South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1876-03-17
Perfectly Heartless.

iretty! 1es rather pretty, but per.
fectly heartless r. said Mrs. Holmes TO
DR.. Stanley. . young physician. with
whom she was converting. at large and
brilliant entertainment.
"Heartless! with that sensitive mouth.
and those eyes. SO deep, and, full OF
cxpression?' said the physician mus
ingly.
II don't admire her style OF beauty
at all. She looks like wax doll. and
her heartlessness is piovcrbial. Since
her uncle left her so wealthy size has
had suitors by the score, and firts with
every one.
She was conversing gayly with knot
OF gentlemen and DIR. Stanley saunter.
ed over to the group
"Aliss Marston," said one OF the gen.
tlemen, "what has become OF Harold
Graham, the artist"
The tiny hands swept over the KEYS
OF the grand piano. in the measure Of q
waltz; another Of the group supposiny
Miss Marston did not hear the question.
said: "Out ut elbows. and can't ap.
pear"
"ile was wretchedly poor" said q
third.
''lerhaps he has committed suicide.
1t is three weeks since he disappeared"
said another.
"Oh. hope not !" said Miss Marston.
1--WE want his tenor for our next musical
soiree. 1t would he too provoking for
him to commit suicide -
The next morning Miss Marston sat
in her own room writing n letter. Let
ha.
tence:
'All hollow, all heartless, Miriam
You blame me for flirting; you are not
here to sec how they follow me merely
for my money; not one true heart q.
mong them all. There was onc-IIar.
/ old"
A knock at the door interrupted her.
Come in J" and needlewoman en-.
tered. with basket of work.
Good morning" said Eva, pleasant.
ly. ''How is Terrence this morniny?"
"Oh, miss. it's beautiful he is to-day.
l am sorry that you had to wait so long
for the needlework.''
"Never mind that. How could you
work with tie poor fellow so ilI?"
"Well. miss, it's many a one expect
their work, sick or well and isn't Jim.
my sitting up playing with the toys you
sent him. and Pat. that kept home
from school TO mind hm?"
"How much, Aary?" said Eva, taking
out her purse.
"Oh. miss, you don't owe Mary Gin.
mis- farthing. There's the doctor you
left the money to pay-and the wood
You sent-and the potatoes and milk
and the money you gave me last week.
Indeed, miss, it's in your debt l am for
the rest of my life"
What L gave Terrence has nothing
to do with my BILL" said Eva, rapidly
counting out some money.
Miss Eva" said the poor needlewo.
man-and then stopped.
"Well. Mary?
"lndeed, miss, you do so much good
with your money, am ashamed to tell
you"
Tell me what?"
'Well, Miss, it's about the young gen.
tieman that rented my room. You
know where the widow died last autumn.
lie came n week back. miss. and he new.
er come down stairs for three DAYS: so
tins morning L went up and he's sick
with fever, ont Of his head entirely.
miss. Ifyou would come now"
Nv ait. Mary; I'll 90 with YOU"
Hes dreadful poor. I think. miss.
for it's precious Ii tie furniture-noth.
ing but bed and table and n chair.
and no trunk. bnt n bit Of carpet bag"
Throwing off her rich silk wrapper
Eva put on dark dress and cloak. and
added close silk bonnet with n thick
veil.
Come. Mary" and the two left the
house together.
In low close room, on pallet bed.
lay Mary Ginnis's lodger. The face.
against the coarse ticking pillow, was
such as that one fancies for that of his
favorite. The hair was dark. waving
over broa +. white forehead and the
deep set eyes were hazel. large and full
and the features delicate. Usually the
face was pale, but now it was crimson
with fever. The eyes. too. fierce and
wild. But even with all this. that was
beautiful wish an almost unearthly beau.
w. Into that poor. low room, Eva. with
the somhre dress and radient beautv
came like plying angel. She gave
one glance nj the invalid's face and
then crossed the room 20 his side.
Eva" said the sick man Eva ="
Tile knows me- she murmured. draw.
ing back. But the young man moaned
her name again. and then broke forth
into wild deliriOus rawlings.
"Mary." said Eva, send your bow 20
me. | will find pencil and paper.
Mary left the room, and Eva turned
TO the table to find pencil and paper.
She wrote two hasty notes. One was
to her house.keeper for pillows. The
other was 10 Dr. Stanley, who did not
conjecture who was the friend that sent
nm so much practice among poor pa.
tents. ard saw that the young physician
was we'll paid.
Having dispatched the notes. Eva
tried 10 make the desolate room more
home'like. Lifting from the table a
waistcoat, something dropped from the