The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1915-04-10


lain I ami" he mentally exclaimed.
Shocked at what he had done, he
began at once to conture up some
method of getting out OF the trap
he had laid for himself. Taking her
hands in his, he 4disengaged. her
embrace, and, holding Aer apart SO
that he could look her in the eyes, he
set about framing q statement that
would put. the matter back where it
was before he had made the. break.
But one look out Of those brown
eyes bereft him of the will to do 80.
He was like one in deep water strug-
Cling to rise. As soon os he got to
the surface a heavy hand pushed
him back again. He felt as though
he were sinking deeper and deeper
in moral quicksand.. 80: =
Forgive me-" he muttered and
took her in his arms again.
Now, it doesn't matter whether he
asked her to forgive him for thus
deceiving 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 impu-
tation of being the deserter. She
was. looking OF the pair locked in a.
mutual embrace with an expression
of extreme dissatisfaction.
He was appalled,.
The lady he was holding in his
arms. fortunately for him, looked,
and seeing the intruder, relieved him
from the necessity of disengagtng
himself
"Given!" said she. who had entered
reproachfully.
Ruth. replied the other, you
were mistaken, after all. He is Wal
ter"
Ruth gave Donald a look which
he remembered to his dying day.
II 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
a. straw. II am Walters twin
brother"
Both women drew back and stared
at Donald, who stood like Ajax DEFY
ing the lightning.
"Walter schot1eld had no twin
brother" said Ruth.
"None that he would acknowledge.
I 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 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, Don
aid said:
II am aware of my brothers injus-
tice to his angel wife. I have been
tempted to do evil that good might
come. I was disposed to 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 look
ing after him with glance of indig-
nant contempt. while Given evidently
did not know whether to let him go
or detain him.
"A month passed, during which
Donald Brewer dreaded every. day
lest he should in some way be pun
ished for having yielded to tempta-
ton and formed innumerable plans
to set himself fright in the matter.
| There is but one way for persons
who have erred to set themselves
right, and that is confession. When
Donald had turned down a plan or
two a day he finally arrived at the
confessional state.
He wrote long letter to the
''wife of his twin brother" giving a
detailed account of his temptation
and the cause Of it and acknowledge
ing that his final settlement was
false from beginning to end. His
excuse was one which with a. woman
will always win. 1t was that he had
found her SO charming and sympa-
thized so deeply with her and her
lovely child that he simply couldn't
help It. -. E,S ..">e.
And here is the. beginning. to a
sequel Of this story OF which only
the bare facts can, be given. Donald
called by invitation on the widow
and was forgiven: and his call was
followed by: number of others. The
lady was about to apply for a divorce
in order that she might marry him
when her husband conveniently died,
thus saving trouble, expense and
time, which last to Donald was the
most important Of the three, for he
was madly in love and had been
waiting long enough already.
All this happened years ago. What
was at one time a serious matter is
now one on which Donald Brewer
occasionally ventures to crack a
joke. He is an aftectionate STEP
father to his wife's child, and her
aunt Ruth has come to a point where
she considers that he had some
excuse for his altogether objection
able action. But women are apt to
think that love covers a multitude
of sins. ''.s.~...:
ONE BUSINESS HELPED