Ellsworth American., 1914-06-24
Her
Investigation
BY MARTHA V. MONROE

| shSeIueut WIS puuilSleu 10 tHe NoTIu
indeed. before it was suspected-to
inquire about him.
She had the frankness to tell him
what she was going to dc. He said
that he would be willing to have her
take that and any other precaution she
thought proper and was quite willing
to wait for his answer until she had
satisfied herself in the matter.
One thing Alderman insisted on
which his fiancee baked at. He wish
ed to hear the reports she got of him
and who made them. Miss Markley
didn't think this would be honorable
In her. Ackerman replied that there
could surely be no harm in her telling
him who had spoken well of him, and
1t was his right to know who had
spoken Ill of him. She yielded the
point and agreed to tell him all.
The next three months were rather a
trying time between the lovers. When
Miss Markley heard her lover well
spoken of she was very gracious to
she could not conceal the effect il had
on her. When two of the three months
had elapsed she wrote him a note.
breaking the engagement between
them. He called on her and she re-
| fused to receive him.
| He wrote her a note stating that he
supposed some one had spoken Ill of
! him and reminded her of the agree
ment that he should hear the good and
! the bad. She replied that she had de
cided against him on the testimony of
one whose word was unimpeachable,
and nothing he could say wonld serve
to eradicate the impression that had
been made upon her.
1t now seemed to Mr. Ackerman that
1t was time to depart from the defen-
sive and take up the offensive. He
had well understood from the begin
ming that if his fiancee could get per
sons to talk about him as they really
felt there were plenty who would
speak Ill of him. The shortest way to
neutralize what these persons said was
to have a few words spoken by sup
posed friends OF Miss Markley when
tilt uLitt Cdlilt " USE lutlll ne
fore made inquiries about her on the
same lines she inquired about him.
Since he could not get word with her
he fired a preliminary shot.
He wrote her of his investigations.
which he said he did not in the least
value, but he had kept written list
Of them that he would be pleased to
compare with what she had gathered
about him. This put different face
On the matter. Miss Markley was not
only curious to know what people had
said about her, but she did not wish
the man she had discarded to be pref
udiced against her. She consented to
meeting.
Ackerman called with little memo
randum book in his pocket Miss
Markley received him coldly and ask
ed him to produce his notes.
First" he said. 'is what was told
me by Miss A. when / asked her what
kind Of person you were"
''She hates me-"
Nevertheless she spoke highly OF
you Miss Markley,' she said. is
lovely girl"
''The serpent"
"Now," said Ackerman, II have CIV
en- you one criticism of yourself.
would like to hear one criticism. the
one that decided you to drop me. Per-
haps / may be content with his name
alone"
"Paul Gunter"
"That is quite sufficient / hold Mr..
Gunter's note for $500. He gave it to
me in lieu Of being criminally prose-
cuted by me for a proceeding which.
to say the least. was irregular"
/ Ackerman. who spoke these words
with change of manner. arose to go.
Have you the note?' asked Miss
Markley.
! II have. but ii is under lock and key.
You are the only person except Mr..
( Gunter and | who knows that | pos
sess it."
Where are you going?"
There is no necessity of going any
| further in this matter. Thus far there
has been no betrayal of confidence, at
/ ieust ny me. nave pTuNeu ludt your
plan of getting opinions about the man
you would marry is a failure"
what is girl to do?" moaned Hell
en-. when she consents to link her
life with man she takes a step in the
dark"
Ackerman had gone to the door and
! placed his hand upon the knob. He
turned and walked back to her.
ut is that step in the dark that
leads me to forgive you for what you
have done. Marriage. you know, has
been truly called a lottery. a lottery
for the man as well as the woman.
But we must take 1t or fail to fulfill
our natural destiny. Every woman be
fore marriage should. so far as possi-
Bile. learn what she can about the
man she expects to marry. but she can
only learn through others of his gen.