| Show TURNERS 4 R as engagements G by C AUGUST ST ait L g 4 1903 by the n authors A shing company while away it ib 6 possible that tur ner had not done as he be should have dons done or bad had done as he should not have done in a beaure a disturbing sense of this oppressed him lie ile en deavo red with the best possible grace to banish such uch thoughts Un fortun abely he discovered that success did not attend the mere effort there was that thing which has sometimes been misnamed eon conscience science and which allowed him but little peace of mind he had been away from his home tillage village long enough to forget the faith due louise the girl to whom he was engaged and to become involved in a delightful and altogether satisfactory affair with that other girl he saw distance and separation aiding his ac tive imagination that louise was in comparably inferior to her rival the fates so ruled it that turner whether willingly or otherwise was much in the company of eleanor the brilliant girl whose star was now so anally in the ascendant matters with undue haste turner it if not a man of sudden fancies and dominating impulses was nothing weeks that seemed to him as months so filled were they with teeming inci inc dents were hardly necessary in the maturing of his affection the admit ting of this 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 with out actively des ring to play the part of deceiver was engaged to two girls at the same time originally turner had been a man of honor iven now he possessed a few stray sparks his subsequent acts attested to the truth of this he wrote a long letter to louise going to much trouble to treat the subject exhaust ively he told her just how it was in conclusion assuring assuring her that it was best for both of them and contritely begging her to forgive him he re wrote the lettel revising it carefully when satisfied that he had done the best he could the letter was laid aside for a day ere being di dispatched snatched on its explanatory mission by the next morn morning ing his good intention had es and the letter was carefully consigned to the open grate in a 1110 moment a small heap of ashes was all that remained now nov that he was home for a time he determined to tell louise he was no coward but he realized the amount of moral courage requisite the aver sion ne felt for it and the self I 1 1 6 0 10 7 A disturbing sense of this oppressed flee it would impose him he looked upon as the price of his perfidy when he called on louise he took note of many things she was re beautiful in her simple gown this he could not pass by he saw too the look of love and trust in her eyes for the first time perhaps a pang of real remorse shot through his heart the talked long and earnestly now of the present the past the possible future and their love planning with the enthusiasm of young lovers As the time passed turner saw it become more difficult to tell the 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 I 1 told you that I 1 had been faithless to youa I 1 would not believe you she an at once hastily turner retreated from his dangerous position nor did he feel safe until they were comfortably dis cussing some subject foreign to the one of which they had just disposed his stay in the village was tor for not more than a week during this time he called on louise with pral praiseworthy thy regularity in each instance he en deavo red to tell her of his love for eleanor but he could not come to it he genuinely feared 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 to disturb the beautiful serenity of her trust that required moral courage tar far beyond turners in the end he left with louise still in ignorance at the last moment he consoled himself with the thought that he would write to her and fully explain it would b so much more generous to leave louise in possession of her happiness for a week or two r 1 I would not believe you she answered longer in the meantime he would seel aleanor and banish all care in the sweetness of her presence when he came to her home she had gone one out at any rate so the servant said qaid ho IIA insisted upon being admit ted but it was of no avail later when he again called the same story gleeten him having a vague undefined fear that something was wrong he wrote her a note requesting per mission to call or at least an esplan atlon the reply was brief but corn com no explanation Is due ou were eleanor a words and it is presumption in you to make such a 1 request to my notion this affair between us has gone tar far enough I 1 must beg of you therefore to cease those attentions you have been pay ing me henceforth all intercourse inter couse between us is broken off turner was dazed as he read but it was plain enough rhe writing was unmistakably eleanor a no tion was given him nothing but the bald statement with which to console himself that afternoon as he stood in one of the stores on the main street of the town he saw eleanor go by with her there was a young woman he knew well it made him feel sick and faint as he recognized her he knew he could not toe be mistaken tor for that face that figure and that walk could belong to but one woman in all the v orld that evening a small package and a a smaller note were handed him by a messenger he opened the package sufficiently to assure himself of its contents son tents then he read the note cousin eleanor and I 1 have con eluded that since your presents to girls have a strange similarity we will return the rings you were kind enough to let us wear doubtless you will find others whom it will be no nore difficult to fool wishing you continued success in your plural devotions I 1 am yours truly louise |
