The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1913-12-25
A Defeated
Conqueror

low living. and I quite Endorsed their
opinion. for | had not only entered
into possession of a decent little leg
acy left me by my uncle. but | had
also won the hand and heart of Ada
Miller. the prettiest and most charm
ing young lady in the whole county.
People said her father was inn
menseiy rich and that she would come
in for a handsome fortune at his
death. but what cared | about that?
For had / o sufficient for us both,
even il she We're penniless. And did
| not love her with the whole strength
of a pure and disinterested love?
cannot begin to describe her to
you. for The task is quite beyond me.
Suffice ii to say she was admired by
all who knew her, and loved by not n
few. The latter circumstances ceased
to disturb me when once became her
accepted lover, though before that
time it occasioned me a great deal of
anxiety. and caused me to spend many
a restless night.
OF one lover in particular had I
been jealous, for to my excited and
feal-laden imagination he seemed 10
possess everything that a young lady
could desire. He was tall, broad,
shouldered. handsome, with IA pleasing
I'M and faultless dress, and in ad-
dition to all this, he was endowed with
more than an average share of this
worlds goods.
lie was madly in love with Ada,
hut conducted his wooing in IA way
with which not eVeu his closest rival
could find fault, Kind. considerable
and gentlemanly, never obtruding his
presence unnecessarily, he yet man
aged to pay her considerable atten-
ton, and many ansanixous time did I
spend, fearing that his superior at
fractions would put me in the shade,
Fate, however, decided otherwise,
for when | summoned up courage to
put my fortun to the test, Ada shyly
accepted me, Informing me in a most
engaging manner hat she had never
loved anyone else. You may be sure
that i was in ecstasies. II scarcely
knew for the next few months wheth-
er | walked upon air or upon solid
gfound.
ouI ilSdStiiItlll W as W ltSl q y tRI
at the end of thai time our marriage
was to take place. The time had al
most elapsed, and nothing had occur
red to mar the harmony of the scene
when, quite Unexpectedly, something
happened which filed me with the
deepest horror, and which causes me
TO shudder even now as | recall it. 1t
has partly to do with my rival, Elor-
ace Rishton. whose existence for the
time | had almost forgotten.
He had received the news of oul
engagement in an apparently calm
and quiet manner and his subsequent
behavior had not led us to regard him
as being more than ordinarily affect
ed by it, but in the event ] am %bout
to describe. ! was enabled 10 see how
deep and tragic the effect upon hin
i really was.
The revelation came in this wise:
II was but two DAYS to our we'd
ding. and | had occasion to go on 9
little business connected with it to I
n~eighboring town. a place some foul
miles distant from my home. Having
accomplished my errand. and finding
that | had some considerable time
TO wait for a train, ! resolved to wall
back. so striking out, / soon left the
town behind me.
. had gone somewhere about two
miles when the noon suddenly cloud
ed over. and was left in comparative
darkness. AS | knew the way. how
ever. | thought nothing of it, bu
4T,,1nal .hoapfn1Ir n1n,o tlipl-jn,
only of Ada and our approaching
union. Suddenly. and without a me
ment's warning, the ground gave wa.
from under my feet and ! felt mysel
falling headlong down, down into Thu
depths of the earth. How far | fell
knew not at the time-l learned aftel
ward that it was about thirty feet
:. but | expected instant death when
reached the bottom, and withou
doubt that would have been my fat
had not the bottom OF the hole bee.
filled with water 10 a eonsiderabl
depth. This broke my fab. aid ais
by it's coldness restored me to IN
senses
struck out on coming to the SUI
face. and swan around to find som
thing to which / could hold on. Afte
a considerable time spent in jsearcl
7 ing. during which the full horror {
:, the situation began to dawn ut,on m,
| knew at once the place into whtc
had fallen, and as the knoWledg
a flashed across my mind | cursed m.
self for having been so careless as I
e stumble into it. Ii WAS an Old, di
II Used shaft which had been there fl
generations. Not many people WEI
aware of its existence, for it was in
wild and solitary spot Gcaroeiy eve
visited by anyone. /. however, Ina
seer it several times in my moorlar
= ~wanderings. and had always regarde
y it as d dangerous place. Ii w:s pa
TALLY fenced around, but | must has
l. wandered in through one of tbs gap
There was 30 sootpath anywhere ne;
t. it. SO | must, in the darkness. hay
g lost my way.
u. However. here | was, and the que
y ton confronted me how was | to 6
T. out? l tried to discover If it was pc
sible to climb out, but the sides
the pit offered no hold of any kin
so | had to abandon that idea.
is ! neXt shouted, in the hope tn