The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1921-02-09
A Fateful
Ordeal
Copyright. 1919. BY western Newspaper Union.j
BY Otillia Frances Pfeiffer

"Throw the fret and anxiety com.
pletely off your mind, Darlow. YOU
are going to get well and strong up in
| the mountains"
] "But If / should not"
Faithfully l shall carry out your
plans concerning little Juanita.
Thus had Paul Darlow bound the
man he regarded as his dearest friend
to a secret compact and never was
weak, though well-meaning Morton
Wade more Loyalty resolved.
1t was in city down the Chilean
coast that Darlow, broken down in
I spirits and health, was about to start
for an upland district where his ply
| stefan said there was a chance Of re-
! building his shattered system. AS
| the disheartened man looked back
! over five years and its fateful awards
| the future looked indeed bleak and I'M
promising.
His story was a romance, It's pres
ent semblance fairly tragical. He had
/ left his aged mother in a quiet little
! Michigan town to try his fortune in
| South America. He was all but
boyhood sweetheart, Clarissa Burn.
ham. year after his departure Clar-
issa wrote him that his mother was
dead. Clarissa had nursed her pa
tiently, lovingly through two months
illness. Darlow sent a pathetic reply
full Of grateful expressions, but not
word of love for the famished, long
ing soul so true to him.
lie had not forgotten her, but he had
become dazzled by new flame. A
bright, flashing beauty of his new en-
.vironment, Inez Agnilar, had cap
tivated his senses and he had mar
ried her. When the intensity Of the
beguilement had worn away and he
found himself bound to a fretful, ca
PRECIOUS invalid, he wrote to Clarissa
the truth, although his sense of treach-
cry shamed him. IneZ faded away,
leaving their little child, Juanita, to
his care. His own health broke down
and now he had placed over $1,000 in
the hands of Morton Wade. who, in
case Darlow died, was to send 1t and
little Juanita to Clarissa Burnham.
Within a month there came word to
Wade that barlow had persisted in
crossing dangerous rapids in the in
terror. The news stunned Wade. He
had been disloyal to his trust. He
had employed the $1,000 in a specula-
ton, feeling certain of large profit.
Wade lost his investment, and when
the call came to send Juanita to-
Clarissa Burnham, he managed to
raise barely sufficient to take her to
her new guardian. He wrote Miss
Burnham the truthful, penitent story
of his delinquency; consclence-stricken,
reverted to strong drink to drown his
remorse, and one night was killed in
gambling den.
False as Paul barlow had been to
her, she cherished the letter he had
death of his wife. In that missive he
declared that all along he had loved
Clarissa only.
When the little child arrived, pa
tiently, lovingly Clarissa took upon
herself new burden. The radiant
dreams Of her youth had been blighted,
but hers was one of those natures in
capable of forgetfulness of first-love
ideal.
Clarissa was dependent upon her
own efforts for her livelihood, and the
added care and expense of little Juan
ita strained her earning capacity to
the limit. She finally lost position
she had held for several years, on ac'
count of removal. Then she noticed
an advertisement from a widower
| Hector Blake, who offerd to pay lib
orally for the care of his two mother
less children.
Clarissa now devoted all her time tt
care for the three children. Mr.. Blake
who was an invalid, called once g
week and the solicitude of Clarissa fol
the welfare of his children won hi;
gratitude. With the coming Of win
ter he was preparing to remove Soutl
and try to regain his broken health.
One day he came to Clarissa, seri
Gus faced and earnest. Plainly hi
told her that he was anxious to make
her his wife. He pleaded with hel
TO become mother to his little ones
They would go South, he would make
over to her their home, and she coult
| take Juanita with them. Fer the SAX
of the child Ciarissa consented.
One hour after she had accepted
Hector Blake there was summons a
the door, and there in flesh and bloot
stood Paul barlow. He had survived
extraordinary hardships and hat
reached his native land rich man.
He poured out his soul to the agi
tated woman, who had been so tru,
to him. Then Clarissa told him o
her promise to Blake. Both were II
tears, she stricken over the fact tina
she could not break that pledge. Their
was an interruption as new parting
seemed inevitable. Hector Blake ha,
heard all and stood within the room.
"Ohl crown the years of wretched
ness with the happiness at last with
in your reach" this man of noble i'm
pulse said. ut was not love, as yo'
well know, Miss Burnham. that i'm
PEELED me to ask you to become m
wife--it was a selfish thought of m
little ones and the desire to max
your future assured. But now"
The inference was plain. and thos
two stood reunited, she forgetting III
the past; he bringing to her a low