The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1915-07-16

refuse.
Weeks passed. Their intimacy deep
ened The girl was becoming very dear
TO Sotheby. AT last the day arrived
when he felt that the shadow which
hung over them ought 10 be lifted.
"'Mollie. he said. taking the girls
hands in his 1 want TO tell you. dear.
tina, l love you want 10 ask you
TO be my wife. | feel that you and
have something inseparable. 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
Sothebys amazement. she burst into
passionate weeping.
n can never marry you. Jack she
cried. You do not know-Oh. you do
not know. and | cannot bring mysel.
10 tell you.
But you love me- Molly 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 aud looked him frankly in the
eyes. Listen. Jack. she said. 1 have
loved you since first saw you. and
have never loved anyone else. That
is why | must send you away. II IL
because OF Evelyn.
He could find no answer 20 make.
He bowed his head and went away.
1t was another year before he saw
Mollie again. Then be 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 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 tns dashingness could
not carry itself so well under that &C
cumulated load OF flesh. IL 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 IL was
Evelyn.
"Sotheby was not superstitious. He
knew that Evelyn was at Mollie's side.
he nd 81 tn
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 her
imping gait. along the Boardwalk IN
til she came to the same place where
Sctheby 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 herg 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 il was not the same Evelyn
whom he had loved. 1t 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. | 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
1t 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 well enough to become
engaged to you, but she never loved
you. Jack. Why. Evelyn couldn't lovo
anybody. The man she is engaged 20
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
a 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 | knew
that she was planning to do some
thing. because she was mad with fear
When you came down to North Clin
You know she can swim She told
me afterwards-she sent me a letter
while was in the fisherman'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 4he saw that We were safe. and
then she ran home and changed hei
dress. packed up and ran away That
was % prevent your knowing that she
was alive. She wanted you 10 think
her dead. so as to escape marrying
you.
And you knew all that. Mollie'