The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-11-10
ABurglary
By EDITH v. ROSS


an English couple who were related to
members of the nobility and had lived
in afluence. Speculation on the Stock
Exchange took all they possessed ex-
cept enough to get them to America,
where her father made an uncertain
living. It was a dream with him to
get back to England and with sufficient
means to reassume his former position.
When the family came to America
Gladys was but four years old. Con-
sequently while the father and moth
er were living on the memory of their
former social position the daughter
was growing to womanhood without
the advantages of wealth. She was
not only comeIy, but a lovely girl, and
when her father had passed an age
wherein he could hope to make
a strike he fancied that his daughter
might obtain station nearer to what
her birth entitled her by an advan-
tageous marriage.
This being the case, 1t was quite nat
ural that every young man who came
to visit Gladys was looked upon with
misgivings By her parents. The hal
cyon days of the family in England
were q blank to her. That her mother
had employed half a dozen servants
and had ridden in her carriage was, as
far as she was concerned, ancient his
tory.
Gladys young men friends were
untitled Americans and quite good
enough for her. Naturally, therefore.
she chafed at being catechized by her
mother whenever she made a new ac-
quaintance or an old one called on her
| more than once a month.
When Gladys fell in love it was one
of those quick cases wherein girl will
recognize a mate the moment she sees
him. And it was the same with the
man she met. They could have been
married the next day and made no mis-
take. Gladys knew very well that they
! could not appear together before her
father and mother without betraying
the position they occupied as lovers.
| She therefore did not permit her lover
| to come to the house. The only man
the parents had reason to dread, Alan
Edmonds. they never saw.
But lovers cannot live simply as low
ers; they must possess each other
Gladys, knowing that for her to con-
] fess that she had met and loved a man
with nothing but salary barely suf
ficient to enable a couple to get on
would bring the dreams of years crash
ing about her parents heads, would
neither consent to marry Edmonds
openly nor clandestinely. At any rate,
this was the case when something
30 h. Co.,
than they were. The couple CORE
sponded clandestinely, and one evening
while Gladys was inditing an impas-
stoned letter to her lover a lamp ON the
floor below exploded and started fire.
She ran downstairs and assisted in put
| ting it out. But before she got back
to her room her mother, who had been
collecting heirlooms, expecting that
they would need to be removed, had
! been in Gladys room and pounced
| upon the letter. The secret was out.
But whats his name or where's his
home Gladys didn't care to tell. Both
her father and her mother threatened
and pleaded with her to give them sat-
isfaction in the matter, but she held
firm.
Then followed meetings and commu-
nications made difficult by the watch
fulness of Mrs. Denton, and the great
| er the obstacles the more impassioned
the love; the more impassioned the love
the greater the risks taken. Finally
Gladys wrote her lover that she was to
| be removed.
The necessity Of seeing her at once
induced him to go to her home the
same evening, hoping to find an oppor-
tun1ty to speak to her. He waited in
the yard till every room in the house
except Gladys was dark, then. climb
ing a support of the porch. appeared
before her window. She had not dis
robed. Tapping on the pane, he called
| to her to fee with him.
While they were talking they heard
the front door open and close. Ed
monds, fearing to be caught by some
one without, entered the room from
the window. He had scarcely done so
when a step was heard in the hall
Gladys ran into q closet. The door
was opened by her mother, and there
stood an unknown man.
If Gladys lost her head her lover
kept his. Her watch was on the dress
er, and just as the door opened he
clutched it. Then, darting out of the
window, he made off. Gladys heard
his retreat and came from her hiding
place, pale and trembling.
my child" exclaimed her mother,
there is nothing to fear! The wretch
has gone, but he has taken your
watch"
"Oh, mother" exclaimed the girl.
GT'm On friDhfenedP,
The police were called and came in
patrol wagon, but the bird had
flown. and there was nothing more to
do in the matter.
One morning a few months later an
other bird was discovered to have
flown during the night. Gladys was
missing. and during the day a tele-
gram came announcing that she had
been married. This time there was
nothing to do but make the best Of it,
and the young couple were forgiven
and recalled.
cit seems to me-" said Mrs. Denton,
scrutinizing her son-in-law, 'that l
have seen you somewhere before"
Impossible" said the groom. "You
mistake me for another"
And tie secret never came out.