The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1881-05-11

III
lion dollars, but" and his strong,
brave voice quiyered ever SO slight
ly- :for your sake am appalled, to
be notified that he has left all his
fortune to a charitable institution.
/ am a beggar, Bertie!p
Her soft dusky eyes grew wider
and more serious.
@oh, yivianl A beggarl II sounds
awfull7
"Yes, it does. But l wouldn't care
if it wasn't for YOU my darlingl 1t
means that must give you up, for
| am not cowardly enough toask you
to share poverty with me on a clerk
ship of a thousand a year."
She looked at him with a rich
crimsonflu surging into her cheeks,
and the tears flushed to her eyes as
she released her hands fromrhis, and
flung her arms about his neck.
"yivianp she said, passionately,
''do you think l will let you give me
upa love you too well for that. A
beggar or a prince, you are the same
to me-my king, my lovel'
= 10. u u . d
And he folded her 10 his heart with
q great, almost speechless tenderness
and joy.
"My darling, my preciousl7 he
whispered.
Three months later, on golden.
December afternoon, with sky blue
as in June, and in air balmy and
salubrious-and in Delmonico's res.
taurant, couple of gentlemen en-.
gagged in conversation that was car
ried on almost as if by purpose by
the elder, a handsomely. dressed sharp
eyed old gentleman.
"Married, Ell? You know that 10
be a fact, do your"
~ do-for / witnessed the cere-
mony."
81 can hardly realize that Vivian
Severn is married. Who tor"
"Peter Gray's daughter-I think
her name was Ethelbertha, a very
remarkably beautiful girl, and just
the very wife for young Severn. He
was disinherited, you know, and old
Gray cut up rough when his daugh-
ter persisted in keeping her engage
ment-cut her off with a shilling,
they say"
"Humph! Quite pretty romance.
What do the young folks do for a
living?"
Severn is head bookkeeper in
McWaller d Van Tunis', and they
seem to get along as happy as can be.
You're acquainted with them, l
should judge?"
"Well-slightly. Td.like to know
where they live"
"That / can't say. But an INQUIRY
at severn's place of business wonld
be no trouble"
And when the stranger went away,
after his little conversation with his
table companion, he had no idea that
it was what some folks might have
called ghost with which he had
been talking.
AT eight o'clock that night, as Ber-
tie Severn poured her husbands cot.
fee in their snug homely dining-room.
Uncle Daniel Somerset walked in,
large as life, while Vivian sprang to
his feet, beHildered and a littlestart.
led, and BERTHE rushed to his side.
"Don't be scared. It's me. l
wasn't dead at all. I'd like a cup Of
good hot coffee, my dear, with plenty
of cream and sugar, and while I'm
warming up over it, TIL just explain,
Vivian, that it has all been STRAIT
agem of mine to discover whether
this little girl was a genuine dia-
mond or sparkling paste. And, my
dear-youll do. The charitable in.
stitution may go to the-devil. You
and Vivian are to have my money,
and we'll go tomorrow and buy the
handsomest house on the avenue,
and everything to correspond. Kiss
me, child! Vivian, don't act like a
fool over mel"
And by that token Vivian was
convinced that it was really the
simon-pure Uncle Daniel; and a
merrier trio never sat down at n
dinner.table.
Suh Bnso