| Show 44 THE TERRIBLE ORDEAL by VICTOR RADCLIFFE fr S HS iia S ii i ailt jan fr copyright 1915 by W G chapman 1 I will work till I 1 have a thousand dollars ahead rolfe told eunice then I 1 will come back and start a small business with that capital and we will settle down modestly but happily then he be had folded her in his fond sheltering arms and they had repeated for the thousandth time their mutual vows of unalterable fidelity and now at the end of a years exile rolfe regarded his cherished savings every dollar of which had been wrought out through his fidelity and devotion to eunice one thing i troubled him somewhat about a month previous he had bad received a letter from eunice which indicated that events had transpired at the quiet home village that had brought a new and animated interest into her quiet life she wrote that a former partner of her father in a northern iron mine that had turned out a disappointment had appeared ho he hall had become wealthy and this mr grant in the goodness of his heart had sought out his old business associate nothing will do mr grant insists wrote eunice but that we must take a trip with him and enjoy life outside of the humdrum one we lead here he has been very liberal to father and made him accept two thousand dollars which he says is really due him from the sale of the old mine I 1 may be away for a month W with ith father but I 1 will write you every week which eunice had not done and because of this rolfe felt somewhat disappointed and depressed 1 I will be glad when this flare Is over meditated rolfe soon eunice will be back bach home then for the quiet loving letters from the darling of my heart once more two evenings later there came a shock to rolfe maitland that rooted him to the spot where the unexpected demonstration occurred he had been viewing the city boulevard crowds in a casual stroll the gay automobile parties the finely dressed ladles ladies the young sparks of society out for excitement and enjoyment he did not envy them tor for to his honest heart eunice and a little homo home filled the cup of happiness A splendid machine flashed by in its rear teat seat sat a man of perhaps fifty but made up to look much younger he was faultlessly dressed and and beside him was eunice the word burst unrestrainedly from the lips of the marveling rolfe she was radiantly attired she was smiling at her companion in the machine as though exhilarated with her superficial surroundings and in complete harmony with the pride and folly of her new experience the next morning glancing over a newspaper page he read with bated breath and blanched face the announcement no that gerald arant son of the wealthy iron king robert grant was to wed miss aliss copley then it had been brought about through the influence of this grant eunice was false the very earth seemed to fade away from him at once rolfe resigned his position he was stricken crushed hope and energy died out he wandered the streets aimlessly he passed three days as one in a dream then wan heartbroken he took the train tor for compton when he arrived at his native 1 village I he evaded its principal streets and its inhabitants by a roundabout course he reached the little cemetery where his mother lay it was at her grave that he finally knelt he prayed he agonized in the dim dusk ho he arose the swish of a garment across the moonlit grass caused him to turn rolfe oh rolfe cried a longing g voice and flying towards him was eunice precious eunice the silken gown the gay gewgaws of if fashion were gone it was eunice in her old modest home attire simple lovely and loving and glad cladi ile he was dubbed at the unexpected ab she led him to a grassy mound she plied piled him with questions why had he never answered hr letters I 1 and rid then his bis heart lightened for baruth came out at last yes she and her father had gone with robert grant he had shown them great civilities then he had introduced his son the one aim of his life seemed deemed to be to see those two wedded and we have learned why explained eunice now it seems that lather father Is rightfully halt half owner of all his wealth for it came through a manipulation tion of the old mine interests we have been home two days and some borne lawyers are investigating the case As to gerald grant i saw him once a reckless profligate as aa Is hta his father a mercenary schemer he must have appropriated your letters to me to further his plot oh the terrible ordeal shuddered rolfe and oh ob this happy moment and he be enfolded en folded eunice in his grateful arms 1 I am of all men most blessed |
