Smyrna times., 1919-08-20
THE DARKEST HOUR.
BY JACK LAWToN.

before her bedroom window, the moon |
turned the sandy stretch of beach be- |
low into cleaning silver. For hours |
the girl had tossed restlessly upon her
pillow, until at last she had arisen and
dressed. hoping. when the last guest
OF the hotel retired within doors, to
slip out unseen and settle her prob
lem in the open silence of the night.
Money, not just enough to be COM
Portable in her own home, but money
sufficient to satisfy all the pent-up de-
sires of her heart. She might travel
she might see luxuriously the won.
drous sights of the world; she might
have at hand the white-trellised gar
den which had long been her dream
the mOnotonous office with its weary
routine would be forever banished if
she would but accept the conditions Of
her QuerulOus old uncle's will; and its
condition was a husband of his choos-
ing.
Leila knew slightly this man whom
her uncle favored with his choice, and
the knowing" had caused her Sleep
less night. Tomorrow she must give
her answer. it was the last day of de-
cree. She hated the chosen mans
sneering smile, she hated the shrewd-
ness of his cold eyes, but she knew
that he would willingly enact his part,
because of the prize in store.
1t was like Uncle Jared to select
such a man as custodian of his accu-
mulated wealth; this new secretary
had won the old mans admiration by
his cautious cleverness, as Leila had
won it, by her devotion through one of
his illnesses.
Now the girl came slowly like
white wrath down the moonlit sands
and seated herself there to watch the
dawning. When the sun rose, shining
across the waters, she must have made
her decision. The breeze lifted gently,
the curling ends of the long braid
which hung over her shoulder, she had
not waited to faSten up her beautiful
hair for she was sure of being alone.
Yet back among the purple shadows
another figure moved at her approach.
! II beg your pardon" he said frankly,
"I-thought 1 should be quite alone
here at this hour; Or" he bent smiling
to look into Leila's face-"have sur
prised the spirit of morningT"
II came-to settle a troubled ques-
tion," she answered him seriously.
"The moonlight seemed to point down
this path and 1 also wished to be
! alOne.'
The man fingered. "Why, that was
my case exactly" he said. II was
threshing things out by myself up
there in the hotel and my disappoint-
ment seemed too big for the indoors,
so brought it out"
Disappointment" queried the girl.
All at once the stretching beach with
its deep shadows was an alarming ex-
panse In which to be alone. Childish
ly she longed for companionship and
companiOnship was near. This very
nice young man with the kind eyes
might In some indirect way even help
her in her decision.
Disappointment she questioned
again encOuragingly and he dropped
down beside her on the sands.
Something" he began. "the hour
perhaps, or the sympathetic interest
of your tone, urges me to be conf
dential
"I have been studying most OF my
life, you see, with an object to accom-
plish-the central object of my future
career. To the furtherance of this ac-
complishment has been held out to me
an encouraging promise Of financial
support. depended upon 1t for l knew
that 1 could double the money be-
slowed. Without it, at present, am
helpless, and after years Of laboriously
getting the necessary money together
it would probably be too late for the
fulfllment of my dreams.
"Last night only 1 learned that the
old friend who had been so enthusi-
astically interested In my enterprise
and who had given the promise Of its
support, had died during my recent alb
sence and had made a hasty will leav-
ing all his property to a niece upon
condition that she marry his latest Sec
retary, one who had In some way
gained the old mans favor. The will,
of course, is just. Heretofore had no
knowledge of this niece's existence.
My friend, Jared Long, died at this
hotel a week ago. came on here to
learn details.
"The unexpected outcome Of the will
is merely one Of life's disappointments'
The bitter hardness of it to me lies In
the fact of the failure forever of my
achievement. Pardon me-" ended the
man abruptly. 81 have been musing
aloud and had almost forgotten my
listener"
Tensely the girl leaned forward,
glimmer of light across the water
shone in her eager eyes, her red lips
parted breathleSsly.
"And IT," she asked. "this niece o1
old Jared's should refuse his reQuestT
'The property then would strangely
| ,.a.,or% Ao mo tho voa1n11 man rpnliQd