The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1884-04-30
TRUE THROUGH ALL.

TRUE vAhOUGh ALL.
"You fully understand me, Edith2
Unless you do as l wish in this
matter you cannot remain an in.
mate Of this house. l will not
have such an example Of disobe.
dience set to my own daughters.
They are at an age when they may
be badly influenced by IT,"
Mr.. Stephen Curtis, broker and
speculator in general, threw him.
self back in his chair at the break
ta,, table aud looked with a frown
Of disns,e on his ugly face at the
delicately beautiful girl now pour.
ing out his coffee. !,
A wealthy widowei, Is'tn Two
plain daughters, he had MAJ rieG IN
q moment of weakness the wioGw
of an acquaintance who had died
deeply in debt His wife retained
her beauty, and was, after a fash.
ion, dear to him.
But Edith, with the face Of her
dead father, who had been his riy.
al at school and in business alike
Edith had been obnoxious to him
from the first; and now that she
daily and nightly attracted the at.
tention in society which he felt
that his own daughters ought
rightly to receive, his mind was
made up to be rid of her at the
earliest possible date. Edith We're
was proud as well as beautiful.
She tried to hide from his notice
the wound that his words inAict.
ed. But her lips trouiUled, her
dark eyes moistened, and it was
some moments before she could
say
~ thanked Mr.. Willis for the
honor he had done me but l told
him of my engagement to Fred
Hart. l think it ungentlemanly
Of him to renew his proposal, and
I cannot accept it."
"Then you must find another
home," frowned her stepfather. II
am in earnest, Edith. Willis is
rich; he is a respectable merchant,
and he is quite foolish in his fond
ness LOT you l am acting Tor your
own good in urging you to marry
him. You will say so yourself ten
years hence if you take my advice;
but If you persist in refusing him
because you were engaged to that
unfortunate young sailor who went
down with his ship, as l suppose,
you must take the consequences"
"say no morel" exclaimed Edith,
in a broken voice. 81 do refuse, l
must refuse. Only let me remain
here till my mother returns from
Florida, and then I will ind an.
other home."
"Your mother is quite too i'll to
be disturbed by this nonsense,
Edith. l wrote her last week;
there is her answer. You must de.
eide this very day, and she will
not be here for three weeks"
With her mother letter in her
hand Edith hurried to her own
room. Hot, binding tears fell over
the words which the weak and deli.
cate wife had written by her hus.
bands order:-
"since poor Fred is lost to you
forever in this life, do, my dear
child, be guided by Mr.. Curlis."
The elastlinesran, "Marry Mr. Willis
and in the home Of wealth which
he will give, you and l may yet
see happy days"
"a home ofwealth, and that man
its master, and | the wife of anoLh.
er than Fredl" moaned the poor
girl in her despair. "0h, Fred,
my deares!l How lightly they all
speak and think and write of your
loss, when it has wrapped the
whole earth in mourning for me-"
She rose and began to make
preparations for her departure.
She knew that her mother had no
power to protect her in a strife
between Mr., Curtis and herself,
and she would not subject her to
the pain Of witnessing the misery
which she could not tighten or
avert. +
Within an hour her trunk was
packed ready for removal. In a
small hand valise she placed such
articles as she would soonest re.
Iquire. She wore her plainest street