The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-07-03
A Sin That Brought
A Blessing
By OSCAR cox

used to think that she wished me TO
marry Margaret Deane, who knew how
to sew and cook and do lot Of practi-
cal things in which took no interest.
l rather admired Gwendolin German.
Gwendolin was tender flower, just
such a girl as a man likes to take I'M
der his protection. Her cheek was not
round and rosy, but there was a little
pale red in its center like rosebud
painted on china cup, with lips Of the
same hue
The time came when l made up my |
mind that unless could win GwendO-
lin my life would be failure. l was |
but twenty, and that's very young for |
a man to feel that his happiness is |
bound up for life In one person. How |
ever. l proved my constancy by years |
Of devotion to the image I had set up
in my heart. Fearing that I could not
express myself with sufficient delicacy
to impress one so young, so modest, so
tender, ! wrote my proposal In letter.
l was several days composing it, and
when finished left it for another day
on my desk In order to read it once
more before posting It,
was suddenly called away, and
when / returned the letter was gone.
l asked my mother what had become
Of it, and she said that 1t had been
posted with batch of letters that had
been sent to the mail while l was
away from home. With this l was
content and confident that Gwendolin
had received It and waited anxiously
for reply.
When l met my love again was
much embarrassed. My imagination
made her seem to me cold, even Of
Tended, and as she made no reference
to my letter 1t occurred to me that for
| some reason-I imagined q dozen-she
was displeased with my proposal.
l did not call again, and within year
her family left the place where lived,
and she went with them. My heart
went with her. ! lived on a bachelor.
My mother frequently invited Mar
garet Deane to our house, and could
see that she was Intentionally placing
her in my way. Margaret accepted
| whatever dtteItlch saw hCAB VIM"
was not much, but when I was I'M
mindful Of her she did not seem to
notice it. AS the year passed made
friend of her, but 1t did not occur to
me to make love to her.
When was thirty my mother died.
Before her death she made me a con-
fession.
my dearest boy" she said, before
die l wish your forgiveness. Ten
years ago saw that you were about to
t choose a companion for life who would
not make you happy. / kept the letter
you wrote to Gwendolin German, hop
ing to gain time to direct your atten'
ton to Margaret Deane. Ten years
have passed, and every year have In
tended to send your letter to Gwen
dolin. l have never done so till today
: BY tomorrow morning she will know
+. for the first time Of your proposal, but
by that time l shall have left you free
to choose for yourself"
And so my mother, to whom l was 81
devoted, had caused me ten years OF
e misery | forgave her and did not ute
y a word Of complaint Indeed, the pail
g I suffered at her loss neutralized an!
!. feeling Of regret for my long suffering
The day after laid her In the grave
l took up number of letters that ha'
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Of coincidence
and among them was one from Gwen
dolin. 1t brought the first of differen
! sensations from what had experienced
: since fhe beginning Of my mothers Ill
ness But with 1t came the remem
brance of what my mother must hav
endured from her distaste for m
choice. Margaret had been with he
constantly in her last days and ha
u comforted her as II she had been he
own daughter.
II felt an inclination to complete tn
sacrifice my mother had brought abou
by acceding to her wishes and givin
Margaret the option OF being my wifi
But l was bound In honor to Gwendt
lin as we'll as by love. In her letter sh
asked me to come and see her il re
so inclined.
A few days later 1 went to see he
She still lived with her family, VIII
were wealthy-more so than when
had parted from her-in stately mai
sion. 1t was evening when / calle'
and was ushered into a private pa
lor. In few minutes bony, sallov
scrawny woman came into the rooI
dressed in the height OF fashion, b
decked with jewels, her hands covert
with rings barely recognized GIVE
dolin and would not have done 80 ha
she not preserved the rosebud In III
cheek by touch of paint.
$50 your poor mother has gone" 81
said. What a silly thing to keep yo'
letter from me! Just as II we
counting on you. You were lovely as
| boy, 1 admit; but, you know, papa hi
| always brought me up to understaI
| that I must marry money, and
course that would not include you. B