The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-05-12
How | Came
to Marry
By ALLAN C. LAMOND

In the gold hunting days | went out
to the gold fields to make fortune.
fell In with young man of my own
age. Elliot Mansfield. and we agreed
to prospect together. Mansfield had
left a mother and sister. to whom he |
was much attached. Unfortunately his !
mother had received an injury to one ,
of her eyes, and since her sons depar- /
ture for the west it had extended 10
the other eye. and she was gradually |
becoming blind.
The letters she wrote Mansfield We're |
pathetic. She hoped that he might be
with her again, but she did not hope |
to see him. His sister wrote him that. !
IL possible, he should come home that |
his mother might see him once more
before losing her sight. But he had
no money for the journey. and If he
could get home he would not be able
to get back again. He was Il resolute
fellow and uverse to giving up what
he had overwhelmingly. TO go back.
if ever he did go back, with fortune.
| was no better off than Mansfield.
We wandered about with picks on
our shoulders wherever we believed
there might be gold and at last sue
ceeded in striking dirt that promised
to pay While we We're getting 1t into
shape to secure capital with which to
work 1t Mansfield was taken sick. He
was i'll long while. and during this
time | wrote letters for him to his
mother and sister In these letters, at
his request. | forged his handwriting
that they might not suspect that he
was unable to write them himself
Furthermore. he charged me to tell
them that he had struck mine of
value and would soon go east with
view to forming company to work it.
The poor fellow did not recover. He
asked me before he died to make
over his share in our mine to his moth
err and sister and If possible go east.
as he had hoped to do. and either sell
the mine or organic a company. as
might be able. Dreading the shock of
his death on his mother, he asked me
to keep up the deception till should
SO east anu iIab-V WIN LIS sA''Si Aoi
breaking the sad news to his mother
found an opportunity to sell out for
$4,000 and availed myself Of it. If !
had held on the property would have
made me very rich. but was tired Of
the deception was practicins and
knew my late partners mother and SIS
ter were very poor. Taking their share
Of the proceeds with me. l went at
once to the town in which they lived.
| On my arrival l sent a messenger to
Miss Mansfield to tell her that her
/ brothers partner had arrived with
I news of him. but cautioning her to say
nothing about me to her mother until
had had an opportunity to see her
She appointed meeting with me at
the home of one of her friends. l went
there and told her the bad news had
for her
To her grief was added the fact that
her mother, who had now become quite
blind, was looking for her son every
day. Her daughter-Mildred was her
name-was in agony at the idea of i'm.
parting the news to her She could
not think Of doing so at the time. for
the old lady was not In q condition to
bear It So we arranged between us
that until she was better I was to
write letters as before. putting of the
son and brothers arrival.
Mildred Mansfield was very lovely
girl. I sympathized with her deeply
and 1t was matter of satisfaction
that / was enabled to turn over to her
her brothers share in what had real.
ICED for the mine.
One day. desiring to consult witt
Mildred, went to her house to see her
l could see no risk Of revealing the
true situation in doing so. But the ole
lady, who was in her room above
heard my voice below and got it into
her head that ! was her son. Tit
idea occurred to Mildred of permit
ting her mother to believe me to bt
her son, and l saw no objection to thu
plan. So | went upstairs and submit
:: ted to a hugging and weeping thai
were almost hysterical.
"The mine Is sold, mother" ! said
land my share Is $25OOO It's all ii
bank right here in this town."
"Im very happy" she said through
her tears. though can't see you. Yo'
must stay here always, and SO long a
live neither you nor your sister mus
! marry, but live here for me and eacl
, other"
} Mildred was too embarrassed by thl
, to make reply, so l was obliged t
! make It myself.
, "Yes. mother. We will live only 70
: you and each other"
r was looking at Mildred when l sal
. this, and she raised her eyes and blush
] ed. Then she said. You'd better Civ
I mother time to recover from her e1
|. element" and went downstairs.
4 Well. we were in for 1t now deepe
!. than ever OF course was obliged I
y take up my quarters in the house. an
: since Mrs. Mansfield was blind as
. bat she was not available for chape
on. We talked over the matter {
telling her the truth, and finally sale
why not let her remain in ign'
> rance? We can be married. and thu
= will make It all right for me to liy
!. here After your mothers death,
\ you wish 1t. will help you to get th
o marriage annulled."
: So we had a wedding ceremony pc
!. formed. Just to enable Us to deceiy
Mrs Mansfield for her own good, an
when she died we concluded to let II
marriage stand. And that's the wa
came to be a married man today ar
tho fofhor NJ aeven children-fuat