Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-03-05

fore tie H1d been fefiluE the truth 10
keep out of trouble. be now yielded to
a temptation TO tell "A lie that would
get him back into trouble and keep
him there. Why Is il that a man who
will protect himself c~ircumspectly
against ordinary entangiements will
plunge into IL slough of despond where
a woman is co~ncernedg
Donald Brewer was young and reck-
less and behaved accordingly. He
smiled at the lady In a way to cause
her to doubt a decision she had just
made thar he was not her husband. A
quick glance of inquiry. followed by a
step forward. then a step backward.
and she sprang oward him. He caught
her In his arms. and her head sank on
his bosom.
Donald was facing. as 1t happened,
a mirror. and when he caught sight Of
his reflection holding in his arms a wo-
man whom he had permitted to think
was her husband a sense of the dis
honor of his act and its probable con-
sequences rose within him to plague
him.
What a COMPOUNDED fool and vii
lain | amr' he mentally exclaimed.
Shocked ut what he had done, he be-
gan at once TO c~onjure up some method
of getting out Of the trap he had laid
for himself Taking her hands In his.
he disengaged her embrace. and. bold
ing her apart so that he could look her
in the eyes. be set about framing a
statement that would put the matter
back where 1t was before he had made
the break. But one loo out of those
brown eyes lereft him Of the will to
| do so. He WAS like one In deep water
struggling to rise. AS soon as be got
to the surface q heavy hand pushed
him back again. He felt as though he
were sinking deeper and deeper In a
moral quicksand-
"Forgive me-" he muttered and took
her in his arms again.
Now. II doesn't matter whether he
asked her to forgive him for thus de-
ceiying her or for having deserted her.
for at that moment he saw reflected in
the glass the sister-in-law who had
freed him from the imputation of be-
ing the deserter. She WIS looking at
the pair locked in "A mutual embrace
with an expression of extreme dissat'
isfaction.
He was appalled,.
The lady he was holding In. his arms.
fortunately for him. looked and. seeing
the intruder. relieved him from the ne
cessity Of disengaging himself.
"Given,'' said she who had entered
reproachfully.
Ruth, replied the other. lyon were
mistaken. after all. He is Walter
Ruth gave Donald a look which be
remembered TO his dying day.
~ grant" she said. that you may
be Walters twin brother. for villainy
seems to run in the blood"
This opened the door for at least a
temporary escape.
"You are right he said, catching at
a straw. Il am Walters twin broth
err
Both women drew back and stared
at Donald. who stood like Ajax defy
ing the lightning.
walter Schofield had no twin broth
err" said Ruth.
None that he would acknowledge.
| was regarded as the black sheep OF
the family. At twelve years of age
ran away. and my name was never
after mentioned In the family"
The grass widow by this time had
returned to a state of wondering doubt.
I'VE have had" said Ruth. lone
black sheep of your family in ours, and
we have no use for another"
She pointed to the door.
Assuming a proud innocence the very
opposite of what he felt. Donald said:
II am aware of my brothers injns-
tice To his angel wife. have been
tempted to do evil that good might
come. | was disposed 10 take advan'
tage of the resemblance between US to
right the wrongs he has done. ! have
failed. Au revoir."
With a low bow he strutted out OF
the room and the house, Ruth looking
after him with A glance of indignant
contempt. while Given evidently did
not know whether TO let him 60 or de-
tain him.
A month passed. during which Don
aid Brewer dreaded every day lest be
should in some way be punished for
having yielded to temptation ana
formed innumerable plans TO set him
self right in the matter. There Is but
one way for persons who have erred
- 1t - I'm fr
confession. When Donald had turned
down a plan or two a day he finally
arrived at the confessional state.
He wrote a long letter to the wife
OF his twin brother" giving a detailed
account Of his temptation aud the
cause of it and acknowledging that~his
final statement was false from begin
ming to end. His excuse was one
which with Il woman will always win
- 49, 49,. 1>.l fk.4nd hor a.. rh N rrp