Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-12-20
Enforcement, when the words struck his


, covered that the late Mrs. Creighton
died in giving birth to child, but the
child is still living.so that must inform
you that you are
"Penniiess," finished Con, gloomilyr
but with elaboration.
"Not quite, Mr.. Creighton. Your
father left you $4,000, which is some.
thing. Your cousin arrived to day
believe"
Poor Con, he managed TO get out with
out disgracefully showing his feelings,
for it's no joke TO find oneself suddenly
precipated from the pinnacle OF million
aireship.
"Well, after all, there's one comfort, y
he said returning TO his soliloquy, seer
trude Mowbray won't want me now, 80
III give her warning. Dora will take
me, whether rich or poor, and / hope
I'm not such miserable coward as TO
shirk the labor OF a man."
His meditatiOns brought him in front
Of the MOwbray mansion.
Five minutes after he was sitting in
the daintiest of boudoirs, Gertrude be-
fore him in the most recherche OF
French morning robes.
"YOu look dreadfully tired. Con.
Have you been walking very far?'
"Not particularly far, but | have had
bad news, and, rs general thing, that
is more harassing than the mere effect
OF walking"
"Why, what news have you had :?
Nothing very serious, hope,
ooh, not at all; only that I've lost
every penny OF the fortune my uncle
left me-
He noticed, with great satisfaction,
that her fair face grew very white, and
that she instantly put on an indescriba-
bic expression OF withdrawal.
lost, eh2 Oh, no. hOw|'
ooh, in a romantic way, OF course.
IL seems that my supposed bachelor
uncle was, in reality Benedict, but, as
his marriage was in secret, and the girl
was a country lass, nobody knew any
thing about it, so he told her the cere-
mOny was false, and left her. She died
heartbroken, but left an heir or heiress,
| don't know which. The child takes
the silver spoon out OF my mouth, and
|, as YOU see, am ruined. OF course,
| Gertie, | came TO you first to release
you, il YOU wished, from our engage
! ment. Reared as you have been, l
could not expect you TO marry poor
man, and, indeed, fear that in my
change of circumstances could not be
a fit husband for you"
Then Miss Mowbray showed that girl,
as she was, she was equal to the occa-
sion.
81 can readily perceive, Mr.. Creigh-
| ton. that il is your wish that our engage
ment should end, and knowing that,
/ should be the last one TO oppose your
| inclinations. As regards your loss,
sympathize with you sincerely, but |
/ cannot fail to rejoice that 1t happened
| before awOke to the fate OF an unloyed
/ wife"
So, for the last time, Con went down
the steps. saying TO himself:
AT any rate, still have $1,000 and
Dora,"
He walked along, feeling his spirits
considerably lighter, his troubled con-
science comparatively at rest.
But Just as he reached his mothers
residence, Gray once more encountered
him.
"Ah, Here you are again; the very
/ fellow | want. Your cousin has arrived
and is anxious to see you. Could you
20 To her at once? She is with some
relatives at the hotel
Con turned on him, a sulky express
sion wreathing his handsome face.
Look here, Gray; isn't it enough for
a fellow to be left penniless without
making him play lackey to the girl that's
/ got his money! AS you're SO desperate
/ ly interested you can tell my cousin
/ that | am very much engaged to-day,
and can't 90 to her. II she wishes to
see my mother, presume she can lind
her"
Arthur Gray turned his back upon his
late client.
He was young man and still unmar-
ried, so it may be presumed he did not
| feel very badly rs he returned TO pay his
/ devoirs to the heiress.
But Con did feel badly rs he passed
/ through his mothers door, and strobe
/ impatiently down the halls that were
theirs no longer.
lie was ascending the stairs when the
servant called;
al forgot to give you this note, Mr.
| Creighton. II was left here about five
minutes ago.
Con took it mp and glanced carelessly
at it, a dainty little envelope whose deli
cate address he did not recognize, broke
the seal and read.
Miss Creighton's compliments to
Mr.. Creighton, and desires his immedi-
ate presence
"By jove She'll offer me the post of
/ fOOtman next, | presume but I'll 90 TO
| her now and let her see her mistake
So, in anything but an amiable humor,
he wended his way TO her immediate
presence"
"Miss Creighton is engaged at present,
but will be down in five minutes" the
waiter said; and, after he had disappear
/ ed, Con began to mutter something very
| contemptuOus about country charms,
| etc.
Then, finding he had TO wait, he re-
I signed himself TO a comfortable arm
chair, until light step sounded in the
/ hall, until a slight figure, with clouds OF
/ golden hair and diaphonous robes OF
| feecy gauze, came floating into the
room, until sweet voice cried out:
ooh, Con, am so glad to see yOu!'
Then. while he was staring. and Won
dering, Dora's two white hands were
/ laid in his.
Dora's sweet face was upturned to
him.
Dora's violet eyes rested upon him,
the tender love-light lurking in their
/ depths. 49,,
"Dora. nv darling NV own little
/ Dora. what does this meant"
"Whv, You silly fellow, il means that
| I'm your cousin, Dora Creighton, and
that I'm glad, oh. so glad, Con, that |
/ didn't take your money, never TO return
it, and I'm more glad still that we met
/ before they made this discovery, and
/ that Won loved me in spite OF what peo-
\ pie said.
He was so stupefed that he could only
/ manage to say:
"Why, did you know what they
said ."
She drew herself up to her fullest
height, and looked him proudly in the
face.
Certainly | didn't know it, or
would have found out the truth and told
YOU all, ut the time YOU asked me to be
waiting for your return. | always
thought | was grandpapa's daughter, for
YOU know when my mother died, We
left the the place where | was born,
and went to the village where you met
me-"
He began to realize it Ithen, but still
you can imagine that he felt rather awk-
ward.
"And so my little Dora is the heir
esq" he began by the way of prelude,
but she interrupted him.
"No. Con, I'm not. / don't want the
money, nor grandpa nor grandma don't
want it, We were happy before and We
can be happy again if"
And then she stopped.the violet eyes
dropped, and Con was himself again as
he stopped toward her, saying:
Every well, darling; but 1 must take
you, too, for security"
Three months after the security was