The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1871-02-09


have been an actress-ehilled her blood.
She rushed into the library.
"Tell me-is it SOP" she questioned
agonizingly.
(Which ?" he asked hoarsely, her white
face appealing to his heart.
"Ny mother!"
"Yes," he said slowly. "Child I did
not know you were there"
She heard him not. She stood and
stared and at last threw herself on his
breast.
"Do not think I weep for my wealth,
said she, 81 can stand that, but the other
humiliation, we-I was SO proud of my
good family"
She took off her queenly robes and
remained at home.
The intelligence of the Judges failure
flew through the city as if on wings of
fire, and the friends who had admired
the "rich Miss Chester" dropped oil, one
by one.
The Judge left his stately mansion
and they took rooms in small, neat
boarding house. He watched how brave
ly she bore her reverse and sighed.
Fanny insisted ON the old programme
which she had marked out for herself
before she dreamed of ever being redu-
ced.
81 will not be a burden to you," she
replied to the Judge, when he pleaded
with her to abandon her scheme.
She went bravely to the trustees Of
the school where she had been educated,
and laid her case before them. They
listened 2ttentively. They believed there
must be sterling qualities within the girl,
that she could so resolutely face her fate.
They gave her the position she desired.
The night before she was to commence
her labors, the Judge called her to him.
"Fanny," he said, "just six months
from this day was to give up your
property to your own care, and be your
guardian no longer. What can you
think of the way have fulfilled my
trust ?"
She threw her arms around his neck.
'Do not think Of my loss, guardie,' she
exclaimed, "you have been father, q
good, true father to me. / have been
butterfly Of fashion, but now you shall
see that I can be something else"
He pressed her conyldsiyely to his
breast
"God will reward YOU" he said 81
was not mistaken i'll my estimation OF
Your nobility of character"
For months she filled her position as
teacher honorably, and declared herself
happier than she had ever been in her
life before.
John Wallace visited the old Judge in
his humble lodgings much frequentor
than in his more prosperous days.
Fanny was ever pleasant and seemed
anxious to erase the rudeness Of the past
from his mind. Their intimacy ripened
into friendship and into love.
The Judge looked on with satisfac-
ton.
The anniversary of Fanny Chester's
twenty first birth day came, the day on
which he was to yield up his control of
her.
Il wish you to take a ride with me,
Fanny" he observed, and she prepared
to do so.
They drove to his old residence.
"What does this mean ?" she asked
with flushed cheeks.
at means that 1 have taken q fancy
to visit our old home" he ventured.
"You know it has only been occupied by
servants since we left it."
She made no response. She followed
him up the high brown stone steps into
the house. He led her into the library
and offered her q chair. He then took
a roll of papers and laid them before
her.
"This is your birth day, my dear, and
1 render up to you all that was entrusted
to my care. I knew you wore noble and
good, and had q strength of character
which you yourself was not aware of.
Loving you as 1 did, and still do, it
panied my heart to see you that shallow
creature-a woman of the world-a flint.
knew that you knew not your own
heart, and judged your friends wrong.
In all things else, but this one, you were
perfect, and before could relinquish
all claims to you, 1 wished to open your
eyes. My poverty your loss, was but
u pretence. Can you forgive me-?
She sprang from her chair. She
buried her face in his bosom and wept
81 thank you," she said, when her
emotion subsidized sufficiently to allow
her to speak. "You have taught me o
lesson which I shall never forget. l
will never again be the foolish creature
of the past"
The Judge was satisfied, and he wiped
q suspicious moisture from his eyes.
"And John Wallace ?" she asked with
o questioning look.
"Believed as you did, my DEAR"
She made no comments.
The circle in which she reigned su-
preme was surprised to hear that her
poverty was but freak to test their
friendship and many of the heartless
dandies cursed their stupidity in giving
her up so easily. They met her in soci-
ETY. again, but they knew that the chances
for the hand of the heiress was lost for
ever.
Amonth passed, and John Wallace
had not called. He sent his congratu-
lations to the Judge and Miss Chester,
but that was all.
Fanny wrote him note. Mr. Wal
lace obeyed the summons. Six months
later Fanny Chester became Fanny Wal
lace.