The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-06-08

ts II the top drawer, among some cloth
a ing, Leila had left behind in her hur-
Red packing. he happened upon a
q orumpled half sheet of paper-the
ally postscript of Nellie Collins let
ter--the postscript that told of Hal
sey Brent's good fortune.
Toms eye was caught by the
words:
.Your old sweetheart, Halsey
~ Brent"
He read and re-read the whole
Il, scrawl. Long he stood there. move
less, the scrap OF paper In his hand:
4 while the gladness and hope died out
~ OF his tronzed. unshaven face 10 be
replaced by a scowl of doubt and OF
jealousy.
He was reused from his gloomy
reverie by the jolting OF the rural
n free delivery buggy as it drew up at
the gate.
Leila's thrice-a-week letters had
N been the only bright spots in Toms
loneliness. Eagerly he seized the
one letter the postman left for him
& today. As he looked at its super
!; scrfption his expectancy turned TO
chagrin. For the letter was not
from Leila. but from her mother
He opened II and read:
my Dear Tom: I am writing this
on my own responsibility and with
out Leila's knowiedge she is NJ, slowly wi,
there In the wilderness. But the
\ doctor agrees with us that she must
never, never go back to IL. That Is
assume that You are not alto
rs gether selfish and that you have Lei
Y las welfare at heart. Her experience
the Wess b prTysssi nov pour r. eHistence
"A ~ . poor mans wife. And, now that
s the mine has failed. you are hope
ieSsly poor and are likely to remain
.:.Ars you going to force my fra
% on shsring your poverty and hard.
the very least. she will become an
aOr are you man enough TO give
may sometime be able to marry a
man who can give her the care and
A the luxuries she Graves?
~ you truly love nsr.if N her r. best So',
y -thefe can be but one reply to these
s,lcw her to retrieve her one mlse err
terest and q think) her heart die
~ Th,3* sh,: eyer g,; very ,ns carefully full:
The letters contents seemed TO
d burn themselves into poor Tom Car
ter's brain in words of fire. He tore
the paper into a score of fragments
IN his first outburst OF indignation
Then his eye fell once more upon
the postscript Nellie Collins had
written.
And NJ once he saw the impulse
behind Mrs. Austin's cruel letter.
II Among them these SNUG relatives OF
Leiia's were trying to make her for
get him and TO marry her TO rich
ser man.
;l "A richer man" snarled Tom, half
\ 6ICud "Halsey Brent IL no richer
lthan the Leila A. will make me. Nor
aoiethird as rich. The Austins will
elfuckle 10 me fast enough when they
4nnd I've struck wealth In the mine
/But it's no time for writing or even
for telegraphing. II I'm to save Leila
*frvan divorcing me for Brent, I've
got to be on the ground to fight INV
Gown battle!"
4 lie flung few clothes into bat
xfefed suitcase, ran to the mine &c
give final instructions and swung
NJ {aboard an eastbound train three
hours later.
6% He had counted so often on this
1rtumphal return to New York! Yet
NOV that the miracle had come Ia
i. trass, he felt no elation. He felt
x nothing save a burningly murderous
rage against the people who were
Varying 10 rob him of his adored wife
Tom Carter's guess as to the state
%sof affairs was amazingly near TO the
E>truth.
& Lelln's homecoming had been as
1.-The return OF loved one who has
" narrowly escaped a tortlrlng death
"a some accident. Her parents and
n her friends had showered her with
Attention and had sought In thou
* kcnd ways TO make up TO her for
XfHhat she had undergone.
|Sf Mrs. Austin bought her a bewilder.
t$tgeiy beautiful quantity Of clothes.
Her father kept her supplied with
np<nding money beyond all reason.
~ YES invited everywhere and
Uuo1e much OF. Small wonder that
- erew 20 regard herself ~ n
; opch-abused heroine: and that the
Elnnses Of Tom Carter sometimes
4 1r~v dim and blurred!
Cine OF Leils's first and most fire.
quent callers. At her fathers home.
was Halssy Brent. without prespm-
lng on his old-time courtship or in
ony way oversteppins the bounds h
<oIeossatly formal koqysinfsnce. he
ou(rived TO make Nm respectful de-
veelee quite clear 70 her and to