The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-05-06
AFTER SOUL WENT OUT
BY EARL MARBLE.

Suddenly all was still.
A CHASTITY Wilderness settled over
the thin. yearning face on the pillow.
and peace took the place Of pain.
The end Of life Of conjugal mis-
mating had come at last
Can you not forgive me all the
wrong you have suffered at my hands
before you go?" he had asked.
n! you have ever wronged me.
Henry" she said. II forgive you. - !
hope to be forgiven"
III I have ever wronged you" he
echoed. II certainly have, and It 10
20 noble Of you to say those words"
but have need to be forgiven
Also" she had said. you will not
refuse?"
"There is nothing to forgive, Mary"
he had said. "But II there were any.
thing for me to forgive in you. 1t is
given freely. I am only sorry 1t IS
said now, at the close Of our lives to-
gether, instead Of at the beginning"
The woman had caught her breath
feebly and all was over
Father" said the young man, the
evening of the day after they had re.
turned from the funeral, "why did
you and mother always treat each
other so coldly?"
Because there was no love be.
tween us. Let's take a walk down the
road and I will tell you about 1t. The
trouble began from the very begin.
ming Of our married life-in fact, be-
fore our marriage"
They had walked till they reached
the edge Of little wood by this time.
IT had presumed to think that I
might make your mother my wife, but
had little prospect of success. A
young man came into the neighbor'
hood from Chicago. He was sum.
mer boarder at neighboring farm
house. His name was Hubbard-Sid.
ney Hubbard. He met your mother,
and she fell in love with him at once.
None Of us had any chance then.
Practically. we all gave It up. But
one evening, toward the close Of the
season, was passing the house where
he boarded and was astonished to see
him in earnest talk with q girl whom
I had never seen before. They were
standing at the open window, and he
had an arm around her. I watched
them a moment, and as I turned to
go, came face to face with your moth.
or. We heard him use endearing
terms to her, saw him kiss her. and
then heard him promise to 60 with
her at once. took your mother
home and left her almost completely
Frustrated. She did not say q word
Of what she had seen to any one. She
was very proud and high spirited. The
young man and young woman disap.
peared that night: and. as soon a.
your mother had recovered sufficient.
ly. I renewed my suit. and she accept
ed me. on condition that should take
her away from the neighborhood.
"Your mother never returned to the
old place, her family having removed
also q short time afterward. They
had lived there but q short time and
had no intimates. so none Of them
ever heard from the neighborhood
again. ! went out there to settle up
some Of my affairs, and heard that
Hubbard had been there. learned the
story, and inquired my address. A
few weeks afterward, went out dur
ing the late afternoon, for walk, as
we are doing now. and met him right
here. He accused me Of treachery to
him, and said that the lady whom we
had seen him in company with was
his sister, who had come after him
to aid her in untangling some proper
ty matter, which required their imme-
date attention. One word led to an.
other and finally he struck me. re.
turned the blow with interest, and he
fell. striking that rock there" point.
ing to large rock by the roadside.
"after which he never stirred. I had
killed him, but had not intended to do
so. dug a grave over there" point
ing to mound 20 slisht as not to be
noticeable. "and buried him."
"Did mother ever known"
mo, my boy"
ibid any one else?"
mo"
"But that Is why you and mother
were always estranged from each
other?"
Eyes"
ooh. well. cheer up, father. It
was not so bad-the killing, I mean.
You did the only thing you could do.
The estrangement was terrible. It
might have been better II you had
| told mother"
1T would not-under the circum.
stances"
We'll. don't dwell on it now. We
will go home now, and make the best
of 1t. dear old father"
But l am not your father"
You-are-not-my- Then
who is?"