Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-07-18

family" went on. Search your
own hearts. Put blame where
it belongs But don't think you Nen
crowd me or force me to do what
do not freely offer"
'It is true" said Dr. Bond. Il tell
you, what he says could not by any
possibility be anything else but true
He's just back home. He has been
gone all summer"
Colonel Sheraton was a proud man,
and one of courage. 1t irked him sore
that revenge must wait.
"Now," said l, 81 have something to
add to the record. ! hoped that part
of my story could be hid forever. ex-
cept for Miss Grace and me alone. /
son / was willing freely-not through
force-to do what | could in the way
of punishment to myself and salvation
for her But now as this thing comes
up / can no longer shield her or my
self, or any of you. Wen have to go
to the bottom now"
/ flung out on the table the
roll which l had brought with me to
show that morning to Grace Sheraton
the ragged hide, holding writings
placed there by my hand and that of
another.
This said. must be shown to
you all. Colonel Sheraton. ] have been
very graveIy at fault. i was alone for
-, II 80
another woman. l loved her very
much. l forgot your daughter at that
| time because found | loved her less.
Through force of circumstances l lived
with this other woman very closely for
some months We foresaw no imme-
diate release. l loved her. and she
loved me-the only time l knew what
love really meant, l admit it. We
made this contract of marriage be-
tween us. 1t was never enforced. We
never were married because that con-
tract was never signed by US BOTH
Here it is. Examine it,
1t lay there before US. I saw its
words again stare up at me- l saw
again the old pictures of the great
mountains and the cloudless sky and
the cities of peace wavering on the
| far horizon. | gaZed once more upon
that different and more happy world.
when / saw, blurring before my eyes.
the words, II, John Cowles-I. Ellen
| Meriwether, take thee-take thee-for
| better for worse-till death do us
part" 1 saw her name, ELLEN
Harry" said /. turning on him
swiftly. "Your father is old. This is
for you and me. think l shall be at
your service soon.'
His face paled. But that of his ia
ther was now gray. very old and gray.
t'Treacheryw he murmured 'sTreach
eryi You sighted my girl. Ny God,
sir, she should not marry you though
she died! This He put out his
hand toward the hide scroll
mo-" / said to him. This is mine
| The record of my fault belongs to me.
The question for you is only in regard
to the punishment
eve are four men here" I added
| presently, @'and it seems to me that
| first of all we owe protection to the
woman who needs it Moreover, l re-
| peat that, though her error is not
| mine. it was perhaps pride or sorrow
or anger with me which led her to her
own fault 1t was Gordon Orme who
told her that / was false to her and
| added lies about me and this other
woman. 1t was Gordon Orme, Colo
mel Sheraton, / do not doubt. sir.
found him in your yard here at mid
! night when ] last was here And, sir,
there vas a nght--a light / agreed
with your daughter that it was with
out question a light that some servant
had left by chance at window"
| l wish never to hear again such
groan as broke from that old mans
| lips. He was sunken and broken
when he put out his hand to me-
'Boy," said he, "have mercy. For
give Can you-could you
"Can you yourself forgive thisy' /
answered, pointing to the scroll Il
admit to you love Ellen Meriwether
yet and always will. Sir, if married
your daughter, it could only be to leave
her within the hour.''
Colonel Sheraton said DR.. Bond.
ut seems to me that we have no quar-
rel here among ourselves. We all
want to do what is best done now to
make amends for what has not always
/ been best done. Mr. Cowles has given