Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-07-04

the train alone, as he is going on
some business two stations further
lon !; then be will come back for the
|rest Of the week to the farm.
1 "Before you so into thereon, wife,
darling, you will take it off r'-and
he touches my finger, on which the
bright, new wedding-ring gIitters.
II cannot y / say, shuddering.
sit is unlucky to remove a wedding
ring ~
"But, my darling, his sharp eyes
Will--u N ~ s
The trains goes on, and / am alone.
| see his face looking at me from the
window, alarmed and anxious but
| nod reassuringly, and he smiles.
1t causes no remark that / have
been out so early this morning, for
everything lately is SO upset by rea.
son of my uncle's illness, and Viii
liam's near departure.
Then, again, there is only old Bet
ty IN the kitchen and perhaps, she
scarcely knows have been out and
if the nurse who has been called
in to attend my uncle knows, she,
doubtless, thinks / have been into
town on some household GRAND.
About my ring. / must hide it ;
but cannot take it off. ] hurry up
into my room, and hurriedly turn
over the contents of an old musty
dressing-case, that had been my
fathers. Where can it he 7 That
old musty garnet ring, with the queer
under-groove in it, that / feel sure
will let this thin wedding ring slip
into it, and so keep my secret from
prying eyes.
All! with hot, trembling fingers !
find it; it does exactly as ] thought
it would do.
With that broad old ring always
on, need fear no discovery. None
but myself would ever know that
under it lay another, the tiny circlet
of gold binding me stronger than
iron bands could do to my dear
love-"
During the day my old uncle is
taken much worse, and he will let no
one near him but me. William
comes in and out of the room, but
am tied to it all the day, till toward
evening uncle falls into a deep sleep,
and / can safely leave him with his
nurse. 1t was rambling old house,
Norlington farm. and it had been
my only home now for nearly seven
years, all of which time William Ma
pleson had lived as my uncle's stew.
ard and helper under the same roof.
| 1t had been hard, selfdenying
life for him, perhaps but for me-
or rather for his love for me-he
would never have borne it. Till lat.
terly, the hard old man had never
discovered our love /; and when lie
had, there was no more peace for us
under his roof.
He had ragged and stormed, declar.
ing that no niece OF his should marry
William Mapleson, on pain of disin.
heritance.
Mine was always weak, timid
mature. Perhaps some women q
was no longer young girl; my
thirtieth birthday had come and
gomez would have actively resented
his tyranny and asserted their indi
vidual rights, l could not. was in
his power; for when my parents died
he had taken me in, a penniless girl,
and had from that time given me,
in his peculiar, hard way, all that ]
needed to live--not but what some
would have felt they fully earned
such keep.
l scarcely ever looked at it in that
way.
l had been weak and helpless, alone
in the world, not very strong in
health, when he had come to my
fathers funeral; and after paying
all expenses, he simply said: sNow
60 and pack your kit. You mus
come with me to Norlington farm
Can't say, Pm sure, what old Betty
will say, but there's nothing else, as
see, to be done. Remember, my
4 girl, tits not lady's life / am offer
ing you; but suppose you are moi
too fine lady to know what work
means ~
If l had been then, all was correc
ted by now. During these sever
years l have worked hard and lived
hard.
4 Yet there are those who say old
Peter Glennie is worth BALI million
of money.
i NV golden waek nf banninose i,