The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-06
A Fortune Lost
By EDWARD T. STEWART

leave you all my property. SNAIL NOT
live a year. that know, and wish TO
have an understanding with you before
| go. We hear great deal about the
advantage Of young man sowing his
wild oats before marriage. There's no
art in sowing wild oats at all, and
wish you to marry young. So impor-
tant do consider this that have put
a proviso In my will that, In order to In
herit you must be married before you
are twenty-five years old. On that day
II you are married my estate viii be
turned over to you"
"Yes, uncle" was all / said, but 1t
was not all felt. 1 was then twenty
two, which was old enough to under
stand the peculiar position ! might be
placed in by my uncle's WIN. How
ever, there was still at least three
years In which to find a partner. so
did not worry.
My uncle lived two years after what
he had said to me. 1t was not known
that I was to be his heir, alone pos
sessing the secret Of the condition.
Naturally II l married l desired that
my bride should take me for myself
alone. This may have been romantic
view to take of the matter, but in those
days 1 was given to romance Since
then l have taken on more practical
views Of marriage. Indeed, the day
was welded learned this lesson.
/ was within six months of twenty
FIVE when | met Jennie Tisdale. She
was very feminine, very pretty. and
said to myself l had found the girl
with whom l may enjoy my unele's
fortune. A number Of young men were
ready to marry her; but, so far as
knew, she had not yet settled on any Of
| them. | began to show her marked at
tention, and she appeared pleased with
| It. She didn't cast off others who were
attentive to her, but gave me the pref
erence in the matter of making en-
! gagements.
/ had been brought up with my
cousin. Kate Chambless, and relied
much upon her judgment. told her
that / was considering proposal and
arranged a meeting between the two
girls with a view to getting Hates
| give 1t. She said that in such matters
1t was not wise to interfere. l had
doubtless made up my mind to marry
Jennie IL she would have me, and II
she endeavored to persuade me not to
do so she would surely fail.
| This uao NOT ann0t1ra Otnn huf fruIQ
At any rate, despite Hates want Of
approval, / proposed to Jennie. She
was some time making up her mind to
accept me, but finally yielded. When
she did so there were four months left
before my twenty-fifth birthday.
was somewhat anxious on account OF
this limit of time, for my fiancee seem
ed to find 1t hard to give up the at
tentions of her other admirers. If she
should fail me | might lose my for
tune.
This state Of anxiety lasted up tt
within a few weeks of our wedding
day, appointed for week before
would receive my fortune. One day
when l dropped In to see my fiancee
/ found a note from her stating thai
one of her bosom friends had beer
suddenly taken Ill and was lying Al
the point of death. Jennie had gone
to her, but would return at the earlies
possible moment.
This was within ten days Of oul
wedding day, and was worried
Jennie, not knowing how importan
was our marriage within a given time
might remain with her sick friend.
so 1t would be too late. She left M
address for me or l would have writ
ten urging her on no account to remain
away.
One can imagine my feelings at ex
periencing such an uncertainty. wen
to Jennie's home and asked her moth
er for her address, or that she woul,
write her; that insisted on her re
turn at once for our wedding. Mrs
Tisdale seemed to be concealing some
thing from me. but promised to writ
her daughter. No further word cam
from Jennie, and the day before m,
twenty-fiftR birthday l was without.
bride.
In a fit OF desperation l went to m
cousin Kate and told her Of the strait
was, In. eonfessing that If l were nc
married before noon the next day
would lose my Inheritance.
81 would advise you," she said, me
TO rely on your iancee. For my part,
question if she has not gone of wit
, Scoville''
"Scovillel''
) Yes. His attentions to her since 70
have been engaged to her have bee
very noticeable"
"Heavensl What shall do?"
Select some good. steadz girl Of xol
acquaintance, tell her OF your inhe
itance and the condition attached to
and ask her to marry you at once"
1 stood thinking for a few minute
then, turning to my adviser, said:
, Kate. will you marry me-"
r Il will, to help you out"
? She said this reproachfully.
ITO help me out only?"
; ~You surely deserve nothing more,
, have gone of after a Eighty little 70
when you could have had
, Zone worth a thousand of her"
I Kate and 1 were married that san
evening. We returned from our we
: ding trip about the same time as NJ
and Mrs. Scoville, for Kate was rig
< about the real cause Of Jennie's a
sence.
The Scovilles quarreled and separs
3 ed within six months after marriae
1t was reported that Jennie never Il
gave herself or her husband for h
loss Of fortune.