The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-05-01

sister, whose superior attractions Mr., For
roster somehow bad failed 70 appreciate.
Miss Sophy at the moment turned from
. window where she had been standing In
indolent uncolcern.
"ThAt was Mr., Forester ringing" she
said, II shouldn't tell him anything
about the money, II / were you, Susan"
VI shall do my duty" Mrs. Putley
ayowed with austere determination, asher
sister Withdrew.
As Miss sophy tripped carelessly up
stairs she almost stumbled over q little
figure crouChed on the topmost step-the
fairy figure o fTerlse, whose cheeks were
colorless enough now, and whose attitude
expressed 0 sort OF defiant resignation.
Miss Sophy started, and then would
have passed on without stopping, but the
movement Of apathy or avoidance, seemed
TO hurt the girl whose fevered and fearless
eyes were hxsd with strange in~tentness
upon her needless handsome ountelRnce.
"You need never wish to avoid me,
Sophy-I shall never betray you" Terise
ialtered in a voice oddly commingllng
pity and disdain and reproRGh. n shall
never forget / must be grateful because
you have been kind to me always; | shall
always remember II you had not sheltered
me once as you did | might have lived to
become more miserable than am now.
And l am only miserable now because
after / had believed you go good and per,
feet after | had loved you SOL cannot
bear to think you would do anything so
WiCked-so despiCablel "-she ended with
q pathetic and suppressed sob.
"What on earth do you mean, ChiidY"
Miss Sophy queFied as she Rszsd wonder
ingly down at the excited and disdRiniul
face.
"Oh, how can you pretend not to
know% Tsrise cried piteously-aand
when | would die beforeI would let any
one blame you, tool And | can under
stand just how you were temptedi she
was 80 very, very misery with you always,
and you liked dainty dresses and every
thing nice and elegant, and you thought,
perhaps she would never exactly know
where she dropped the bill. But how
could you be so wicked, sophyP"
For once that young lady was aroused
from her indolent grace oil imperLurable
serenity.
touched the money" she said in doWnA
right and very animate indignation.
"You have no reason to deny anything
to me- Terise answered, in that rebuking
voice OF hushed intensity. "They may
accuse me all they like-they may con
denim me and despise me, everybody
but | shall never tell them you took II.
And l saw you, Sophyl saw you drop
your handkerchief over 1t and then pick
up both together, just before you went
down to the dining room"
For II moment Miss Sophy stood dumb
with her Rstunlshed sense Of ~enlighten-
ment,
"You little goose; you unmitigatel lit.
an amused laugh, which had an undertone
suggestive Of Woman's swift tears. "The
handkerchief you saw me pick up was Il
catered affair which | used polishing the
brassss Of the crate, and which l threw
with q lot Of paper rubbish in tho ash bar.
rel, when l went down TO the diningroom.
The money Is in the ashes, too, very like
ly. You silly, ridiculous child, come
down stairs with me this instant" she
ordered, as she unCeremoniously dragged
the bewildered Terise down the stops after
her.
The girl was crying softly with mortl-
hcation and relief as Miss Sophy drew her
toward the pRrlor, where a somewhat
troubled young gentleman Instantly arose
10 meet them, and then with q manner OF
tenderest authority, led her to q seat be-
side him.
Mrs. Putney had done what she deemed
her duty nj doubt, but all the same
Claude Forester had declined her prompt
and d~islnterested warning.
81 shall never believe any wrong oiyou,
my dearest" he said 10 his betrothed as
her shy embarrassed eyes for a moment
met his own.
"she was readyenough to believe wrong
OF me though" interpolated Miss sophy,
looking hall injured and wholly amused,
'and then she %purposed TO make q martyr
OF herself rather than allow me 10 be
blamed. But l really was the Culprit,
Susan and l daresay you will find your
lost bill somewhere among the ashes"
'Dear me- Terise, why didn't you tell
me2' stammered Mrs. Putney, looking
exceedingly uncomfortable, and hurryiug
speedily alter her property, which she
finally recovered all Crumpled and grimed,
somewhere in the depths Of the Clnders
and rubbish. :
"Why did you not tell herr" Claude
Forester inquired wonderingly.
"She wanted to shield me-" Miss sopby
explained, as with q new gentleness she
impulsiveiy kissed. the confused and
charming face. "What q crucial time you
must have had, you absurd little thing,
between the gratitude and the accusations,
and your wicked convictions, and ali
that"
az am disposed to regard my little bride
as q heroine" Mr.. Forester smiled "a
he glanced with tender pride at the happy
child whose sense OF gratitude had been
indeed heroic, although the heroism had
terminated In a prosy little comedy.
"When anything is missed so mysteri-
ously, everybody Is always apt to suspect
everybody else" Mrs. Putney said alter
ward TO her sister. "but, alter oil, / shall
always regret accusing Terise as / did; and
I think I'll Just double the little dot l in
tended for the dear child" 4