Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1913-01-08
CHAPTER !.
Into the Maslstrom.


into which l was about to plunge. |
was worried and anxious, II is true,
but only as every young man IS who
finds himself for the FIRST time deeply
In love. There was no portent of evil,
no foreshadowing of the terrible chain
OF events that all but destroyed my
belief in my fellow-man, and left its
mark so deep upon my memory that |
do not believe time ever can wholly
efface II.
Even now that II is all ended, and
the shadow which hung so heavily
over the household Of my sweetheart
has been dispelled and the hand whose
devillsh ingenuity brought shame and
grief and wreck to so many innocent
lives is paying the penalty behind
prison bars-even now / shudder at
the sight Of anything yellow. A scrap
OF yellow paper vividly recalls--and |
fear always will recall-the painful
events Of the last few weeks.
had been waiting ever since my re.
turn from court for a telephone mes
sage that had not come-the word
from Louise which felt would decide
my fate. | had written to her the
might before, asking If | might go to
her in the afternoon to speak on a sub
1ect Of Importance l knew she would
understand the object Of ny letter,
though all that | had asked was that
she would telephone me earlier than
four whether she would be at home
From my window had watched the
great hand on the Metropolitan tower
clock creep slowly to twelve. As the
chiPes began to sing the hour Of four
felt that / could bear the suspense
no longer. Message or no message, |
would 60 to her at once Before the
vibrant note Of "On-n-n.n-e" had died
away closed my desk with a bang.
AS the fourth stroke reverberated
stood with hat and overcoat on. my
hand on the knob of my office door,
hoping yet to hear my telephone ring.
Impatiently l waited a minute and
then dashed toward the elevator. The
telephone, learned afterward, rang
almost the minute | was out of the
room and Louise's voice called fran
tically for me, but l was not there to
hear.
1t was only a short walk up Madison
avenue to the home of General Far
IRISH, the father Of Louise. With the
doubt that possesses every lover on
such a mission as this, walked it,
now laggardly as misgivings filled my
heart, now quickening my pace as
hope routed my fears. AS | turned
the corner into the street where the
Parrish home is situated my steps
were leaden. What right had to ask
Louise Parrish to be my wife? The
daughter Of a man worth many mil
lions, girl Of exquisite beauty and
OF many accomplishments, one who
could choose a husband where she
Willed-what right had to hope thai
she would ever consent to become the
wife of struggling young lawyer
such as I? To be sure, my family was
of the best. With my earnings ant
the modest little fortune my father
had left me would be able to provid,
for her. But as yet, though my pros
pects were bright, amounted to moth
ing in my profession. 1t would b,
years before l could hope to give m,
wife the luxuries to which Louise Far
IRISH had been accustomed.
On the other hand, felt that will
Louise as my wife / could do grea
things. loved her with a great love
felt that her affection and Communion
ship would be inspiration enough 70
any man to conquer the world.
hoped that she loved me. recalle
the trifes which seemed to show. a
beast, that she found pleasure in m
society. I tried to comfort myself, toe
by remembering that General Farris
was self-made man, that when h
married lie was as poor as |, If nc
poorer l knew that he liked me an
had confidence in me. Was It ther
after all. l asked myself, presumin
in me to hope that Louise would lii
ten to me and that her father woul
consent to her becoming my wife
yet, why had she not telephoned?
AS l dragged my hesitate lg fe,
across the street l was arou | frol
my reverie by the rush of an autom
bile that all but knocked me owe
With an angry imprecation at sue
reckless driving l glanced up an
recognized the man who occupied
He was standing beside his cbauffeu
as II ready to leap out. 1t was Do
tor Wilcox, a noted practitioner WI
attended the Parrish family, and who
l had met at their home / plunge
forward in anxious dismay as ! sa
tho machine halt before the Farris
door and the doctor jump out and ri
up the steps.
My first. my only thought, was
Louise. What could have happened
She must be ill-desperately i'll. as II
doctors haste suggested. Did not tn
explain her failure to telephone? Cou
81 be that she was dead? VIII
thoughts flashed through my mind
cannot analyze further. I only knC
] reached the house but a step behil
II the doctor He had hardly pass
~ through the door when I, too, flu
myself into the han and stood the
swaying, with not voice enough to a
a question Of the white-faced, horr
stricken maid who had answered {
doctors ring.
Where Is she?" heard the doct
ask as he flung his coat to the ms