The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-09

Eze--s
It lay the ;. I saw its
words again stare up at me. / 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. 81. John Cowles-I, Ellen
Meriwether. take thee-take thee-for
better, for worse-till death do us
part" ] saw her name, ELLEN"
Harry" said 1. turning on him
swiftly. ''Your father IS old. This is
for you and me. think I shall be at
your service Soon"
His face paled. But that of his IA
Their was now gray. very old and gray.
Treacheryw he murmured. ..Treach-
eryi You sighted my girl. My God,
sir. she should not marry you though
she died! This He put out his
hand toward the hide scroll.
NO." I said to him. This is mine.
The record Of my fault belongs 60 me.
The question for you - only in regard
to the punishment
I'VE are four men here" I sdded
presently. 'tand 1t seems to me that
FIRST OF all we owe protection to the
woman who needs 1t. Moreover, re-
peat that. though her error Is not
mine. II was perhaps pride or sorrow
or anger with me which led her to her
own fault. It was Gordon Orme who
told her that I was false to her and
added lies about me and this other
woman. 1t was Gordon Orme, Colo
mel Sheraton. do not doubt. sir. I
found him in your yard here at mid
night wher = last was here. And. sir.
there was a nght-a light. agreed
with your daughter that it was with
out question q light that some servant
had left by chance at a window"
wish never to hear again such a
groan as broke from that old mans
lips. He was sunken and broken
when he put out his hand to me.
BOY" said he, shave mercy. For
give. Can you-could you
Can you yourself forgive thisT' 1
answered, pointing to the scroll. 81
admit to you 1 love Ellen Meriwether
yet and always w. Sir, If married
your daughter, it could only be to leave
her within the hour
Colonel Sheraton said DR.. Bond
cit seems to me that we have no quar-
rel here among ourselves. We ali
want to do what Is best done now to
make amends for what has not always
been best done. Mr.. Cowles has given
every proof we could ask-we could
not ask more Of any man-you have no
right to ask so much. He wishes, at
great cost to himself, think, to do
what he can to save your girls happi-
ness and honor. He admits his own
fault" He looked at me, savagely
shaking q finger. but went on: "As 1t
chances, 1 am curious In other profess
sions than my own sometimes-I read
in the law sometimes, again In theolo-
gy, literature. / wish to be an educated
man so far as may be, since q uni
versity education was denied me. Now,
say to you, from my reading In the
law. a strong question arises whether
the two who wrote this covenant of
marriage are not at this moment man
and wife! There Is a definite, mutual
promise, a consideration moving from
each side, the same consideration in
each case. the promise from each bear
ing the same intent and value and
having the same qualifying clauses.
The contract is def1nite-it is dated.
1t is evidently the record of a unani-
nous intent, an identical frame Of
mind between the two making 1t at
that time. 1t is signed and sealed In
full by one party, no doubt in his own
hand. 1t is written and acknowledged
by the other party in her own hand
''But not signed" l broke in. "See,
q is not signed. She said she would
Gign it one letter each week-weekS
and weeks-until at last this, which
Wss only our engagement. should with
the last letter make our marriage.
Gentlemen" 1 said to them, sit was
an honest contract. 1t was all the
forr.ality we could have, all the cere-
moaF we could have. 1t was all that
we c1uld do. Istand before you prom
iseA 10 two women. Before God I
was promised to one. 1 loved her.
couh do no more
1T tvas enough" said DR.. Bond dry
", taking snuff. at was aswedding"
''ImpRssibler' declared Colonel Sher-
atom.
Not I'm the least" said the doctor.
at can be invalid only upon one
ground It might be urged that the
marriage was not consummated. But
in the courts that would be matter
OF proof. Whatever our young friend
here might say a court would say that
contamination was very probable.
say as this stands the contract is
definite one, agreeing to do a definite
thing-namcly, to enter into the state
Of marriage. The question Of the un-
completed signature does not invali-
date it nor indeed come into the matter
Mt ALL 1t II only question whether
the signature, SO far as it goes, means