Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1882-03-04
mThe fool! Not to see it is h

CnaC mas won the girl. L KNOW ner.
Pretty picture, great dark eyes and
a complexion like lily leaf, a little
red mouth and yellow hair-a girl
brought up to paint on velvet and
bet at races, fiirt through a summer
at Newport and a winter in the city.
A pretty Vassar College finished
girl, whose sole end and aim of life
is to make a good match. And that
idiot imagines she is in love with
him.
Twenty four hours later, just as
Vivian was taking his dinner at
Delmonico's, waiter handed him a
note from his uncle, in which that
gentleman, always very erraticin his
habits, briefly stated that he was off
on trip to the Yosemite Valley, to
to be gone twoor three months, and
advised Vivian to consider what had
been said to him on certain subject.
He folded up the note and went
on with his stuffed egg plant and
roast turkey in undiscomftted com
posture.
| ~ wish he knew BERTHE better,n
he thought, with glad thrill Of fond
pride. But it was destined that Mr..
Daniel Somerset should never know
pretty BERTHE Gray any better-de-
! creed by fate that he should never
see her again, for six weeks later, as
she sat in her eiegant little boudoir,
sewing some foaming'lace in the neck
and sleeves of velvet evening cog
tune, Vivian made his appearance,
pale and grave, as she had never
seen him before.
~ thought you were not coming
till evening, VIVIAN" she said in
sweet way that told how welcome he
was.
He took a seat beside her little
low chair, and gently, authoritatiyely,
took the laces from her lap.
81 have bad news for you, my
darling, and | want to break it to
you at once"
BERTHE nestled her little dimpled
hands in his, confidingly, sympath.
etically.
"Tell me, Vivian, at once. Only
with you alive and well here be-
side me, no news could be very dread
full, besides / know father and moth
er are both safe. I saw them min
ute ago. What is it, dear2n
Vivian looked at her, a wonderful
grave tenderness in his blue eyes.
my uncle is dead, BERTHE, in Cali
fornia, where he has been travelling
for several weeks. / always supposed
l was heir to his three million dollars,
but" and his strong, brave voice
quivered slightly, "for your sake l
am appalled, to be notified that he
has left his fortune to a charitable
institution. 1 am beggar, Bertie.n
Her soft, dusky eyes grew wider,
and more serious.
"Oh Vivian A beeear? It sounds
awful!n
eyes, it does. But I wouldn't
care if it wasn't for you, darling. 1t
means that | must give you up, for l
am not coward enough to ask you to
share poverty with me on a clerkship
of thousand year."
She looked at him with a rich
crimson fash surging into her cheeks,
and tears rushed into her eyes as
she released her hands from his
and threw her arms about his neck.
Vivian" she said, passionately,
"do you think l will let you give me
up? love you too well for that. A
beggar or prince, you are the same
to me-my king, my lover"
And he folded her to his heart
with a great, almost speechless ten
derness and joy.
"My darling, my precious,D he
whispered.
Three months later, on golden
December afternoon with blue sky
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 by purpose by the
elder, handsomely dressed, sharp
eyed gentleman.
Married, Ell? You know that to
be fact, do yous"
81 do, for | witnessed the cere-
mony."
" / can hardly realize that Vivian
Severn is married. Who to?n
"Peter Gray's daughter-I think
her name was Ethelbertha-a remark
ably beautiful girl, and just the wife
for Vivian. He was disinherited,
you know, and old Gray cut up rough
when his daughter persisted in keep
ing her engagement-cut her off
with shilling, they say"
Slump! Quite pretty romance.
What do the young folks do for
livings'
.'Vivian is head bookkeeper for
McWalter s. Van Tunis. and thesI