Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1914-09-18

ana 1 know that the whole world was
bounded for her by that mans face.
A handsome face 1t was-dark and
subtly sweet tender, winning face,
with lips that seemed made only for
loves whispers, and eyes that spoke
only its language.
AT the last reception before the
holidays he asked her the great ques-
tion, and the glory of 1t took the very
light out Of her eyes with its ecstasy.
She nearly swooned, so great was the
Joy that mastered her.
Letters passed between them while
she was home for the holidays, and
when she came back she entered upon
her fairyland. into which a woman
may only enter once-the Fairyland Of
the First
For month the girl lived-hardly
lived, / should say. for the days were
Just a golden dream with hardly be-
ginning or end-a long web Of SHIN
mering gold, down whose length she
drifted, half asleep with the poppy Of
loves intoxication.
Then came day when she awoke
to sickening reality. The Man was
going away for several weeks. He
was a travelling man, you sea cot
ton buyer. whom his firm sent on long
trips at all seasons of the year over
the sweet South country. There was
an agonized farewell, enthralling
kisses. fearless gasps on the part Of
the girl at this first parting from her
fiance, warm embraces and tender
words, and the Man was gone.
How many days was it-three, FIVE
before 1t came-the telegram?
There had been great railroad
wreck on southern line-fgures had
been drawn, crushed and broken. from
the debris. Among them was that of a
man in whose garments had been found
letters bearing her address. In the
bevy of winged barbs of anguish that
took flight from that gruesome place
was the dispatch for her q,
The girl tainted instantly.
When she came to, all that was to
make her a woman in the years to
come had pushed through her mad
ness to the surface.
with quiet hands she prepared her.
self, and took the midnight train.
1T was gray dawn of winters day
when that ghastly journey brought her
into the fateful town somewhere
within whose limits lay her dead.
"Gray-haired, plying ladies of the
White Ribbon had taken 1t upon them.
selves to meet the hapless comers,
and she was taken into motherly arms
and cried over when she got off the
train-she was so very slim. and young
and white"
Again Mrs. Bobby paused.
1T was little journey then. across
the town in the dawn, up the stone
steps of an imposing building, down a
corridor, and at last into a room where
there lay an object, long and majestic
beneath a white cloth.
The room blurred before the girls
eyes, and the motherly woman held
her up.
And then the end.
She was standing beside the long
slab and some one had taken back
the cloth, and she was looking down
upon the face OF the Man In all It's
sculptured beauty. No brand had
burned, no beam had SCARED 1t. II
was fine in It's calm sweetness, the
loving lips curved in their last smile
Silently she looked-long and 81
lently-and presently sound cut into
her consciousness-a low, persistent
sound, that came from the distance
beyond the slab-and she raised hel
eyes with difficulty.
Beyond the face OF her dead ther,
knelt a woman-another girl like her
self-one who wept, and neither looked
up nor released the cold hand that she
held In both her own; regal darl
head bowed itself close to that whit,
temple on the slab, and all anguish
moaned in her sobs.
Can you see, ladies? One man ant
two women. There had been found
two addresses; two girls had been tele
graphed. Two who loved him hat
come on the wings Of grief.
"And-there had been two engage
ments; two wedding days had been
set: two we're rivals in his affections
two who stood above their dead"
Mrs. Bobby was looking through the
rubber plant-far. far through.
In the willow rocker Mrs. Carstor
was gripping her hands.
Little Mrs. Gaylord caught hei
breath.
They raised their eyes. those two
I girls who had become women in that
one moment, and looked deep into
each others soul. Above the smiling
face on the slab they looked.
Then slowly the one on the fool
lifted her arms to the swaying white
face OF the other. and in a moment
they were locked in each others arms
weeping together.
"Rivals-they lifted their eyes abov,
the humiliation. each owning somo o.
the Mans love, they forgave.
81 know. you soe-for I was IN,
girl from Kidd-Key. and this was tn,
hand that held my beloved's."
Mrs. Bobby reached and took IN,