Little Falls herald., 1914-07-31
ase
Repentance

Repe pentanc:e
b MARGARET c. DEVEREAlN Il
# We have usually presumed that re-
pentance must come before death.
Eleanor Blake lost her father. when
she was little girl. and her mother
took for second husband one Will
liam Markland. q widower with a son,
at the time Of the marriage twelve
years older than his stepsister. The
widow was very poor, and Mr.. Marx
land was rich. His son, Joseph, was
q singular youth, sometimes under the
influence Of pure and noble emotions
and sometimes apparently swayed By
the devil himself. When he was in
the former condition he was very kind
to Eleanor. but when in the latter he
seemed to hate her.
Eleanor was favorite with her step.
father and he hoped when she grew
to be a woman she would marry his
son. for he was aware of the latter's
DR.. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde disposition.
and he believed that she would be
able to tide him over his evil periods,
but he only wished for this; he did
not attempt to bring it about. Flea
nor's mother died when she was If
teen years old, and after being made
again a widower Mr.. Markland's at
fection for his little stepdaughter was
much enhanced. His sons periods Of
wickedness seemed to be increasing on
him and were source of distress to
his father.
Then Joe Markland. when Eleanor
was seventeen years old, delighted his
father by showing evidence that he
was falling in love with his stepsister.
Eleanor. however. seemed to regard
him only as brother, but as such was
extremely fond OF him. He asked for
a different love, and when she told
him that it was not possible for her
to give 1t to him he fell into one. Of
his wicked states and treated her
shamefully.
Joe Markland disappeared one day
and was not seen at home again for a
long while. Meanwhile his father
failed in health, and Eleanor was his
sole comfort. She considered it her
duty as well as her preference to re-
main single and to minister to him,
though she had many 'suitors. All
this time no one knew where Joe
Markland was till few months before
his father died, when Eleanor received
a letter from him evidently written in
one of his angelic moods. He regret
ted that she could not love him, but
did not blame her. He wrote to ask
her forgiveness for the way he had
treated her.
Eleanor wrote that his father could
not live long and begged him to come
home and give the invalid what COM
fort he could during the short time
that remained before death. Joe wrote
that he would come at once; but,
though only a few weeks were need
ed for the journey, he did not arrive
for several months. He reached home
the day his father died. and 1t was
perhaps as we'll that he did not ar
rive sooner, for. though he showed no
outward signs Of his mood to those
who did not know him well, he was,
nevertheless, in one Of his devilish
conditions. His father was barely
able to bid him goodby and whisper
ed to him that he hoped he would
some day secure Eleanor for his wife.
Joe took charge of the household
and household affairs till after the fu-
neral, when a search was made for
the will. No will was found. Joe,
being sole heir at law, took possess
sion Of the property and told Eleanor
that If she would marry him he would
turn over the management Of it to her.
Eleanor refused. G;lite possibly, know
ing as she did that her stepfather de-.
sired the match, she might have yield
ed. but she saw that Joe was at the
time not bis better self.
Joe Markland remained at home
long enough TO put his estate under
"a competent manager. whom he direct
ed to pay his sister $50 month and
permitted her to remain in the home.
stead.
4 One morning looking out Of an up.
per window she saw her stepbrother
coming. Though some distance from
her. he appeared bedraggled. He was
walking rapidly, and she had scarcely
seen him when she heard him at the
door. She ran down to meet him. but
he was not where she had expected to
find him. Thinking he had entered be
fore her. she went into the living room.
There stood Joe with a heavenly look.
on his face. such as she had often seen
there when he had become repentant.
She was about to spring toward him
when she noticed that he was dripping
with water. And singularly enough
there was salt odor about him. She
ran out Of the room to get something