The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1885-1888, 1885-08-29
HER PRIDE SUBDU ED.

bulN VI MS NlNl lOIluut utCdlnc lltI UD-
solutc property
a heavy charge for girl, and many
of her friends questioned the wisdom
of the will. But it had been understood
wife of her cousin Victor to whom she
had been bctrothcd almost from her
cradle.
And, besides this, between her and
all care regarding the mills stood her
foreman, Stephen Walker, the strong.
calm man whom the men both loved
and feared, and whose father had been
foreman there before him.
And though the marriage had been
delayed from time to time, and Victor
had spent most of the two years since
she reached her majority wandering
over Europe, she had never known the
responsibility of her position until this
autumn day, when she sat amidst the
rich surroundings of her library, her
self the faircst object there, bending
YEARLY over the long columns of fig
urcs that represented to her the state
of her business.
There was quick step in the hall,
and Stephen Walker entercd-a tall,
rugged man with kindly brown eyes,
and smile that redeemed the plain
ness of his features, with strength and
determination in every line of his face
"You are examining the accounts,
Miss Ninton. | trust you find no diff
Guilty in understanding thcm?"
ooh, | dare say they are plain
enough, she replied with forced
laugh, "but | was always stupid about
figures. This is heavy burden you
have thrown on my shoulders, Mr..
Walker-how heavy | scarcely realized
until attempted to go over these
dreadful books
Stephen Walker grew very pale and
| his voice sounded harsh and strained
| as he said
Il hope there will be no trouble,
Miss Vinton, | suppose Victor will be
home in the spring, and think Brown
will be quite capable of taking charge
until then"
II dare say we will do very well,
and | connot blame you for wishing TO
go. know you have talents that are
quite thrown away here. But,
Stephen, with little break in her
sweet, proud voice, and extending her
hands to him-"I will miss you sadly"
He took her hands in his, and bent
over them with a great sob in his voice
ooh, Helen, don't you know? Cant
you understand? 1t is not because |
want to better myself that | must go,
but because to stay here seeing you
every day, and knowing as | do that
you can never be mine, is madness;
for oh, Nell, my queen, | love you"
"Stop" she said passionately, her
face white and steady CLEAN in her
eyes that would have daunted weaker
man.
mo, you must hear me. never
meant TO tell you this, but now you
must know why desert the charge
| your father left to me. ] remember
! father brought you down to the dusty
who seemed of finer clay than |,
rough boy-and left you for whole
| day in my care Helen from that day
have worshipcd you madly, hope
lessly, know, but as man never
loved before; and now to stay here and
see you Nictor's wife is worse than
death"
"IIave you quite finished" she said,
coluly, Us ne paused men go; III
Is wei you nave cnosGn W lcaVc mere
~ once. anu lcNG, u"'c W coliic III
my presence again .-.,...,
went YEARLY out into the autumn even
ing, where the wet wind, sobbing
through the lcafclcss branches of the
trees, seemed a dreary echo to his
though!S'
Ana INSIDE, prone on the MOOR her
so.uGn hu.r ,y truilcu oIet ,nc iicii cuI,
pc'' i'cleh lh'oSi l"y etiuSSilhS WIN
me great sense Oh loss anu pam, as she
listened 10 .hc souhu VI ms iootsteps
Gown inc proau PAIN anu OUT OF hcr
me rc"li"ihS 'iuV o'cphch WaiNcr
hau ioVcu her no urtlcr t'iah shc h'u
loSeu nm pu' llil,hills li1". between
Joiih Nlnloh uauShlcr anu lhc lore
man Oh llie mn was gun 'hat not
even rove coulu DriGSH'
INC winner lhu. lolio"cI was lry-
ing one 10 MISS Ihtoh' Drown, tlc
man whohs NJ =, w ulNcr llu' tcil 10 HI
ms place. ieii III soon ai'er MS depart
urG' ana ,he burden Oh responsibility
rel upon her'
Shc was PROUD woman ana haa
never maze lrlenus among her EN-
ploycs; Murmurihg ana discontcnt on
one slde, ana scorhlul implacapiiity on
me othcr, eliminated III strike, IN
NolVlng hcaVy loss TO MISS Nlnton,
ana much suffering among her people
IN the spring victor returned
bright handsome victor - WIN MS
happy heart ana sunny smile AND
WIN MS coming inc trouble vanished
as though by magic. Inc men loved
nm and supdued ny lhe sharp lesson
OF the winter, were quite ready TO come
to terms
lie was eager Tor a speedy marriage,
but on one preteNt ana another 1t was