Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-09-27
10 /. FROSTBURG, MD, SEPTEMBER 27. 1884.
SELECT STORY.
FOR LACK OF GOLD.

Creed Barton has lost his fortune!"
announced Mr.. Van Alstyne one
morning at the breakfast table in the
great 0ining-room of the Beach
hotel. Clara Parker dropped the
massive fork which she held, and
turned very frightened face, and a
pair of dilated blue eyes upon the
speaker.
'Impossiblew she calculated, her
breath coming and going IN uneven
gaeps, her white hands suddenly
growing cold, and shaking so violent
ly that the diamond solitaire which
she wore scintillated like a fiery
star.
SIS it really true, Mr.. Van AL
styne:" she queried. her face growing
slowly winter.
He nodded carelessly,
"''Tls true, tits pity, and pity tits
true" he quoted nonchalantly. 1t
was not his misfortune and he could
afford to be nonchalant. The N
Bank has suspended" he went on,
"and l happened to know that Bar
toms money was invested there.
Poor Reed what a pity, for he is a
very prince of good fellows"
Miss Parker's blonde head dreoped
lower over her plate, but it was OBJ
served by the rest of the party that
her interest in the morning meal had
suddenly disappeared. AS soon as
she could politely withdraw from her
companions she went to her own
room. Her face was as pale as
death, save for lurid spot upon her
white cheeks, and there was an
angry glitter in the deep blue eyes.
Closing the door behind her, she
stopped short, the breath coming in
painting gasps, the small white teeth
set hard together on the rosy lip.
"Ruined." she Missed the words
forth with angry emphasis. Ellis
fortune gone and he has not come to
me with the intelligence, but leaves
it to a stranger to break the news :!
Reed Barton beggar i; and is my be-
trothed husband! / will never marry
a poor man--never he understands
that perfectly; perhaps that accounts
for his keeping the loss of his money
secret from me! But | know the
truth at last, and he shall be free be-
fore the sun goes DOWN.
She seated herself at her writing
desk and penned line to her betroth-
ed husband-a cruel line in which
she told him she had discovered the
loss of his fortune, and that it was
impossible for her to become the wife
of a poor man. She drew the dia-
mond engagement ring from her
finger, and inclosing it in the letter,
addressed it and dispatched it at
once.
Up and down one of the long
verandas OF the hotel Reed Barton
was pacing slowly. A handsome
man of thirty, with a dark, resolute
face, and earnest brown eyes.
81 wish l could forget her!" he
muttered, half angrily, while invol-
UNFAIRLY his eyes wandered towards a
group upon the lawn in a retired
corner, just in range of his vision,
under the shade of large oak tree
such pretty group-a study for a
painter.
Half dozen pretty children in
their quaint Mother Hubbard and
Kate Greenaway costumes-bright
spots against the green background
of velvety grass, with the dropping
oak boughs overhead, and in their
midst girl of eighteen years, with a
pale, delicate face, and satiny braids
of bronze-brown hair, and deep,
lustrous brown eyes-a face once
seen not easily forgotten.
The young mans eyes kindled as
they rested upon her; children clus-
tered about her like bees around a
blossom-her big sun-hat shading
her clear, pale face; the two small
hands busily engaged in weaving
daisy CHAINS, A very charming little
study it all made, to be sure.
Ethel Fenton was quite uncon-
scious of the admirlng gaze upon her,
for the spot that she had chosen was
retired, and she did not dream of
Reed Barton's proximity. He was
gazing at her now with his very soul
in his eyes.