apt to as
sumo very singular forms. He had
treated cases of supposed physical NAL
ady which eventually had turned out
to be simply lovesickness. One OF his
patients had shown signs of a break
ing down In health simply because she
could not make up her mind between
two suitors and had finally eloped with
a third. TO whom her parent had no OBJ
| lection whatever.
One morning when the good lady
went into her daughters room with
| the usual toast and coffee-she would
not permit Betty TO arise before II
| o'clock-the room was empty. The bed
had not been slept In. The frightened
matron rushed from the room. calling
her daughter wildly The household.
| tually the whole town was reused.
| The day passed with no word from
| the missing girl. She must have de-
parted in the night, for no one had
seen her go. Every village In the
neighborhood received telephone mes
| sages describing Betty's personal ap-
/ pearance and inquiring If she had been
seen. All her relatives far and near
were notified. Not a hopeful word
came from any point.
4 Mrs. Margot. after she became SO
/ far Gained as to express an opinion on
/ the cause of her daughters departure.
| said she believed that Betty's mind
| had been affected through some dis
| ease which that stupid doctor" had
| failed to discover. The people Of the
/ town had many and diverse opinions.
| Mrs. Griffin, across the street who had
heard Mrs. Margot-an impatient ex-
Citable woman-scold her daughter.
| ayerred that the latter had been driven
| away by cruelty. Some Of the neigh
/ hors-old maids or married women
who had adopted dogs in lieu of chill
| dren-said that Betty had not been
properly brought up and had gone to
| the bad.
One day a fresh impetus was given
to these conjectures by the discovery
| Of body Of a woman In the river. 1t
was bloated beyond recognition. but 1t
was about Retty's height. and the hair
was about the same color as hers. The
consensus of opinion was that it was
her remains; that in tt Of temporary
| insanity she had escaped from home
and drowned herself The sight was
so awful that the parents were per
suaded not to look at It Al under.
taker prepared it for burial. and this
brings us to the beginning Of our story,
which IS also the end.
Persons were assembling at the Mar.
got home 70 pay their last respects 60
the dead. The clergyman had arrived
the undertaken was going about with
soft tread giving directions In a modu-
lated voice, when a young man and
woman turned corner and caught
a view Of the hearse and carriages
standing before the door. The lady
sank on the mans bosom with a gasp
but recovering. the two pursued their
way 10 the house 81 the funeral The
. clergyman was mentioning some lovely
traits Of the deceased when the chief
mourners uttered an exclamation OF
surprise and made a bolt for tke hall
I where stood the newcomers.
oh, Betty" exclaimed both a-hef
and mother in a breath.
The obseQnieS were discontinued O,
account Of the appearance Of the oh
jeet for which they we~e held. and d
great relief. a great JOY. raiEned il
their stead This was Retty's sxp,ana