Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-05-19
AFTER MANY YEARS
Story Of Love and Tragedy as
Told by a Dying
Man.
By EDNA [. BURsLEY.

sacrament of the church before his
spirit winged its fight to the judg
ment seat Of God.
NO" said the man, "a priest could
not forgive my sings In Gods name, fol
God himself will never pardon me
But, sister, you are a woman, let me
confess my one great sin to you, and
have you forgive me in her name
The nun thought his mind wan
dered, but selling her hand with fe'
verish eagerness, he drew her closer
to the bedside, and begged her not to
refuse him this one last chance of
easing his conscience. She silently
acquiesced, and motioned him to go
ON.
1T is a long tale of foul crime. and
retributive suffering" he began,
land before it is ended you, sister,
all gentleness and goodness that you
are, will turn from me In horror and
loathing.
My father was a wealthy planter
with two sons, myself and brother
who was my junior by three years.
Our mother died when we were very
young, and as my father never mar
ried again, we grew to manhood with
out ever knowing the purifying, re-
straining influence of a woman's love
and guidance. We were educated
North The summer | attained my ma
jority, / returned to my fathers plan
tation / set to work thoroughly to
familiarize myself with all the details
of sugar farming, in order to one day
be able to relieve my father of the
burden Of personal management OF
his estate.
We had few near neighbors, but
learned that a widow had leased
small cottage on our place, and had
come to reside there with her daugh-
ter ] met them both at church the
first Sunday after my return. Yes,
sister, it was just that way, for l
see you anticipate the events that
followed upon that meeting. She did
not seem beautiful to memo, she'was
too slight In person and too imma-
ture in mind for that; but as we rode
home together the flowers, the birds,
| the soft blueness of the sky, and the
/ dazzling sunshine all contributed to
make me think her voice the sweetest
and her laugh the merriest had ever
heard We saw much of each other
after that, and | could not help no
ticing her Frightening eyes, and chang
ing color whenever ! approached. A
few weeks after our first meeting we
went for a row on the river.
Before | was aware of 1t, had
whispered honeyed nothings by the
score into her willing ear, and con-
cluded by asking her to marry me.
Il pass over the next few months.
We were very happy until was seized
by an unaccountable desire to see
something of the life and society in
the large city near by. My father
consented, and shortly after left
home and took up my residence at one
of the fashionable hotels of the city.
wrote regularly for a time to my
tiancee, but as invitations to parties,
balls, dinnerss germans and so forth
poured in thicker and faster, my let
tiers ceased altogether l never even
thought of her unless 1t was to COM
pare her. and very unfavorably at
that, with the gay bellies of fashion
to whose piping was now dancing.
"A year passed away, and | decided
to make a foreign tour. / went TO
Europe, where | idled away three
years. When l again set foot on my
native soil l fastened to my fathers
! home. He and my brother welcomed
me gladly. and / felt happier than
: had been since had left them.
Il did not once inquire for my
/ cidevant sweetheart, but when / did
| was told that she and her mother
were living on our place still. Ny
, brother invited me to go with him tC
. call upon them that same evening
!, went, and would to God | had no
I done SO! saw again the girl | haC
. so coolly cast aside in the years agon,
and in the same moment there fiasheG
8 across my soul the deep, unalterabl'
: conviction that she-she was tn
e only woman l had ever loved, or coul,
:. ever love
"Ah. II you could have seen tn
springing step. the laughing eyeI
the radiant bloom OF her cheek! An
then the indefnAble. irresistibl
charm of her manner and conVersl
ton. Another meeting, and wa
mad In love with her. For days
= lived in the doubt, the hope, the q
stacy OF love, and then came it's to-
Y turing terror. and chill despondenc!
y | learned that in a few weeks sh
ID was to wed my brother. few to m
room. When l left 1t l was no longs
a man, but a demon. crazy with jea
ousy and thirsting for what In m
, frenzy l told myself was just r
Venge.
Il affected delight at my brother
o approaching happiness. and no OF
|. guessed the wild tumult that rage
y within my breast At length the
~ wedding eve arrived. and from n