Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-07-11
me to save her or leave her damned.


With horror | saw what grotesque in
justice was done to me. / broke out
into horrible laughter.
/ had said that / had come for my
punishment. and here it was for me to
take. had told Orme that one day /
would pay him for my life. Here, now,
was Ormes price to be paid. If this
girl had not sinned with me she had
done so by reason of me. 1t was my
fault, and gentleman pays for his
fault in one way or another. There
seemed to me. say, but one way in
which could pay, being ever simple
and slow of wit. /, John Cowles, with
out thinking so far as the swift conse
quences. must now act as the shield of
the girl who stood there trembling, the
girl who had confessed to her rival her
own bitter sin. but who had lied as to
her accomplice in her sin.
st is true" said, turning to Ellen.
IT am guilty | told you / deserved
no mercy. and I ask none. / have not
asked Miss Sheraton to release me
honored if she viii now accept my
hand / shall be glad if she will set
the date early as may be-
Night was now coming swiftly from
the hills.
Ellen turned to pass back toward
the door. '.Your pardon." I exclaimed
to Grace Sheraton, and sprang after
Ellen
+ "Goodby," I said. and held out my
hand to her LET us end all these
heroics and do our best Where is
your husband? ! want to congratu-
late him.
! ''My husbandv' she said in wonder.
"What do you mean?"
"Belknap''- began.
"Ah.' she said bitterly. 'You rate
me low. as low as / do you"
i but your father told me himself
you two We're to be marriedp' broke
out, surprise, wonder. dread, rebellion,
now in every fiber of my body and
soul.
+ my father loves me dearly" she re-
piled slowly "But he cannot marry
me until wish. No, I am not mar
ried, and never will be. Goodby"
1 did not see Colonel Meriwether.
He passed on through to his seat in
Albemarle without stopping in our val
ley longer than overnight. Part Of
the next morning spent in writing
letter to my agents at Huntington,
with the request that they should in
form Colonel Meriwether at once on
the business situation, since now he
was in touch by mail. The alternative
was offered him of taking over my IA
theirs interests through these creditors,
accepting them as partners or purchas-
ing their rights or of doing what my
father had planned to do for him,
which was to care individually for the
joint account and then to allot each
partner a dividend interest, carrying
clear title.
All these matters explained to my
mother Then / told her fully what
had occurred at the village the night
previous between Ellen Meriwether and
my fiancee. She sat silent.
'sIn any case" concluded, ''it would
suit me better if you and | could leave
this place forever and begin again
somewhere else"
i She turned to me slowly, with a
smile upon her face Whatever thee
says" was her answer. II shall not
ask thee to try to mend what cannot
be mended Thee is like thy father"
she said 81 shall not try to change
thee. Go, then. thy own way. Only
hear me. thee cannot mend the un-
mendable by such wrongful mar
fiage.'
But l went, and under my arm
bore a certain roll of crinkled. hairy
parchment.
This was on the morning of Wednes-
day, in November, the day following
the national election in the year 1860.
News travelled more slowly then, but
we in our valley might expect word
from Washington by noon of that day.
If Lincoln won. then the south would
SeCGQe. i NO udtIUHS NOuiu inCNl
be formed and. if necessary, issue
would be joined between them as soon
as the leaders could formulate their
plans for war. Our state was divided.
our valley especially so, peace senti-
ment there being strong: Few of US
there, whether Unionists or not, had
much better than contempt for the un-
couth man from the west. Lincoln, that
most pathetic figure of our history,
later loved by north and south alike
as greatest of our great men. We did
not know him in our valley. All of US
there, Unionists or secessionists, for
peace or for war, dreaded to hear of
his election.
Colonel Sheraton met me at the door,
his face flushed, his brow frowning
He was all politics. "Have you any
news| he demanded. Have you
heard from Leesburg, Washington "