The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-07-25

cident that came to pass in perfectly
natural way. Her deck chair stood
next to his, and he was not slow in
making himself agreeable. 1t did not
occur to her till long afterwards that
he deliberately had traded positions
with an elderly gentleman who occu-
pied the chair on the first day out.
Before the end of the voyage they
were very good friends.
When We landed in New York. he
assisted me in many ways. After
wards, on learning that | was not to
60 to California, | called him up on
the telephone to explain my predica-
ment He urged me to stay in New
York; he guaranteed that there would
be no difficulty in securing splendid
position in the east. | had no means
of knowing that he was married.
accepted him for what thought him
to be: a genuine American gentleman.
They are supposed to be particularly
considerable with women. His conduct
toward me was beyond reproach. |
have never known a man who was so
courteous, so gentle. To me, he was
the most fascinating man in the world.
No woman could have resisted him, |
am sure of that"
She shot quick. appealing glance
at Booths hard-set face. Her lip
trembled for a second.
Il fell madly in love with him." she
went on resolutely. II dreamed of
him, | could hardly wait for the time
to come when | was to see him. He
never came to the wretched little lodg-
ing house | have told you about. II
met him outside. One night he told
me that he loved me, loved me pas
sionately. II said that ! would be
his wife. Somehow it seemed to me
that he regarded me very curiously
for a moment or two. He seemed to
be surprised, uncertain. l remember
that he laughed rather queerly. 1t
did not occur to me to doubt him. One
day he came for me, saying that he
wanted me to see the little apartment
he had taken, where we were to live
after we were married. | went with
him. He said that IL liked it, could
move in at once, but | would not con
sent to such an arrangement. For the
| first time | began to feel that every
| thing was not as it should be. II
remained in the apartment but a few
| minutes. The next day he came to
me, greatly excited and more demon
strative than ever before, to say that
he had arranged for a quiet. jolly
little wedding up in the country
Strangely enough, / experienced q
queer feeling that all was not as II
should be, but his eagerness, his per
sistence dispelled the small doubt
that had begun even then to shape
itself. consented to 60 with him or
the next night to an inn out In the
country, where a college friend wht
was a minister Of the gospel would
| meet US, driving over from his parish
a few miles away. l said that | pre-
ferred to be married in a church. HI,
laughed and said it could be arranged
when we got to the inn and had talked
1t over with the minister. Still un
easy, | asked why it was necessar,
to employ secrecy. He told me tina
his family were in Europe and that h,
wanted to surprise them by givin,
them a daughter who was actually re
lated to an English nobleman. Tn,
family had been urging him to MARI,
stupid but rich New York girl an,
he-oh; we'll he uttered a great dea
of nonsense about my beauty, m,
charm, and all that sort of thing.
She paused for a moment No on
spoke. Her audience Of judges, witt
the exception of the elder Mrs. Wrar
dali, watched her as IL fascinated
Their faces were almost expression
less. With a perceptible effort, sh
resumed her story, narrating event
that carried it up to the hour whe
she walked into the little upstair
room at Buttons inn with the ma
who was to be her husband.
ITO RE CONTINIrEnN