Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-07-15

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1 can never marry you, Jack she
cried: You do not know-Oh, you DC
not know, and I cannot bring myself
70 tell you
But you love ne. Molly?' he cried
He took her IN his arms, and for al
instant her head lay on his shoulder
| Yes, love you she said. But
cannot marry you She raised hel
head and looked him frankly in the
eyes. Listen, Jack, she said. I have
loved you since I first saw you, and
I have never loved anyone else. Thai
is why I mus send you away. It is
/ because of Evelyn
| He could find no answer to make
He bowed his head and went away
| II was another year before he saw
| Mollie again. Then he was at Atlantic
| City.
He was seated in a 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
| of old times, but the dashingness could
not carry itself so well under that &C
| cumulated load of flesh. 1t 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. 1t was
Evelyn.
| "SOtheby was not superstitiOus. He
knew that Evelyn was at Mollie's side
and he rose and followed them to
their hotel He watched them enter
and all that day he waited until he
was rewarded at last by seeing Mollie
| come out alone. She walked. with heI
| limping gait, along the Boardwalk IN
| til 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, Mollie,' he said, taking her hand
in his. And he knew then that, al
though it was not the same Evelyn
whom he had loved, it was just the
| same Mollie who had been SO dear
to him, who had always been in his
| thoughts, night and day, since he had
learned to love her.
She is not dead said Sotheby
'But-Mollie, tell me the truth, and
trust me-
Yes, l will tell you the truth an
| swered the girl. When you became
Engaged to Evelyn you looked on it
as a serious matter But to Evelyn
it was just a joke, a summer fiirta-
ton. She gets engaged at least two
or three times every summer When
you looked on it as something lasting
Evelyn was-well, just plain scared.
She liked you we'll enough to become
engaged to 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 him. but she never intended to
marry you.
You frightened her, Jack, and be
cause she really did care for you in
way, she was afraid that she might
not be able to help marrying you.
And you were not a rich man, not
rich enough for Evelyn. | didn't know
what she was going to do, but l knew
that she was planning to do some
thing, because she was mad with fear
when you came down to North Cliff.
You know she can swim. She told
me afterwards-she sent me a letter
while l was in the f1sherman's house,
before you came up to see me. She
had upset the boat, knowing that you
| would take care of me, because l
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 to prevent your knowing that she
was alive. She wanted you to think
her dead, so as to escape marrying
you
And you knew all that, MolIie
And that was why you forbade me to
see your
Yes cried the girl. And when
I was living with my aunt I could
see you, because Evelyn had gone
West. But l dared not let you love
me-.
But have always loved you, Mol
lie,' said Jack. I love you now, dear
He took her in his arms and kissed
her. And this time they knew that
there was no obstacle to their happi-
ness.
Jack, dear said Mollie presently,
If Evelyn maTries that man they will
go West to live. You won't want to
see her again. Can you wait two weeks
longer until I send for you to come
to me?'
He laughed. I have waited two
years, Mollie,' he answered. Z think
can wait two weeks Ionger-for you,
not Evelyn
Growth of Judgment
Nobody's judgment is good without