The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1885-06-10
THE sAORIFIoE.

"Vi0 NASSH1oiu6 P@ttJ 6AN0u W
Mrs. Hale the previous evening
in honor Of her brothers recent
arrival from California, after six
years absence.
"Iil," Frank said, trying to
speak indiferehtly, and failing
most lamentably II missed one
face l fully expected to see last
eventng-Ruth Wellford's."
"Ruth wellford'sl" cried Mrs.
Hale, inaccents ofsufprise. "Ruth
AZ a partyl But l forget you have
been away for six years. Why,
Frank, she must have been a mere
child then"
"sixteen, and the sweetest, fair.
est girl 1 ever knew. We were
always good friends, Lily, though
we did not correspond, and l have
carried her face and voice in my
heart in many a weary hour"
u am sorry"
"Why2 You speak as if some.
thing dreadful had occurred to her.
She is not dead nor have 1 heard
Of her marriage. What is it, then,
that makes you cry out with amaze.
ment at the suggestion of her pres
ence at your party2"
at is a long story, Frank"
"You have all the morning to tell
IT,"
"when you went away Ruth's
uncle was still alive"
Certainly"
"Hedied In that same year. You
say you remember Ruth. Then you
remember that she was not only
pretty, modest, and refined, but
one Of the most generous girls in
our whole circle Of friends. She
had q handsome allowance from
her uncle, and she spent it freely,
dressing exqusitiely and giving in
charity friendly gifIsfrequently,"
"WellP" said Frank, impatient.
ly, as his sister paused.
"Her uncle died, and left her the
house he had lived In for years,
and a clear income of s3,OOO."
Again Mrs, Hale paused, and
then said suddenly:
"Well, Frank, since she became
rich in her own right, Ruth has
become the slave Of money, a
thorough miserl"
IImpossiblel"
alt,is true. The first thing she
did was to rent the old house, furn.
iture and all, to the Writings who
were glad enough to get it, for styl.
ish houses, with such grounds as
that one has are scarce here. She
moved herself to that miserable lit.
tle cottage where old Mercer lived so
long, and there she lives with one
servant, an old woman, who was
her mother from her girlhood, they
say. You know Mr.. Wellford was
very reticent about Ruth, and there
is little known Of her life before she
came here, a child Of FIVE years
old. But she lives with Martha,
the old servant, in that tiny cot,
tage, furnished from the old house
with the poorest Of the furniture
She wears the cheapest, plaiuest
clothing, and does every stitch Of
her own sewing, She seldom goes
out but invariably walks, the car.
riage and horses being rented with
the house. Living on the meanest
fare, she actually sells the extra
vegetables from the garden, eggs
and poultry.
"But why, LilS What is the ex.
PLANTATION Of such a changer"
"What can it be but pure ava
rice2 She has not a relative in the
world, and she must be boarding
up the money somewhere"
ut is very strangol l suppose l
may call"
"Icannot tell you that Since
she prefers to dress and live like a
pauper, her old friends have ceased
to call upon her or invite her to
;heir receptions. She will be a
catch some day for a fortune.hunter
ifshe continues to live a miser's
life, but l imagine you would pre-.
fer less sordid soul, even If its pos.
Sessor had not ono dollar to call her
own"
"You are right I am rich
enough 10 care nothing for a wife's
dover, but l cannot realize little
Ruth sOrdid, misery and graspiug.
| must call once, Lilly Perhaps
the dream Of six long years may be