The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1884-09-03

IT
care, bad visited her often till the
doctor pronounced her on the road
10 Iecoyefy. And in return she
had heatd that Cyrus, her own be.
ittolhed. husband, was the lover Of
Barbara Golding,
eDoes'hs love her YETI" the girl
thought, pushing back the hair
from'her pale face, aud looking in
Che mirror. II am far handsOmer.
She Is pretty only, sweet aud fair.
Il sp handsome and accomplished.
SHE Is a pauper, l am wealthy.
.Cjiusis mot poor now, since his
amt died. He will rise to emf
nenee with my wealth to aid him,
9bIle she will be bat burden up.
onaim. Only a week. Long be.
fore Barbara can ever sit up, We
shall be on our way to France and
he will soon forget her. Why did
he seek me ifhe loved her2 1t was
only a request of his aunt's not a
command, that he should marry
me if | consented. But he came to
me, and 1 love him-I love himl
Can Barbara give him better love
than miner lean give her money
to return to her old home, if she
wishes. But if he loves her. oh,
Cyrus, do yov love her and not me2
| cannot doubt, l must knowl9
AS if in answer to the thought,
a servant raped at the door, and
opening it; Fannie was handed
Cyrus Lennox's card.
al will come down at once" she
said, taking of her hat, and
smoothing her disordered hair.
She was not sorry he had called
while the first excitement of her
discovery norvOd her with a fiotiti.
Gus strength to endure any words
he might speak.
She came to him quietly, digni.
fed as ever, but very pale, so pale
he asked anxiously if she was we'll.
"Well, but tired" she answered.
"I have been out this morning" >. !.
They talked of different matters
for short time, then Fannie said,
earnestly
Cyrus, have q craving desire
to ask you one true woman's ques.
ton. Win you promise me a sin.
cere answor2"
He hesitated a moment, then
said
81 will answer truthfully what,
ever you ask"
"Did you ever love any othor wo.
man before you know meY"
"Do you not think it enough to
know l love you nowR" he said.
"You promised me a sincere an
swer, and you give me an evasion, :"
she said reproaohfully.
because you asked mo to tear
open an old wound your love is
healing"
"Yet, even if it pains both you
and me, 1 beg you to tell me Of
your first love-"
Fannie'S lips were parchcd and
stiff, but she spoke calmly,
"since you insist" Cyrus said,
gravely, 81 will tell you. Two
years ago, in o farmhouse where l
was lodging, met a woman, or
rather a girl, a sweet, fair maiden
whom loved. 1 was a poor man
then, Fannie, and she had a happy,
pleasant home. So babe her fare.
we'll, hoping to return the next
year, and bring her homo to the
city, When I did return, the farm
was sold and Barbara had gone
away. None Of the neighborS
could tell me anything Of her."
at was your place to seek her."
81 did, faithfully. But l could
find no trace Of her wherebouts.-
In the autumn my aunt died.
She had loved you for years, and
her last wish was tho hope that
you would one day be my wife. II
was q sweet sOlace 10 me, even in
my sorrow for her loss and pain at
Barbara's disappearance, to have
your sympathy, and l soon found
there vas yet room in my heart for
a true, tender love. "You cannot
boliovO l would have asked you to
be my wife had 1 not loved you"
"Bu!, if, even now, you found
Barbara"
AZ have long ago ceased to seek
her.
"Yet if she camo to youP"
"You are my bctrolhed wife,"
"Yet il Barbara cnme 10 von
poor, fricndless and sick. If she
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