The Beaufort tribune and Port Royal commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1877-1879, 1877-07-19
ETHEL'S TRIALS.

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TWAS only a scanty coal fire, but seen through
the open CRATE ii looked bright and CHEEKY, and
danced and sparkled on after fashion OF It's
own. as if irving to put q broad smile on in
spite of fate The room was plain and somber
enough in other respects the floor only half
covered with strips Of cheap carpetlng, the fur-
piture and belongings all of the simplest char
acter. Ethel Hammond sat sewing busly, her
dark hair half in shadow.
The light just glanciDg upon her face showe1
il pale and grave, the lips, beautiful In their
curve. falling wearily apart, and the long black
lashes almost touching the rounded cheeks.
The faint rustic of her work and the occa-
sional dropping of coal were the only sounds
that broke the silence 1t was so still that Rose,
snuggled down by the fire with her curls droop-
ing over her shoulders, gradually lost all con-
sciousness of her position, and was In some
danger of finding said curls caught and I'M
prisoned bya little tongue Of fame, saucer than
Its fellows.
She sighed heavily. Ethels dark lashes were
SLOWLY raised revealing wondrouS, lovely eyes
of clearest brown.
"What is the matter, pet?
"Oh. Eihie with another sigh nave
been thinking how different everything Is IRON
what il used TO be. When we lived III our OLD
home. I mean, and father and mother were
alive, and Robert was there, and we were all
so happy together! Don't you remember what
dear good times we used to have in the large
parlor, before Rob. went off? And now he Is
gone, and father and mother she STOPPED
moment, but soon resumed" and you have
TO work so hard all the time, and-oh. dear,
everything is dull and lonely We never seem
to have any good times now. / think even up
feels the difference, looking fondly dow" at the
little brown spaniel in her lap. - :,
She was just lifting her head when Etfel
spoke again. 49,
from, here into large house all our own, with
handsome furniture such as We used to have!
And 90 to good school, and have nice clothes
and new playthipgs. Wouldn't 1t be pleasant
"And Rob. ?"
Ethel made quick gesture.
"Rob. wouldn't have anything to do with II.
He is away"
these nice things? I thought that was what
YOU meant. Ethie. Don't you know the night
before he went away, how he told what hand
some presents he was going to bring home, and
the gay times we would havew
"Hnsh, chidm interrupted Ethel, suddenly,
growing very pale. "That was long time ago.
Robert must have forgotten all about Us before
this, or he would have written.
Il don't believe it !" retorted Rose, indig-
nantly
Fthels ewes grew still more troubled, and she
mt her hand on her heart, with q sudden, quick
gasp.
herself.
Sc Who is going to give US these things,
Ethie ?" she said at last "Have any of the
men father owed been good, and let us have
the money? Mr.. Rowe said one of the debts
would tave been enough for US to hive on, only
the man wanted every cent.
And wanted he should have it. Our
fathers name never should suffer, though IL
left US poorer than we are now: No, Rose tnat @
is not ii, but-you know Mr.. Woodward. She
hesitated, and in spite Of herself, the scarlet
blood mounted to her brow.
"He is rich, and he has asked me to marry
81 don't think it would be right for you to
give up Rob. andmarry that old, homely-looklng
To- save her life Ethel could not have met
the reproachful gaze Of those great, serious
eyes.
She looked down as she said eyes, Rose,
lam going to be married to Mr.. Woodward, and
this is nv engagement ring"
Rose did not speak word, but for the first
time since their double orphanage, she failed to
return her sisters goodnight kiss.
It was bright June day when the sisters
entered the new home Of which Ethel was
henceforth to be mistress. II anything could
have made her thoroughly happy, it. would
have been the tender anxiety which Mr.. Wood
ward had shown that all Roses childish de-
sires should be grati6ed.
Six months of her wedding life went by, and
found her at the close peaceful, content, grow
ing daily more satisfied with her LIE ana lts
duies.
The winter holidays drew near. Rose re.
leased from school discipline, was like bird
set free. She went dancing and singing about
the house, working busily at odd moments on
various manufactures Of her own intended for
surprise presents.
1T is so nice to be rich, and give so many
people Merry Christmas" Rose said, de-
Ethel never forgot one incident of all that
bright. ioyous happy time. For ere the New
Years day she had welcomed in so gayly came
20 a close. Rose lay feverish and restless on heI
couch with the first symptoms OF what proved
TO be malignant fever. She had probably
caught it in some one of the poor neighbor.
hoods they had visited.
Night and day Ethel watched by her side
one fear ever in. her heart, one prayer ever on
her lips: "Saye her spare her, oh, God.
A vain prayer, for He denied it. There came Q
morning when Ethel saw her darlings face
with only the light Of day resting on it, the
dark eyes closed, and the lips whereon she
pressed wild kisses, cold and breathless.
Nor was that ali. Mr.. Woodward who hac
watched unremittingly in the room, was him
self taken down with the disease the very da!
that Rose was buried. Ethel came home from
the grave where her sweetest hopes perished u
take her place as watcher by another sick bed
Not for long the fever made more rapid pro
gress here In less than week, the strong
man was a corpse, and Ethel, utterly crushed b!
this new blow, was left alone in the world.
Alone to meet poverty no less than sorrow
Woodward had made no will siDca hi
marriage An old one dated some years bacl
left his property all to distant relatives who
we're not slow in taking possession. Hard
money making people, none to well please'
with the marriage in the first place, tEey hat
no scruples in taking from the young wido7
all that the law allowed, even though it left he
nearly penniless.
So from the elegant house with its luxuriou
appointments, Ethel went back to one sma
fr,rraishad with what Lii lie sh