West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-05-31

siderable
II hope, said he, "that You will not re
iuse my boy, Miss Edna He has set his
heart So fully upon YOU, and YOU are every
thing that / could desire in a daughter.
want some one 90 pet. feel sadly and
lonely at times and ] am sure that YOU
would just till the vacant niche.
drew my hand away from his CarcSS.
and almost felt like hating John Crawford
Life with him would be one Of ease and
luxury; hut | decided that | had rather
kept boardcrs
Not long after this the Craufords conclu-
ded To 90 70 housekeeping, and Mrs Shell
grove was i'm her glory. She always came
to luncheon now in her bonnet, and gave us
minute details of all that had bc done and
talked about the house i'm the last twenty
four hours
1T is really magnificent, said she.
lengthcning out each syllable. Brother
has such perfect taste; and lac is actually
furnishing the library, Miss Edna, after
your suggestion. You see, we look upon
you quite as one of the family
That is very good of YOU, p" ! replied,
shortly; "but | certainly have no cNpccta-
tion of ever belonging To it,"
Mrs. Shcllgrovc laughed as though | had
perpetrated an excellent joke.
~ Dung ladies always deny these things.
of course; but John tells different story. $"
| ratified the cups and Saucers angriN;
and my thoughts flOatcd of not TO John.
but to Johns father, sitting lonely i'm the
library furnished after my suggestion.
Wasn't it after all my duty, 10 marry the
family generally
The house was finished and moved into,
and John spent his evenings with me.
used TO get drcadfuly tired of him. lie
was really too devoted to be at all interest
ing, and had reached that state of feeling
that, if summariy ordered To take my
choice between him and the gallows,
would have prepared myself for hanging
with IA sort of cheerful alacrity
! locked the door upon John ON the eve
ming in question, when had finally gotten
rid of him, with these feelings i'm force; and
mcditatcd while undressing ON some dcs-
pcrate move that should bring matters To "A
crisis
But the boy had become reused at last. -
He, too, had reflected i'm the watches of the
night and next day ] received quite dig
nitied letter from him, telling me that bust
ness called him from the city, for two or
three weeks, and that possibly ON his return
| might appreciate his devotion better.
felt incXpressvcly relieved. 1t appeared
to me the most sensible move that John
made i'm the whole course Of our acquan-
tancc, and ! began to breathe with more
freedom.
Time flew, however, and the three weeks
heightened TO six without Johns return.
He wrote to me but his letters became
somewhat constrained; and | scarcely knew
Nxh hnf 10, .l.. .F 4, 1.
give me up, | thought; hut felt sure that
hc would hold me to that weak promise of
mine, that ! should either become Edna
Crawford or remain Edna Darlington.
"Mr CRAWFORD was announced one
evening, and / entered the parlor fully pre-
pared for an overdose of John, but found
myself confronted by his father.
lie looked very grave; and instantly /
imagined all sorts of things, and rcproachcd
myself from my coldncss.
John is wcllt' gasped finally
"Quitc well, was the reply i'm such kind
tones that felt sure there was sOmcthiHg
wrong.
What it was cared not, but poured forth
my feelings mpctuOusly to my astonished
visitor
Gle must not come here againl" ! cx-
claimed. 81 do not wish 10 see him. Tell
him 80, Mr. Crawford tell him that had
rather remain Edna Darlington, as he made
me promise, than TO become Edna Gran
ford
"And he made you promise this2' was
the reply. "Thc selfish fellow But,
Edna, what am TO do without the little
girl that have been expcctingl ! am very
loncly-sO lonely that ! do not see how !
can give her up.
j glanced at him and the room seemed
swimming round everything was dread
fully unreal. tried TO sit down, and was
carried tendcrly TO the sofa
"Shall il be Edna Darlington or Edna
Cranfordf' he whispered you need not
break your promise 10 John
Edna Crawford ! replied feeling that
] had left the world entire and was i'm an
other sphere Of existence.
If the thought crossed my mind that Mr.
Crawford had rather Chccrfuliy supplantcd
his son, the proceeding was fully justified
during the visit which ! soon received from
that young gentleman ] tried 10 make It
plain 10 him that ] did no wrong, as I had
never profosscd TO love him though not at
all sure that / wouldn't receive the shaking
threatened on % prcvions occasion, and
endcavOred 10 be as tender as possible, for
/ felt very sorry for him.
To my surprise, John laughed
"Well, this is jolly hc exclaimed.
"And I'm not a villain, after all What
do you think Of her, Ednal'
lie produced an ivorytypc in % rich vel
vet case-a pretty little bIuc-cycd simple
ton she looked like Utat a.
Rose, me continued Rose Darling
the name suits her, doesn't it7 She was
staying at my unclc's i'm Maryland that's
where I've been visiting, you know and
she's such % dear little confding thing % fcI
low couldn't help falling iu love with hci
And she thinks mo- end of me. YOU see.
says shc's afraid of me, and all that"
John knew that j wasn't bit afraid of
him; but lclt an elderly sistcrly sort of
interest in DIS happiness, and bad never
liked him so well as 40 that moment And
This was the dreadful news that his father
had come TO break to me, when bis nara
tive was nippcd in thc bud by my rcvcIa-
tious, and the interview ended in p far
more satisfactory manner Than either OF us
had anticipated
So kept my promise 20 john after all,
and as Miss Rose kept hers hc is now q
steady married, and very agreeable som
/ in.Iaw.