The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1882-02-01

Cora looked at him wistfully.-
Was II something about her fatheri
But she dared not put the thought
into words-there were too many
about. So she merely bowed her
head in acceptance Of his invitation,
and went away.
Half an hour later she was tucked
into trim little cutter beside him,
dashing along over the white moon.
lit road, and waiting anxiously for
him to reveal the matter of impor.
tance at which he had hinted,
But Frank was curiously silent for
a long while. II seemed to Cora that
he would never speak. Atlast, with
a sudden effort, he said;
"Miss Cora, you've known me only
d few days, but you,xe seen snangA
Of me TO know that | am a blunt
spoken fellow, so l hope you won't be
upset by what I'm going tosay. Tn
not much of fine gentleman, but l
haven't any very bad habits and
make fair living, and-and-weIl,
| want wife, little gal, and / love
you. II you'll have me, III do my
prettiest to make you the happiest
woman in the country"
Cora smiled up at him through
tear-filled eyes, and this gave him
courage to slip one arm over the
back Of the cutter and draw her
closer to his side.
She murmured something about
being almost stranger TO him; but
Frank, grown wonderfully bold, press
ed with his lips over the girls dark
eyes, and queried:
"Do you love any other MANI"
"No," she answered, honestly
enough; II believe you are the best
man / ever knew"
Whereupon Frank kissed her
again, upon the lips this time, and
made second proposition, to which
at first she would not listen. But
the will and the energy Of her earn
est-hearted wooer carried the day,
and the result was a call upon a
justice of the peace; and when they
re entered the inn that night the
girl was Cora Prcssy no longer, but
Cora Hollister, and Franks face was
radiant and triumphant.
In the dingy waiting-roem an ex.
cited crowd was gathered,
Frank endcavored 10 hurry his
wife past the doorway, but her quick
glance had caught glimpse of a
familiar figure.
"Father!" she cried, and stepped
into the room.
Yes, there he was, haggered and
disheveled, with blood-shot eyes and
unshaven face. He might have been
fine.looking once. There was just
the ghost of debonair about him
still despite his wretchedness. An
officer guarded him on either side.
"What has he done?" cried Cora,
with pallid lips.
Some one in the crowd answered
brutally enough:
KILLED a brother gambler twenty
miles back. They're taking him
through h the city,"
Then the poor little bride went in.
to a dead faintin her husbands arms,
and he carried her upstairs with his
brown cheek against her white one.
All night he watched beside her
while she went from one deathly
swoon into another. At last in the
gray morning she smiled sadly into
husbands eyes, and whispered:
"Do not be troubled. | will go
away"
"Not if I can help" answered
Frank, with grim set of his under
lip.
Then all at once he put his face
down on the pillow beside her and
began to cry like a two year-old
baby.
With her slender hands she stroked
the mans big curly head, and talked
to him in sweet, weary way that
went straight to his warm heart.
"Dear friend" she said, 81 know
how unselfish you are, but l will not
allow you to make such sacrifice.
You shall not share my shame"
Look here, little woman, l knew