South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1875-03-19
The Secret Of q Life.

Sarence Name sat IN his sumptuouSly
furnished library, lost in thoughts evi.
IDENTIFY unwelcome TO him, for his hand.
some face was clouded and the stern lips
| firmly compressed, as he gazed vacantly
into the red Goals in the CRATE.
Though forty years had passed over
him. neither form nor face indicated
that age, for proudly erect and graceful,
besides possessing dark flashing eyes,
waving hair, and regular features he was
a strikingly handsome man, appearing
scarcely more than thirty.
] Reared in luxury, for his parents had
left him a millionaire when but college
student, he had never known poverty
through necessity, though a wandering
life of many years in many lands had
shown him that there existed more want
and suffering than happiness and com
fort in the world, from lack of the al
mighty dollar, and his noble nature aid
ed ever, where circumstances brought
| him in contact with his fellow beings in
| distress
Three months before that bleak De.
cember evening when he is seated i'm the
I library of his magnificent Baltimore
home, Clarence Kane had returned from
wandering %our abroad which had last
ed for two years, and the circumstance
that had brought him home again is the
subject of this sketch.
Sitting there in silent meditation, he
was waiting the coming of one who was
very dear to him; though no wife or Sis
ter had ever frightened his doorway, or
made happy his bachelor home. Clar-
ence Kane held the responsible position
of guardian over y young girl Of seven
teen, and having received from the fair
maiden Il telegram that afternoon that
she would be with him during the even
ing. having left her boarding-school for
the Christmas holidays, he had remain
ed away from the Club to greet her.
If she had only stated by what train.
or ut what hour, she would arrive, so that
| could have met her" he murmured, in
rather an ill-humored tone, and then, as
the sound of carriage whccl5 on the
pebbly drive broke on his ear, lie start
| ed UP suddenly and walked quickly to
the door, which was thrown wide open
by the butler, to usher in q bright face
almost hidden, rs was the form, by warm
wraps, for tho night was bleak and cold.
Juanita, you are indeed welcome ~
exclaimed Clarence Kane, checking him
self as he was about to enfold in his
arms the maiden. whom, in the three
years that had passed since he had last
beheld her, had grown from girlhood to
womanhood.
Thank you. my dear guardian knew
you would like little sunshine this
cold, winter weather. hence have come"
laughed n musical voice beneath the
wraps, and as if divining the reason why
he had not embraced her, the young girl
quickly raised her pouting, lipe lips for
a kiss.
l will not assert that Clarence Kane
had never in his varied existence. kiss.
ed lovely woman before, but be that as
it may he appeared perfect novice on
this OCCASION, and was rs awkward as Il
school boy, for his face flushed painful.
ly, and then turned deathIy pale.
But recovering himself. he extended
a warm welcome to the maiden, and
! then aided her in unbundling herself
from wraps, furs and hat. and his sur
prise was evident rs he beheld what a
metamorphosed form his ward was.
A form supple, graceful, and slightly
above the medium height, yet perfect in
mould; n face radiant with a strange
fascinating beauty, for the eyes were
midnight in blackness, liquid in express
sion, and filled with slumbering fire.
while the hair rivaling them in hue.
''was worn in luXuriant folds around the
proud head, and confined by a massive
silver comb.
In undisgused admiration Clarence
Kane forgot his good breeding, and stood
and gazcd.
What was this the girl Of fourteen
he had left at boarding school a few
years bcfore?" he thought. while the oh.
ject of his gaze flushing crimson, said
half timidly:
Don't please you my dear guar
diam
With q long drawn sigh, Clarence Kane
shook Off the beauty-struck spell upon
him. and answered honestly:
"Juauita. believed only angels could
possess your beauty"
Thanks but your angelic ideas will
have a fall. for I'll astonsh you by prov
ing what afinities earthly angels can
possess, for do you know, / am most
siaTNeUs
True. ! had forgotten the politencss
Of n host in my JOY at your arrival but
| will now atone for It,"
And calling to servant girl. lie babe
her conduct his ward 10 the room pre-.
pared for her, promising TO meet her in
q few minutes at dinner
The merry Christmas days sped rap
/ idly away. and both Clarence Kane and
his beautiful ward became toasts in the
aristocratic society Of aristocratic Bal.
timore.
The best p0Hi Of the state, Mr. Kane
was L0VUted by mothers who had mar.
riageable daughters, d'ae5 by bashrul pa.
pas. and ON account OF his great popu-
larity, 1Cb,ed at the clubs by his numer.
Gus friends, while the beautiful Juanita
arose like n star above the borison Of