The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1884-11-05

yes said Mrs. Wallis 'Isee
|il Is MI Allstcn but that's no
reason you shoaldpinch me black
aud blpel Isuppose q man has q
right to come to The opera il he
chooseslp
@l,hcpe be won't see us,s said
Lillian, in . tone which might east
lly hayebeenl interpreted as direct,
lly contrary her words.
eHscanltunlesss he has eyes In
theback Of his head,n said Mrs.
| Wallis eDo keep still, and let me
tsar saasrello sihg ibis delicious
sololp
Lillian was delighted when she
met Mr. Allston the next morning
on Brodway.
81 hope you enjoyed yourselflast
night she said, demurely.
II can't say that I did, pafticu.
larly," he answered, with a smile.
u spent the evening at home, over
my books, and retired very early"
II beg yonr pardon, said Lilianl
4you were at the opera, for / saw
you there"
@At what opsraHp
SRA Diayolo.p a-
"You are mistaken, Lillian"
@1 am not mistaken, p she answ-
cred, positively. a saw you there,
and Efie did, also. Where's the
use trying to deceive me so2'
he colored, and for an instant
looked as if he would have spoken
hastily;th next moment, however,
the cOld,- quiet look came on his
countenance.
81 am not trying to deceive you,
Lillian; but there are some things
which I cannot tell you.n
Engaged people should never
have mysteries from each other, .
she answered Indignantly.
"Tho mystery is not mine, Lii,
lamp
"As you choose" she retorted;
"but l do not choose to be the but
Of your practical jokes any longer.
Please to consider our engagement
at endlp.
"Iilian do you mean what you
say2"
aeertainly / dol'
She drew the glittering engage:
ment ring from her finger and toss
ed it toward him but he, standing
with folded arms, made no effort to
catch it, and it rolled down into
the gutter. And thus they parted,
these two, who had been aflianCed
lovers for solongl
The weeks passed by-blehk
March softenend into viulet.eyed
April, and, somewhat to Lilian's
disappointment, perhaps, Meredith
Allston made no further effort to
see her. She grow pale and heavy.
eyed, but she would have died ere
she would have sent to her lover
saying, u have been wrong-come
to me once morel"
For Lillian Graham persisted in
believing that Meredith alone had
been in the wrong.
She sat at the head 0. her fathers
dinner-table one evening, mechan.
ically devoting herself to the duties
of hospitality, when a well known
name sounded on her ear.
"Allston," said one, a pussy look.
ing old gentleman, who was eating
a great deal of lobster salad. "Yes,
| saw the notice of the death in the
morning paper, It's one of the
AllslOns of Gramercy Gardens
Meredith Allston's cousin. He was
hopelessly insane, and no one ever
saw him until Of late years, when
the old gentleman insisted on hay.
ing him at home. He didn't be.
lieve in asylums, he said; but he
was so sensitive on the subject he
never allowed any one to know the
poor young man was at his house.
A fue.looking young fellow, too;
they say he looked very much like
Meredith. Got loose one night, l
believe, and paraded about town
behaving himself SO we'll that half
the people mistoOk him for his
cousin-ha, ha, hap
And the old gentleman swallow.
ed half a glass Of champagne, and
turned very purple in the face.
Lillian listened, feeling as If she
were in a dream!
This, then, was the secret of the
strange Misunderstanding which
had parted herself and her aEtian.
ced lover, The cruel secret which