West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-02-01

home for you. 1t has not been my
fault: Pray God TO forgive and helm
me"
| Clara's grasp OF her hands relaxed
| Then, with white face and sorrowful
| eyes, she stood up and looked at her
TWO tiny sleeping boys. Then on h -
knees She fell, and stayed i'm corpcs t
| prayer until she heard the stcalthy foot.
| steps creep down the stairs. and the
front door closed; and then she stole TO
the window of her darkencd room.
and, looking out into tho lamp-
Int street, watched n quick WALKING
| hgure in an old country woman's cloak
with deep cape, and large poke bon
net, such rs her old neighbor always
wore; and she knew that the younp
man had escaped in his mothers
/ clothes.
One of the most old fashioned houses
i'm an old country town was Miss Grcv-
brooks. A steep flight of immediately
clean steps led from the pavement of the
High street to her hall door with it's
| shining brass knocker and bell.handle.
/ on each SIDE of this hall door was n
large bay-wlndow. Just high enough to
make 1T inconvcnient for any one tn
/ offer to shake hands with Miss Grey
| brook when they were i'm the street and
| she was tending her flowers i'm the win
| dow. At the back OF the broad hall that
went straight a,ross the house there
| We're steps leading down into larre.
| WelFk kept gardens, and these were in
closed by substantial brick wall that
ehectually protected the fruit and flow
| ers from pilfering fnWcr,
INSIDE the house everything was eX-
! pressive of wealth and solid comfort
Miss Greybrook herself was regarded
ny the towns-folk rs peculiar but her
Peculiarlty being accompanied by riches.
she was never made TO feel it unplcas
antly. In person she was tall and
/ angular, and pair of piercing
/ black eyes that shone out in vivid
contrast to her gray hair gave her n re-
markablc appearance Her caps were
always made high and her dresses
shorter than anybody else's. and She
made no change for fashion or favor.
Now this old lady was Mr.. Tom
/ Crayen's godmother. And on the y.rv
cold, dull winter morning. of which +
| have now to speak. she had risen from,
her high-backcd char in front of the
! bright steel fender at sound of the most
mans knock, and advanced To meet tbc
elderly servant who brought in the let
ters on a silver salver.
None from him, said the old lady
| when she was alone again, turning over
four letters eagerly i'm search of n hand
writing that was not there. Poor and
proud, like his father We'll. I've seen
much folly in my time, but if he refuses
my offer, | question if there is q com
| panion idiot for such n man.
/ 1t was three weeks since she had writ
! ten To Tom Craven, addressing her let
! ter to the Office of Brown d Co. nv
! whom she thought he was still en-
I ployed, and Offering TO overlook the
! hdeOus mistake he had made i'm marry
ing apennilcss orphan-girl, and TO de-
| vote substantial sum 10 further his
| prospects in life On the very morning
| that she was bcwailing openly
her godson's pride, and secretly her
own our friend Tom received a reply
| TO the letter he had sent 10 Brown &
/ Co., politely regretting tina, they could
I do nothing further TO help him. and in
| closing Miss Greybrook's letter. which
had been lying nearly three weeks at
/ their office.
Clara, with the sadness of the las,
| night struggle still upon her. ran
/ down the rlckcty stairs at sound Of the
/ pos,man knock, and received the let
+ ter for her husband. When She arrived.
brcathless. 81 the top floor again. sho
/ watched his face as be opened IT,. The
/ lew polite lines from the bushes, men
iell unread 10 the ground, while the
/ envelope they inej0scd was torn eager
I Iy open. Clara looked over his shout
. e.