Show I TURNERS TURNER'S ENGAGEMENTS I By Dy C. C AUGUST Copyrighted 1903 by The TM Author Publishing Company I While away it is possible that Turner Turner Turner Tur Tur- ner had not done as he should have done or had done as he should not have done In a a disturbing sense of this oppressed him He endeavored endeavored endeavored en en- with the best possible grace to banish such thoughts Unfortunately Unfortunately Unfortunately I he discovered that success did I not attend the mere effort There i was that thing which has sometimes been misnamed conscience and which allowed him but little peace of mind He had been lI away way from his ho home e village lo long enough to forget the faith I 1 d S d'-S di t a Louise the girl to whom he was engaged and to become involved In a R delightful and altogether satisfactory I affair with that other girl He saw I distance and separation aiding his bis active active ac ac- tive Uve Imagination that Louise was was- InI Incomparably incomparably In In- comparably inferior to her rival The I fates so ruled it that Turner whether whether willingly or or otherwise was much I In Inthe ini I tb the company of ot Eleanor r the brilliant t U r II I I I 1 II fill f J 1 I l I I 1 IA A disturbing sense of this oppressed him girl whose star was now so phenomenally phenomenally in the ascendant Matters progressed progressed rested with undue haste Turner If not a man of sudden fancies and dominating impulses was nothing We Weeks that seemed to him as months so filled were they with teeming Incidents incidents incidents inci Inci- dents were hardly necessary In the maturing of his affection The admitting admItting admitting admit admIt- ting of this Jove love to himself barely preceded the declaration he made to Eleanor Perhaps he would have been more circumspect and less hasty had he not felt sure that he foresaw his answer The sequel substantiated what until then could be no more than an opinion Thus it chanced that Turner without without without with with- out actively desiring to play the part of deceiver was engaged to two girls at the same time Originally Turner had been a man manof manof of f honor Even now he possessed afew a afew few tew stray sparks sparl s his subsequent acts I I j attested to the truth of this He wrote a long letter to Louise going to much trouble to treat the subject exhaustively exhaust exhaust- ively He told her just how it was in conclusion assuring her that it was best for both of them and contritely begging her to forgive him He rewrote rewrote re re- wrote the letter revising it carefully When satisfied that he had done th the e best best he could the letter was laid aside 1 for a day ere being dispatched on its I explanatory mission By the next morning his good intention h had d escaped escaped es es- and the letter was carefully consigned t to the open open In a moment moment moment mo mo- ment a a. small heap of ashes was all that remained Now that he was home for a time he determined to tell teU Louise He was no coward but he realized the amount of moral courage requisite X The e aversion aversion aver ver- sion slon he ho felt for It and thE selfs self fice it would impose he looked upon as the price of his perfidy I When he called on Louise he took note of ot many manly things She was resplendently resplendently re- re beautiful in fn her Staple Simple gown n this he could not pass by He lIe saw too the look of love and trust in her eyes For the first time perhaps a pang of r real al remorse shot through his heart They talked long and earnestly now of the present the past the possible future and their lov love planning with the enthusiasm of young lovers As the time passed Turner saw it become more difficult to tell the trusting trusting trust trust- ing girl what he had to say Once indeed he had approached the subject by asking her What would you think and say if it I told yo you that I had been faithless to you 1 I would not believe you she answered answered an an- at once Hastily Turner retreated from his dangerous s position nor did he feel safe Rafe until they were comfortably dis- dis cussing some subject foreign to the theone theone I one of which they had just disposed I His stay in the village Vas was for not more than a week During this time he called on Louise with praiseworthy regularity In each instance he endeavored endeavored en en- to tell her of his love for Eleanor but he could not come to itHe it He genuinely feared the the effect it would have Louise loved him so blindly so devotedly that she could not Imagine him capable of such a defection and to tell her her to to disturb the beautiful serenity of her trust trust trust- that required moral courage far beyond beyond be be- yond Turners In the end he left with Louise still in Ignorance At the last moment he consoled himself with the thought that he lie would write to her and fully explain It would be so much more generous to leave Louise in possession of her happiness for for a week or two longer In the meantime he would seek Eleanor and banish all care Inthe in inthe inthe the sweetness of her presence o. o j i s' s |