Graham guardian., 1916-09-08
A Case Of
Repentance
By MARGARET c. DE;VEREAUx

she was a little girl, and her mother
took for a second husband one Will
liam Markland, widower with son.
at the time of the marriage twelve
yearS older than his stepsister. The
widow was very poor, and Mr.. Mark
land was rich. His son. Joseph, was
singular youth, sometimes under the
| influence Of pure and noble emotions
and sometimes apparently swayed by
the devil himself. When he was In
the former condition he was very KIND
to Eleanor, but when in the latter he
seemed to hate her
Eleanor was favOrite with her STEP
father and he hoped when she grew
to be woman she would marry his
son, for he was aware of the latters
DR.. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde disposition.
and he believed that she would be
able to tide him over his evil periods,
: but he only wished for this; he did
, OF attempt to bring it about. Flea
M, q mother died when she was NJ
toou years old, and after being made
ogoin widower Mr.. Markland's ar
fectior Or his little stepdaughter was
much enb. uced. His sons periods OF
wickedness 8, ,emed to be increasing on
biz, ond waro Il source Of distress to
his father.
Then Joe MarL.Ia,id, when Eleanor
was seventeen yeas Old, delighted his
father by showing evfAence that he
was falling in love " ith hsS stepslster.
Eleanor, however, Sc emed 70 regard
him only as brother, nut as sseNn was
extremely fond Of him lie askee ~,
a different love, and when she teaf
him that it was not possible for her
to give 1t to him he fell into one u
his wicked states and treated her
shamefully.
Joe Markland disappeared one day
and was not seen ut home agalu 1or
long while. Meanwhile his fatner
failed in health, and Eleanor was MS
sole comfort She considered 1t Ier
duty as well as her preference to re-
main single and to minister to MN,
though she had many suitors. AL
this time no one knew where Joe
Markland was till few months before
his father died. when Eleanor received
a letter from him evidently written IN
one of his angelic moods. He regret
ted that she could not love him, put
did not blame her. He wrote to ASK
her forgiveness for the way he had
treated her.
Eleanor wrote that his father could
mot live long and begged him to come
no me and give the invalid what COM
fort he could during the short time
that remained before death. Joe wrote
that he would come at once; but,
though only a few weeks We're need
ed for the journey, he did not arrive
for several months. He reached nome
the day his father died, and 1t was
PERHAPS as we'll that he did not ar
rive sooner, for, though he showed no
outward signs Of his mood to those
/ who did not know him well, he was.
nevertheless, in one Of his devilisn
y conditions. His father was barely
able to bid him gooL'by and whisper.
ed to him that he hoped he wouid
Dme day secure Elean or for his wife.
Joe took charge of the household
al I'd household affairs till after the 1u-
ne raj, when a search WAS MADE ior
the will. No will was found. Joe'
bei * sole heir at law, took posses
sion Of the property and told Eleanor
that If she would marry him ne "ouiu
turn over the mo nagement OF IL 70 her'
Elean or refused. Quite possibly, KNOW
ing as she did that he, stepfafher ae'
sired the match, she mighss have yieid.
ed, but she saw fhat Jds Syas a. the
time not bis better self. 1f =.
Joe fdagidand remaiued at os
long enough to put his estate u. ~.l
a competent manager, whom he dire, =
ed to pay his sister $50 month and
permitted her to remain in the home
stead.
One morning looking out Of an up
per window she saw her stepbrother
coming. Though some distance from
her. he appeared bedraggled. He was
walking rapidly, and she had scarcely
seen him when she heard him at the
door. She rah down to meet him, but
he was not where she had expected to
find him. Thinking he had entered be-
fore her, she went into the living room.
There stood Joe with a heavenly look
on his face, such as she had often seen
there when he had become repentant.
She was about to spring toward him
when she noticed that he was dripping
with water. And singularIy enough
there was n salt OdOr about him. She
ran out of the room to get something
in which to wrap him till he could
change his clothing, and when she re-
turned with blanket she had SNATCH
ed from bed Joe was not these,
What had become Of him? She was
about to run into the hall 10 look fos'
him when she noticed 0p a table a
folded document She took It up and
found 1t soaked with wafer. Clinging
to 1t was fine strand Of seaweed.
The paper was found to be will Of
William Markland leaving all his prop
erty to his stepdaughter. Eleanor
Blake.
Eleanor was for,nd lying on the floor
In swoon. aUl an illness followed.
When she reco vered she said that she
had found thu will in the attic under
leak In the roof. Soon after this news
came OF tie death of Joe Markland.
He had y en- drowned trying to swim
across ~ inlet on the coast Of Tas-
maniA. $
Had lae.stolen the VIII while his IA
ther as lying dead. possibly In the
same room with him7 ~sH