The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1880-01-07
0UN I, 1850.

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GA W.ElDN .ESDAY
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thedew.Isv like.shmmer rain on the
grass at his feet. His cigar was
,.snoEed.dpxn ID ashes, and his lazy
raselle was broken By The cry Of the
wlliprpcersEills
She isn't coming Tonight, he
said mentally that iscertain. The
sehemirg auniie Up ysndef managed
to Tl5eSen6 i this time, Oh, wsfliit,
saves asccne. 1 silIr drop adosing.
note and soiteiias sam.
imef's amusement. hInnl and
Neil Rowan stroll1d sh6memaFd sing
ing half uuconsciously, Tyon't bsye;
her, Isknow,-I don'tsare a straw
who was her. know. "a
The farewell note came to- Cora
Smith tile following night, bat her
isxerhEishte never rested 'sp.the
creamy page, for, ere The insane light
gave place to reason again, death
sealed the white lips. 10 such ma
lures as this girls, love is life; and
the rude blow that woke her from
the one bright dream of her youth,
snapped the tender cord that bound
her frail spirit to earth, and out of
the depths of her awful grief the
kindly hand of death led her.
Day by day, week by week, months,
so sped the time until eight years
were counted. Bighttimes the grass
had grown over the little grave in
the lonely country graveyard, and
again the October winds rustled the
scarlet leaves over thenarrow mound.
Wonderful changes had the eight
years brought. Side by side with
this grave were two others, and the
headstones bore the names Of good
Aunt and Uncle Smith. They had
rested there six years; and every
summer beautiful Madge Smith came
down from her city mansion and
fingered in the old home a week,
trimming the grasses and planting
ghthowers on the mounds. Bright,
beautiful Madge Smith, the heiress
Of all Uncle Smiths hidden wealth,
the wealth he guarded so well during
that toil-worn, weary life.
Three years before Madge Smith
left school to reign queen of society.
Beautiful, strangely beautiful, with
that cold, white, high-bred face, those
wide, fathomless, glittering amber
eyes, a figure matchless in symmetry
and grace, accomplished, polished,
and the heiress Of great wealth, no
wonder that lovers old and young,
knelt at Madge Smiths shrine. A
strange wonder the world said, that
all were scorned-not gently and
with words of pity and apology, but
spurned from her very feet with
scornful lips and blazing eyes.
Aye, Madgc Smith was an enigma
and mystery to all who knew her.
No warmer friend, no brighter COM
panion did those Of her own sex seek
for. But never were those lips. seen
to smile, or those wonderful eyes to
soften, in response to any lovers; no
glacier more frigid than she to all
men. All men did I say? Nay,
Dame Rumor had plenty of gossip.
just now. Only few weeks since q
new rival appeared on the scene of
action. Neil Rowan, merchant and
millionaire, entered the list Of Madge
Smiths adorcrs-not for wealth, sure.
ly Madame Grudy acknowledged gra-
ciously. He had enough of his own.
1t was genuine love that this man
of society felt for beautiful Madge.
And wonderful change had come
over the fair lady since his appear.
ance. Bright before she was brilli-
ant now-sparkling, witty, bewilder-
ing; and the world looked on in
amazement to see the flush stain her
cheek and the bright smile that light
ed hereye at his approach.
And did he not recognize her, you
are wondering Nay, how should
he? Sweet Cora Smith and the sum-
mer in the country were forgotten
things with this man. He had brok-
en- half q dozen silly hearts since
then, and left them all with time,
the great healer. He had flirted
with cnninty,e ni,nnpr and vilIaoa