The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1915-07-23

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refuse
. Weeks passed. Their intimacy deep
ened. The girl was becoming very dear
10 Sotheby At last the DAP arrived
when he felt that the shadow which
hung over them ought to be lifted.
Mollie.' he said. taking the girls
hands in his. I want 10 tell you. dear.
that | love you. l want 10 ask you
TO be my wife. | feel that you and
have something inseparaole. some
thing that makes our lives one. II IS
Evelyn. and yet never cared for Eve
Ign as love you
The girl looked at him. and then. TO
Sotheby's amazement. she burst into
passionate weeping.
4 can never marry you. Jack she
cried: You do not know-Oh. you do
not know. and cannot bring myself
to tell you.
But you love me. Molly2 he cried.
He took her in his arms. and for an
instant her head lay on his shoulder.
Yes. love you she said. But
cannot marry you She raised her
head and looked him frankly in the
eyes. Listen. Jack she said. I have
loved you since | first saw you. and
have never loved anyone else That
is why | must send you away II is
because OF Evelyn
He could find no answer 10 make.
lie bowed his head and went away.
II was another year before he saw
MoIlie again Then he was at Atlantic
City.
He was seated in secluded corner
by the Boardwalk when he saw Mol
lie coming toward him. At first he
thought. so striking was the resem-
blance. that she was Evelyn herself.
Then. as he watched her. he saw Eve
Ign in the flesh. at her side. and. be-
side Evelyn a man
The trio were advancing toward
him. and Evelyn and the man were
engaged in animated conversation.
Evelyn had grown stouter and flesh
Ter. she was still the dashing beauty
or old times. but the dashingness could
not carry itself so well under that &C
cumulated load OF flesh. II was over
done. and the woman was obviously
too artificial The hair was too light.
the eyes too dark Sotheby stared
He could not be mistaken. Ii was
Evelyn
"Sotheby was not superstitious. He
knew that Evelyn was at Mollies side.
- w-1f 20.
their hotel. He watched them enter.
and all that day he waited until be
was rewarded at last By seeing Mollie
come out alone. She walked. with her
limping gait. along the Boardwalk I'M
Ill she came TO the same place where
Sotheby had sat that morning There
she sat down. and there he accOsted
her
The terror in the girls eyes almost
unnerved him. She glanced at him
fearfully. and saw that he knew all.
You have seen herr she cried.
with a quick intake of breath.
~Sotheby nodded. Tell me the
truth. Molie.' he said. taking her hand
in his And he knew then that. al
though IL was not the same Evelyn
whom he had loved. it was just the
same Mollie who had been 80 dear
to him. who had always been in his
thoughts. night and day. since he had
learned 10 love her
She is not dead said Sotheby.
But-Mollie. tell me the truth. and
trust me-.
Yes. | will tell you the truth an
swered the girl. When you became
Engaged to Evelyn you looked on it
as serious matter. But TO Evelyn
il vas Just a joke. a summer fiirta-
ton. She gets engaged at least two
or three times every summer When
you looked on il as something lasting
Evelyn was-well. just plain scared.
She liked you well enough 70 become
engaged 10 you. but she never loved
you. Jack. Why. Evelyn couldn't love
anybody. The man she is engaged to
now is rich. and she will probably
marry hin: but she never intended to
marry you.
You frightened her. Jack. and be
cause she really did care for you in
a way. she was afraid that she might
not be able to help marrying you.
And you were not rich man. not
rich enough fer Evelyn. | didn't know
what she was going 10 do. but knew
that she was planning to do some
thing. because she was mad with fear
wher you came down to North Cliff.
You know she can swim. She told
me afterwards-she sent me a letter
while was IN the fishermaa's house.
before you came up to see me She
had upset the boat. knowing that you
would take care of me. because
could not swim. When the boat upset
Evelyn dived and climbed out and
hid behind the rocks She waited there
until she saw that We were safe. and
then she ran home and changed her
dress. packed up and ran away That
was o prevent your knowing that she
was alive. She wanted you to think
her dead. so as TO escape marrying
I