Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-09-07

Ocala, when first it was settled, stood
a splendid old mansion owned by
Captain Harding Douglass his
only child was a son who,. with
his mothers beauty of countsnance,
had inherited her timid shrinking
nature, and like herself was a slave
to the old mans iron will. In the
beautiful little city of Ocala, lived
Bernice Mayo, whose blond beauty
won at first sight, the heart of Claire
Douglass. Although Of Virginian an
cestry, Bernice was a true child of
the "Land of Flowers" passionate
and impulsive. Her eyes were blue
and clear as the waters of Lake Mon
roe, beside which she had spent her
childhood in the fair little city of
Sanford. Her hair was as golden as
Florida's own sunshine, and Frc
own sunshine, and Florida's tropical
spIendor run riot in her blood.
For six months Bernice Mayo and
Claire Douglass were constant COM
panions, and Silver Springs was their
favorite resort. For half a day at al
time they would drift about on the
bosom of the splendid, placid curios-
ity of the nation. Bernice seemed
never to tire of going into the depths
of the subterranean world. "If | were
a mermaid, Claire" she would say,
"and lived in yon crystal cavern, and
some fair day I should wander forth
among the palmettos and moses of
the springs, and sitting on yondar
ledge of rock, should comb my golden
hair with a shell, and your little
boat should come drifting by, and
YOU were to see me in the water be-:
meath, would you love me well e."
nough to plunge to the depths be-
meath to WOO met" "hen would.
Claire stop her merry chatter with
kisses, and pledge to her his eternal
love, AS they drifted over the trans
parent mirror of water pausing now
and then to study the rocks, and
shells, the MOSES, palmettos, the
fish which were visible eighty feet
below the transparent water as were
the trees and woodland about them.
There is nothing fairer than
Ocala's "Loverrs Land" and yet no
spot held for the young people the,
attraction of Silver Springs.
But there came a fatal day, des-.
tined to separate them, a day where
in Claire Douglass declared to his
father his love for beautiful, penni-
less Burnice Mayo and his deter
mination to, make her his wife.
Stormily his wife vowed it should
never be, and secretly planned a,sep-
aration. When Claire Douglass had
been suddenly dispatched abroad on
important business for his father,
then it was that Bernice learned the
truth, and her proud delicate nature
Law crushed and bleeding beneath the
cruel blow and still more cruel sep
aration. Vainly she strove to rally;
all life seemed an empty blank to
her. A year dragged YEARLY by,
and the scenes rfequented by merry
Bernice Mayo knew her no more.
pailer and thinner she daily grew.
Fragile she was as the white bios
SONS of her well-loved springs. The
little chain of gold that Claire had
locked on her arm would have slip
ped across the wasted transparent
hand but for the ribbon that held
its links
One day cher last upon earth) the
GIRL, by dint of desperate energy,
crept to Silver Springs. Even Aunt
Silly was unprepared for the white
emaciated little creature who totter-
ed into her cabin door and fell faint
ing in her arms. Consciousness soon
returned but it was apparent even to
the old black woman that death had
set it's gray unmistakable seal upon
the young face. "Aunt Silly" gasped
the girl, 81 have come to you to die,
and you must obey my last request;
the grave divulges no secrets. Ere
to- nights sun sets I shall be. in
heaven. This separation from the
man 1 love has been my death, but
in that death we shall be united. l
have asked God, and He has heard
mo Pint VOL must obey nv request.