The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-02-08
What Mirism's Bet Brought Her.
BY RUTH LOUIS.

Miriam Stone, who was tying on her
hat preparatory to starting on her daily
pilgrimage to the small village dress
making house where she worked Stead
lily for year.
Tu earnest, CaptainT' And as che
looked into the Captains merry eyes,
her own seemed to change their usually
sad tired look, and to catch some OF
the glitter from the blue orbs above
her.
Yes. in earnest; go in and win. l
will be generous, and give you year
to secure your victim, and for yonr en-
enlargement l will tell you that ! sur
rendered in Elk weeks"
Miriam bowed abstractedly and
walked briskly of, leaving the Captain
to turn to us and say, 81 do believe that
decided-looking young LAZY Ia gong 10
trv to win my thousand. Well, wont
grudge to suffer TO that exteat tn rescue
Harry from hachelordom.
OF the elk ladies assembled in the
cheerful sitting room at Anthem Farm,
not one thought that even il Miriam
Stone was in earnest she womb succ"cf.
For Miriam Stone was only p plain look
ING nobody" who worked hard all
dsy in the village, and then walked
two miles TO Anthem Farm simply be.
cause itcost a dollar q week less 10 board
there than in town. Harry was rich
and handsome. besides being well
guarded from matrimonial schemes ny
his mother and his two sisters. These
ladies' had se,ectpd the future Mrs.
Hale, and, although they we e too nru'
dent to let Harry zee what they were
about il was plain to our feminine eyes
But impossible "a it seemed, before me
autumn leaves had commenced 10 tall,
Harry was paying court" 10 Miriam
and ere the las. brown and crimson
leaves were OF he was her escort to 40
MANY places Of amusement that heE
one "beat dress" a brown merlno, was
getting to look quite common. IL WAS
strange to me to see how she stroVe 10
win attention from him, for sue hah
ALWAYS shuuned attentions rom the OPP
posile sex before. She came 10 my
room one afternoon, and with look OF
a!mos, absolute pain in her face, asIie1 ::
Miss Estelle, do you think this dress ~
fit 10 wear to the party tonight
AL made reply | could see why She
WAS 20 dissatisfied with the brown dress
as 10 want somebody else's opinion OF
i, for I had aeen the Anthem girls and
Nav David, in their new, bright dresses
and fresh ribbons, and ! had heard
Harry tell Alice Anthem that her pIs'd
WAS the VERY prettiest dress he ever
saw" when she merrily asked his opin'
ion of lis bright folds. | gave the
brown merino all the praise could,
Int Miriam seemed so deeply impressed
with its inferior appearance that al
d d some truthful fatterv in regard to
her heavy mass OF lusterless hair, fin-
ishing wv saying believed abe would
look like piquant gypsy II 1t was
short. Halt an hour later she cam"
again to nv room, looking so strangely
beautiful that could not help exciaIm-
ing, What have you done to change
yourself So?
She bowed her head before me, sud
in place Of the heavy coils Of hair be
held q maSs OF short, thick cur's.
"As / could not have new tinery, |
thought I'd have change somehow.
# It's for the better, shall have to
thank YOU for the idea; il for the
worse, / shall have TO cnt yours of.
at is decidedly better; and | added
enough more praise to make her gray
ewes sparkle; and although la'tery is
said to he very wrong, | was glad to
praise Miriam, for / ptied her lonely,
mari worked state.
Mrs. Anthon and sat up until the
pcrty-goers returned. We heard the
sir'a bidding their beaux good night,
sud soon they came busting up to the
rouaing fire. A merry, handsome set
OF girls, too; but merriest and hand
soonest OF all was Miriam. Her eyes
were sparkling, and her cheeks flushed,
while her hair was in beautiful disor-
dor. She did no. STAY with us long
leaving ,he room precipitately when
Alice ssid that she did believe that
Harry kissed the roses to like In her
cheeks"
That night, after | had retired, Mir
lam came to my bed and held her hand
embelished by plain gold band, direct
" before nv ewes, and whispered, "Har"
~ gave it to me, and | know thai Am
hsppier than auv one else" And !
could well believe that no one was hap
pier. when looked into the h'ushing
lace and love-lit eyes.
Mrs. Hale made considerable 'uAs
when the engagement was made kno" o.
snd vowed that she would not come 70
the wedding. which wss to be month
later. Tor Harry was impatient ana
Miriam had few preparations 20 make
Bnt Mrs. Hale did not come to the
wedding. and when Miriam came to
her in her bridal robes and, holding
out her hand, asked il they could not
be friends, thought che would have
consented, after show OF opposl'ion'
r. il had not been for An occurrence late
in the evening.
We were standing together when
Captain David went mp to Miriam who Z,
was standing alone hy a window, and
asked, gsyly- ,c+
DO YOU want that wager now, Mlr'-
am, or shall pay it to Harry
Give it to me now, and please say
nothing about it,
The CAPTAIN looked astonlshed and
bewildered. but seeing her eager, ~i'tfn
gszp, he took two criap bills from Dis
nnrse and handed them to her, saying
Il will he silent. but it was the money
after all, was it,