The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-05-08
| A Case Of
Repentance
By MARGARET C. DEVEREAUx

she was Il little girl, and her mother
took for a second husband one Will
liam MARYLAND. widower with son.
at the time of the marriage twelve
yearS older than his stepsister The
widow was very poor, and Mr.. Mark
land was rich. His son. Joseph. was
a 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 woman she would marry his
son. for he was aware of the latters
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
nors mother died when she was fif-
teen years old. and after being made
again widower Mr.. Markland's af-
lection for his little stepdaughter was
much enhanced. His sons periods Of
wirkedness seemed to be increasing on
him and were source of distress to
his father.
Then Joe MARYLAND. 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 a brother, but as such was
extremely fond of him. He asked for
d different love, and when she told
him that it was not possible for her
to give it to him he fell into one of
his wicked states and treated her
shamefully.
Joe MARYLAND disappeared one day
and was not seen at home again for
long while. Meanwhile his father
failed In health, and Eleanor was his
sole comfort. She considered it her
main single and to minister to him.
though she had many suitors. All
this time no one knew where Joe
MARYLAND was till few months before
his father died. when Eleanor received
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 few weeks were need
ed for the journey, he did not arrive
for several months. He reached home
the day his father died, and it was
perhaps as well 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 flu
neral, when a search was made for
the will. No will was found. Joe.
| being sole heir at law, took posses
sion of the property and told Eleanor
! hnt hn ho ypI1lI
turn over the MANAGEMENT of it to her
Eleanor refused. Cutie 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 his 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.
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 a salt odor about him. She
ran out of the room to get something
in which to wrap him till he could
change his clothing, and when she re-
turned with a blanket she had snatch
ed from a bed Joe was not there.
What had become of him? She was
about to run into the hall to look for
him when she noticed on a table
folded document, She took it up and
found it soaked with water. Clinging
to it was a fine strand of seaweed
The paper was found to be n will Of
William MARYLAND. leaving all his prop
erty to his stepdaughter, Eleanor
Blake.
Eleanor was found lying on the floor
in swoon. and an illness followed.
When she recovered she said that she
had found the will in the Gttic under a
leak in the roof. Soon after this news
came of the death of Joe MARYLAND. |
He had been drowned trying to swim
across an inlet on the coast of Tas
mania.
Had he stolen the will while his ia
Their was lying dead. possibly in the
same room with him?