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Stephens, Robert Neilson, 1867-1906

"Tales from Bohemia"

"I may need your
assistance, too. I can rely upon you?"
"Through fire and water."
"I've come to Philadelphia to prevent a suicide."
"Good gracious!"
"Yes. You see, I've broken the engagement between me and Tom Appleton."
"What! You don't mean it?"
There was a striking note of jubilation in the doctor's interruption. Miss
Winnett made no comment thereupon, but continued:
"I finally decided that I didn't care as much for Tom as I'd thought I did,
and then I had a suspicion--but I won't mention that--"
"No, you needn't. Your fortune--pardon me, I simply took the privilege of
an old friend who had himself been rejected by you. Go on."
"Don't interrupt again. As I said, I concluded that I couldn't be Tom's
wife, and I told him so. He went to the Catskills when we went, you know,
as he thought he could keep up his law studies as well there as here. You
can't imagine how he took it. I'd never before known how much he--he really
wished to marry me. But I was unflinching, and at last he left me, vowing
that he would return to Philadelphia and commit suicide. He swore a
terrible oath that my next message from him would be found in his hands
after his death.


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