The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-02-02
"A.
POINTER
By JOHN Y. LARNED


a passenger from riding on l0como-
tive. about to start on a run between
two stations. went forward aud OBJ
tanned leave Of the man ut the throt-
tie to do the distance-about twelve
miles-with him. He was near fifty
years old. bat hale and hearty.
Just before starting n woman about
thirty years old came to the engine
and stood talking to the engineer eur
nestly for a few minutes. then turned
away. AS she did SO l could see by
the look she gave him that she had
great affection for him. but whether 1t
was that of wife or sister l could not
tell. Yielding to curiosity. I asked the
question.
''She's not my wife," he said. shes
had two husbands and shouldn't
think she'd want another. Her first
husband was bad one. and the Sec
Ond didn't live long"
There seems to be q story In her
case" remarked. I'D like to hear it. ;"
He made no reply until we were well
out In the open country. Then he said:
Somehow ! feel like telling you the
story this morning. I've kept 1t long.
but now 1t seems to want to come out.
The young woman you refer to was
little more than kid when I was
coming on to middle age. She was In
love with youngster named Perkins.
little older than she was. but her
father wouldn't let her marry him.
Perkins went of somewhere. and
Sallie-that's her name-married man
named Thorpe, who had just come
into some money. Sallie's father
thought he knew what was best for
his daughter and made the match, Sal
lie not being willing. for she loved
Perkins. Thorpe run through the mon
ey he'd inherited they said he gam
bled It away-and 1t wasn't long aft
erward that he lit out. leaving his
wife to get ON the best way she could.
she heard nothing from him for two
or three years; then one day she saw
a notice Of the death of a man Of the
same name In a hospital In distant
city. 1t was too far away for her to
go and investigate the matter, and she
didn't have the money anyway. SO she
wrote for description Of the man
and the one given her Tailed with her
husband exactly.
"AnOther year passed and Perkins
came back one fine day. and learning
that Sallie was widow went to see
her. Perkins was nice chap and had
made some money. Sallie would have
married him right away. but she fell
kind of uneasy about Thorpe. not be
ing certain that he was dead. She
waited year. Perkins begging her t.
marry him all the while: then sh.
gave in.
"There was another man who hat
wanted Sallie from the time she wa,
seventeen years old. but he was thei
double her age and had no show
against the youngsters"
"That man." interrupted. "is your
self"
He turned toward me with a sur
prised look and asked how l knew
that. made no reply. and he contin
ued:
"Sallie was very happy with her sec
ond husband for about two years: thel
something happened. had always
lived near her. and she knew tina
whenever she needed any one to leaf
on she could come to me. One nigh
/ about II o'clock there was rap a
: my door. put on some clothes. wen
down and opened II. There stood Sal
! lie. white as a sheet and trembling al
! over begged her to tell me wha
was the matter. but instead Of doint
SO she clutched my wrist and led nj
to the back yard OF her home. Their
) was man lying there, but l couldn'
see who he was. struck a mattel
and saw Thorpe He was dead.
! 1T was clear that Sallie had beer
living with Perkins while she was an
/ other mans wife. ! had TO make III
my mind mighty quick what to do.
"'Bring me tablecloth or shaw
or something said to Sallie.
: "She went into the house and CAM
back with big shawl. wrapped I
around the body. then took II up in m!
arms.
Don't say word to any one
said. till see you again
II carried the body to my own yart
and put 1t in an clubhouse while dul
n grave: then l buried II six feet un
derground and put back the sod owe
It."
"And risked being hanged for muir
dcry interrupted.
The next morning I watched fol
to Sallie and told her what had done
! made her believe that all would be
well IL she could keep the secret.
mentioned the risk I'd taken. We've
neither of US mentioned the matter
to the other or to any one else, and
no harm has ever come Of II. IT'S moi
been hard ON me- but 1t was terrible
on Sallie while Perkins lived"
"when will You marry Salliei"
asked.
"T marry sallie! What makes you
think thaty''
Because Sallie will be the happier
when she has married you"
do you really think she'd marry
meT'
1--WE no doubt Of it.
What makes you think so?'
The look she gave you on parting"
We were pulling up at the station
When I alighted the engineer graspet
my hand and said: