The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1879-03-26

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grandmother's, and maybe even
further back than that
A year had sped by. In the wan
ing brightness Of departing summer,
Susan sat in the old trysting.place
alone. The quaint opal ring glitter
ed'on her finger. She touched 1t ica-
ressingiy, turning the stone to catch
the sunlight, her pensiye eyes full Of
unshed tears. a tender smile parting
her lips; as she thoughtof- herhappy
bridal morning, only one short year
ago.
For Jack was .gonel& Gone off over
the seas; never 10 return, perhaps,
gone, and not one word or line had
come'to her since that terrible night
Of his going, But she waited and
hoped with.that faith which is borne
of deathless love-
Jack, fond and proud Of her in his
masculine fashion, had been. prone to
be jealous. Without cause, as he
confessed himself, but the miserable
failing seemed to be part and parcel
of his nature.
One afternoon Susan had gone into
her garden to weed her tlower-beds,
while awaiting her husbands re-
turn.
"sl'sanl' called a pleasant, lazy
voice. !.
She dropped her rake and looked
up.
1t was only BoJ-her cousin, Bob
Wheatley.
(. "Why, Bob, how you startled mel"
she said. -"Willyou come in2 But
rm very busy"
The young man sauntered in.
"You're always busy it seems to
me, Susan, when I'm about" he said,
with smiling sort of impudence,-
won't you shake hands with a fel
low, for the sake of old times?'
A flush rose on the young wife's
cheeks, but she gave Bob the tips of
her fingers.
In her girlish days Susan had been
a good deal admircd-for her own
sweet face and winning ways for the
most partj but in few cases the fact
that she would inherit the old Wheat
ley homestead served to enhance her
attractions
Her Cousin Bob was one ofhermost
assidiouS admirers. He followed her
like shadow, and even after her en-
gagement to Jack Redfern was a lit
tie disagreeable by his marked dc.
votion.
After her marriage, on one occas-
ion, Cousin Bob had excited Jacks
jealous anger by making himself ov-
er-attentive to Susan, and some pref
ty hard words had passed between
them.
Bob took the fnger.tips she offered,
held them an instant, and then car
ried them to his lips,
"How dare you?" cried Susan,
snatching her hand away; then pick
ed up her rake and went on with her
wedding.
Let me do that for you, Susan"
he said, aftera minute. fyou were
my wife, you shouldn't drudge like a
slave"
Susan gave him blazing glance,
"But | am not your wife, and glad
enough | am oft" she replied. "Go
away, Bob; | don't want you here
when Jack is absent"
Bob laughed an ugly provoking
sort of laugh.
"lsuppose not. You're afraid he'll
come.and find you here, the jealous
brute. But am not going"
"Then I'll go myself" said the
young wife, and left the garden.
Bob stood irresolute. a minute, half
regretting what he had done, half
inclined to follow his cousin, and beg
her pardon. Something glittering
in the mold at his feet caught his
eye. He stood and picked up the
old opal ring, which had always been
a little large for his cousins finger.
His first impulse was to return it
to Susan at once; his second was to
keep it, and pay her of for treating
him so scornf0lly.
He slipped it into his vest pocket
and took his way to the village tav.
ern. The place possessed q great