West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-02-14

- ''NN va wv NOOi. IL Vsu not lct
her in.
Robert" she called. "Robertw
'What is il, Berthas I can't come
down again, and I'D rather Se alone :"
/ "Rnt l want TO speak 10 you. oh,
Robert, won't you let me i'm"
ats no use; l won't come down.
| "No, you needn't; nobody has sent
/ for YOU. IL Just wanted to see you ~
! well, here l am" and the door
opened suddenly, so that the girl who
was leaning against it almost feu into
the room. he recovered he self, how
ever, and stood there looking at her
brother with pitiful eyes.
Il wish | knew what TO do" she
said, and ended with a long drawn
sigh.
al know what TO dom was the boys
rejoined, and he set his mouth sterniy,
so that there was in his face a curious
resemblance to the old man downstairs.
"You won't do anything wrong,
1 Robert, know you WON'T" she said
clasping her hands. .I'm sure father
means to do everything for the bes.. Try
not to mindw
81 do try, have tried, but it's no use.
! Think can't see! Father is mad be
cause that money is coming to me, in
stead OF him. | wish Uncle George had
never left It to me; could have got
along without it. IL only makes me
wretched all the time, the way father
treats me, aud I'm tired of IT,
But, dear Robert, every one sees-I
mean," she added, checking herself 49,
! ''you have grandma and me, who love
! you dearly Don't that make up to you
I for these little crosses2 Father, though
hei so rough. loves you very dearly he
Is proud OF you, but something has made
him irritable Of late, and"
"Nes, ever since Uncle George died
and left me that money" said Robert.
"And you know he has been making
improvements on the farm. Perhaps he
has got into debt"
/ well, that's not my fault, " said Rob
ert. IL believe in my soul you wish that
money had gone to him or you"
go obertn
'forgive me, Bertha ! know how
girls feel about such things, and it's
only natural that you should want 10
help father; but l tell you candidly, If |
had the money TO morrow, / wouldn't
I lay out a cent on this miserable old place
T hate it, and rm tired Of being treated
like ch Ia Of five years old All my
faults and errors talked over, no matter
who IS by. Pm not going TO stand il
any longer. II he can't he reasonable
he must get some one hes des me to vent
his spite on.
- Robert, what are saying"
''JuSt wha. | mean. / won't stand il
It's bad enough to be cooped up in this
old country place, and then TO be tyran-
nized over from morning till night
What good does il dol / can't touch
the money till Pm OF age. even il l felt
like giving it all to him"
''If you only won't mind it, dear, III
do everything ] can to make you happy .
i You're awfully kind, Bertha, and
you do all you can now, but don't you
suppose l sec how uncomfortable he
makesyou all feel on my accounts Come.
] you're shivering with the cold. Take
my candle and 20 TO bed; I've got
another, and we'll talk it all over some
other time"
Reluctantly Bertha obeyed, waiting
only to kiss her brother good might.
When she reached her room she blew out
the candle, folded wrapper about her.
ard sat down in the little splint rocker.
to think.
She felt as keenly as Robert did, hel
fathers injustice, but what could she
dol She had no mother TO 90 to, and
her grandmother was too loyal TO her son
TO blame him i'm words. She could not
talk TO her father; he would have turned
upon her as he had before, with the bit.
ter taunt that she encouraged her
brother in his idleness, and excused ali
his shortcomings.
The clock struck eleven and found
her still sitting up, trying to solve thi,
problem, how TO keep her brother from
any rash act that he would regret in after
life. Straining her cars to listen, she
thought she heard the creaking of q
door.
1t Iained hard now. She could see the
tops Of the trees moving in the wind,
dark as il was.
A sudden terror sci ed her. That Ger
tainly was not the rain nor the wind. but
the familiar clank Of the heavy chain
against the frolt door. She ran to her
brothers. room, her heart beating heavily.
called him, but no answer came Cropping
her way 10 the bed, she felt over IL.
Robert was not there-the bed had not
been touched.
She could have screamed for terror. but
she had learned, long before this, "a
master her impulses, and she creEt
downstairs, to find the front door un.
I fastened. Unheeding rain and wind,
she ran out IN the darkness 10 the gate,
which was also unfastened. Watch, the
7 dog, was gone-he must have followed
his young master.
AS loudly as she dared. she called her
brothers name, and then, sure that he
was by this time out Of hearing. she ran
back 10 the house. found shawl in the
hall.closet, and left the house, shutting
the door behind her. softly.
The next train was due at half-past
eleven o'clock.
Robert must be waiting at the little
station In the woods. balf n mile away.
The rain beat heavily. the wind blew 80
Gercely that she caught her breath with
difficulty. The path was hard 20 keep
Occasionally she staggered ia among the
thick bushes on either side the narrow
foot-way, and once something bounded
across the road, but before she could
give way to fright, she felt the cold nose
Of Watch against her hand
so Watch, where is Robcrt2 Carry
me to him Z" she cried, somewhat re-
assured now that she had o protector.
Presently she stumbled against the plat.
form OF the little station, that rose like
q huge, black shadow before her.
ffffohorf Roborf IL fa uortH- .