Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1873-02-15

aud haggard, and at TIE end oi month c0uh
hardly realize | was the same person as the
gay careless boy of a month before. hardly
knew how it would have ended for me, ii
Just at that time had not received letter
from an old friend Of aunt's, living 10 WscOn-
sin, saying his daughter was going to New
York to attend school that she was not accus-
toned to travelling alone, and as the place in
which lived was quite a railroad ceutre, to
preveRt her making any mistake, would |
kindly meet her at the two o'clock train on the
twenty-ifth of the present month She would
/ be dressed in brown, would wear blue veil.
and to make her more easily distinguished,
she would carry a sheet Of music.
For once my thoughts were taken away
from my fortunes, aud fonnd myself wonder
ing what she wou 4 be like, and how long she
would have TO wait.
/ The two o'clock train found rue snxiouSly
inspecting the passengers as they poured cut
OF the cars Sure enough, there were plenty
with brown dresses and blue wells, but mono
with anything that looked like music 10 their
hands. | concluded she had not GENE, when
heard musical voice at my elbow say;
al do believe you are the gentleman papa
said would find here to help me. Arsn't you
Mr.. Collingwood ?"
Yes, that was my name, and there was the
brown dress, blue veil and sheet Of music and
more than all Of that, there was the most
charming specimen of humanity had seen for
many day. recognized her Immediately.
She had to wait two hours and you may be
sure we improved every moment.
/ After had seen the last faint futter Of tho
blce veil through the car window, went back
to my lonely room more gloomy than ever,
aud my thoughts were very much divided bs-
tween thousand dollar bills aud Miss Dalton.
Henceforth, was a changed man. was
ready to work, and willing to do anything that
was honorable, aud would bring me money
And it was perfectly wonderful how well
succeeded People seemed TO help me Of their
own accord There is ~ old saying: "Ths
gods he p those that help themselves" and l
proved it true Not that rose to honor by
any royal road, but the end Of the first yosr Of
my probation found me with thousand dollars
70 show for my work, and better than that,
had faith in myself. If never saw cent of
the forty thousand dollars, could take caro-
Of myself, and sometime not so terribly far ia
the future either, might allow myself to
think Of something better than always living
alone.
About this time found chance 10 invest
my little fortune on what seemed good securi-
ty and it proved profitable. for before /
had had time 10 think much about it, my
thousand dollars bad doubled twice dons
believe there ever was happier fellow than |
then.
few days after my good fortune, business
called me to New York, had not forgotten
my pleasant acquaintance, and from her father
had learned she was still there. AS | had
her address, | felt at liberty to call. She re-
ally seemed pleased to see me, and ], well, |
do not want TO make this love story, so
won't tell how felt. At any rate, my visit
heightened from two days to two weeks, and
at the end of that time she had promised to b
q my wife at the end Of year.
I Fortune continued TO favor me- ia accumu-
! lating money, and at the end Of the year had
my ten thousand dollars all ready. ! basiencd
to the place left my precious will, almost
7 dreading to loJk for it for fear il had disap-
peared, but no, it was there, aud took il to
the lawyer who had signed it, asking him to
y put ne in possession Of my property, as had
fulfilled the conditions TO the letter He look
ed it over, then said
Young man, | am very sorry 10 dsap.
\ point YOU but this will will never stand in Law
for the important reason that your aunt did
not have forty thousand dollars to will 10 any
one. She said she was going 10 make man
. Of you, if possible, and am happy to find shS
has done it, You have my congratulations"
I Well, must confess, at first, / did feel
:, pretty badly about it, but | managed to livs
! through it. determined to visit Miss Dal.
ton at once, tell her all about it and see if she
was still willing to take me for better or worse
4 As soon as possible after my arrival, re-
lated the whole story to her. was hardly
prepared FOR the way she took it, One mo-
ment she seemed ready to cry, the next she
could scarcely keep from laughing. At last
she found voice enough % say 20, Charlie
knew it all the time. Your aunt told fathel
> about it." The loss Of my forty thousand
' dollars did not trouble me much after that fol
one month from that time Miss Dalton b
came ny wife.