Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-07-03
DRIVEN TO RUIN.

Ettd DDyu look eu up iIUtH tbS
elaborate motto she was working
with brighi-colored floss The
faint pink tinge of her cheek had
deepened.
"What do you mean ~ she ask
ed hastily, almost haughtiIy.
81 mean Edwin Holbrook,"
said the lady significantly; at
which an older lady languidIy
raised her eyes from the book she
was reading.
"Sister Jennie" was the indig-
nant ejaculation of t latter.
"Aunt Jennie, you are too bad !"
the little beauty said, blushing
rose-red now.
She was a beauty, this Eta
Boyd, a royal little creature in out
ward app earance. / do not know
by what particular style her love.
illness might be designated. She
was winsome to look at; not statu-
esque, not marbIe-white, not ethe-
real, but simply SO arch-looking,
and dimpled, and changeful. and
merry, that few could withstand
her wiles.
She had always lived in an at
mosphere Of luxury-this pretty
girl; she had been INDUCED from
her infancy by over-fond and fool
ish parents, who imagined their
one pearl peerless. Her two broth
ers, men grown, idolized her, and
as she grew older, loaded her with
gifts. So accustomed to admira-
ton did she become, that she be-
gan to feel at last that life was not
endurable without it, and at last
she began to try her power on
those outside her immediate cir
Gle. One of these was the young
gentleman of whom her aunt
spoke, and the mention of whose
name caused a general cutlery.
"I'm sure sister, I'm astonished
at you,' said Etta's mamma, a
very weak and foolish woman,
who consumed confectionery by
the pound, and read novels by the
thousand.
81 don't know why you should
be-" was The quiet reply!
'Etta Ia mere child. just out Of
school !"
"Etta is seventeen" said her
sister.
Eta is no longer schoolgirl,
though very young, I'll acknowl-
edge-too young to begin a fiirta-
ton"
"Aunt Jenny, you know moth.
ing about it!' exclaimed Eta
flushed to the temples.
II know he comes here very
often"
"He is an old friend of the fam
ily." said Mrs. Boyd.
"I know he is twenty-five, and
in some things a brilliant and
promising character continued
Aunt Jenny. II know he is alone
in the world, and has no sisters.o
"And that is the reason he likes
to come here" said Eta.
.'But, my dear, you certainly ac-
company him to places of amuse-
ment."
"Of course"
"And receive presents from
him."
Etta's eyes fell. "Just nothing
at ALL" she said.
Il don't know" continued the
matter-of- fact Aunt Jenny. Bo-
quets cost money. I can't buy
such ones as that, for instance, un-
der three or four dollars" she adj
ded, pointing to beautiful vase.
over which hung fragrant lilies,
dollhouse tea-roses, fuchsias, and
other dainty blossoms. "And then
a diamond ring isn't bought for
nothing, even if the diamond he
no bigger than the hoad of pin.
Then there are pictures, trihes."
"Aunt jenny" cried Eta, now
pale with passion, Il don't think
any one has right to say what
shall and what / shall not receive
from any one / have known all my
life. l think it's-it's-
"Impertinent, my dear, that's
the word you were thinking OF
and perhaps it would be in any
one VINO had not your goodness at
heart. But, my dear, I'm afraid
your doing harm, indeed / am. /
don't think poor Ed. looks upon
himself as merely a friend"
He has no right to think other
WISE" said Eta, with trembling
lips.
edwin Holbrook has neither
father nor mother, sister nor bro
ther,' said Aunt Jenny. 81 loved
his mother; she was my dearest
friend when we were girls togeth-
err; and her life was Swallowed by
the intemperance of her husband,
who, but for this one fault, would
have been a model of all the VIZ
tues. He was handsome, brave,
AioipfarackaA and unvc D. ;noaI y 20