Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1885-07-04

that day | have worshipped you,
madly, hopelessly, I know, but as
never man loved before; and now to
stay here and see you Victor's wife,
is worse than death"
sHave you quite fnished90 she
said coldly as he paused. "Then 60
1t is well you have chosen to leave
here at once. And never dare to
come in my presence again Z
He turned without another word,
and went YEARLY out into the autumn
evening, where the wet wind, sobbing
through the leafess branches of the
trees, seemed a dreary echo to his
thoughts.
And inside, prone on the floor, her
golden hair trailed over the rich, car
pet, Helen Vinton lay struggling with
the great sense Of loss and pain, as
she listened to the sound of his foot
steps down the broad path and out
of her life, realizing that Stephen
Walker had loved her no longer orno
better than she had loved him, but
knowing, too that between John Vim
tons daughter and the foreman of
her mills was gulf that not even
love could bridge.
The winter that followed was a
trying one to Miss Vinton. Brown,
the man whom Mr.. Walker had left
to fill his place, fell i'll soon after his
departure, and the burden of respon-
sibility fell upon her,
She was q proud woman, and had
never made friends among her EN-
ployees. Murmuring and discomfort
on one side, and scornful implacabil-
ity on the other, eliminated in q
strike, involving heavy loss to Miss
Vinton, and much suffering among
her people.
In the spring Victor returned
bright, handsome Victor--with his
happy heart and sunny smile. And
with his coming the1trouble vanished
as though by magic. The men loved
him, and subdued by the sharp lesson
of the winter, were quite ready to
come to terms.
Hewas eager for speedy marriage,
but on one pretext and another it was
delayed until the summer faded and
autumn was upon them.
Once or twice during the summer,
Victor brought her o newspaper con
tanning favorable accounts Of an in
vention of Stephen Walker's-an
improvement that had been in oper-
alton in her mills long before it was
patented
The paragraph stated that he had
accepted an offer to superintend the
erection of some mills in South Amer
lea, and was going far away.
And then the restraint she had put
upon herself suddenly gave way, and
she fell down unconscious at Victor's
feet, who, in all his alarm and anxiety,
did not dream of the true cause.
A few days after this, she was en-
gagged in some household duties,
looking very beautiful in her morning
dress of soft muslin, when Victor's
bright face appeared at the window.
81 want you to come down to the
mills by-and-by, Nell," he said. ''The
addition is almost finished, and [
want your approval before we remove
the scaffolding."
''Very well, Victor, I will be down
presently" she said, laying her hands
on his shoulders, and looking down
into the frank handsome face, with a
secret regret that she could not love
him as he deserved to be loved.
Sand, Nell,' he continued eagerly,
"the men have been working like
beavers to get it finished, and l have
promised them half-holiday tomorrow
and picnic up at the quarries.
Could not you lay aside your dignity,
and honor us with your presence for
awhile? It would be so much better,
for all concerned, if there was bet
ter feeling between you and your