Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1890-12-13

law has sanctioned the separation
that already existed in fact; the
young woman remains with her par
ents, the young man viii probably go
to the devil, for his unfortunate mar
riage has taken all ambition out OF
him.
ssAnd the lesscn7v suggested Loss
ing.
Don't marry q woman who is
beyond your station, financially j;
don't take wife from q mansion un-
less you have mansion in readiness
for her."
"But surely, al marriages of this
kind don't result rs this has DONE"
"No, probably not there are ex-
ceptions to every rule. am speak
ing of the rule. You will find as you
grow older that it holds good nine
times out Of ten. Marriage is too
serious matter to enter into it light
ly, and happiness too valuable to
stake it on chance. Heiresses are
content with love in q cottage only
in novels; in real life you seldom
find love that is strong enough to
conquer all the weakness of human
nature
Having evidently reached the end
| of his impromptu lecture the old law
yer leaned back in HI chair and
waited for the other to state The pur-
pose Of his errand.
Lossing sat in silence for a minute
or more. The old mans words SEM
ed to have impressed him deeply.
At length he asked the question
he had come to PROFOUND; received
a reply that made the matter clear to
him, thanked his adviser, and was
about to leave when the judge re-
marked
"By the way, my boy, if you want
any further points on that case, just
come to my house this evening and !
will show you what authorities to
consult"
"Thank you, I shall do So" re-
piled Losing. He took the kind of
fer rather as a matter of course, for
Judge Sharpe had long ago told him
| to make use of his library whenever
he wished, and he had frequently
availed himself of the permission.
Losing, after leaving the judges
Office went directly to his own which
was in another part of the same build.
ing. Instead of busying himself with
the papers that'lay strewn upon his
desk, he paced to and fro excitedly
for several minutes. Then he sat
down and for at least half an hour
stared very hard at nothing, or per-
haps at the wall. Could he have
seen his own face just then he would
have been surprised at the change
that had come over it. There was a
hopeless dispairing expression there
which would have seemed quite in
Iexplicable to any of those who knew
| him best.
/ "There's no other way; I'll have to
do it" he suddenly exclaimed, at the
same time rising abruptly. Then he
put on his hat and coat, went out
and walked rapidly away.
The evening of that day found him
at the house of Judge Sharpe, sitting
in the library, apparently engrossed
in legal volume. But as he had
been staring at the same page for the
past ten minutes, and that page hap
pened to contain only portion OF
the index, it is doubtful that he was
as deeply engrossed as he seemed to
be.
A light step fell upon the carpeted
floor behind him. A young gill had
entered the room. A very pretty
young girl she was and the glad smile
that lighted her face when she saw
the young man made her all the pref
tier. Walter Losing had evidently
not confined himself to Judge
Sharpe's library on his previous vis-
its. If he had the judges daughter
would not have been so pleased to
see him.
"Poring over dry legal volumes as
usual, I see; what perplexing case
rests heavily on your mind now,
Walter? Why, what ais you? You
look as glum as il you had lost your
last friend"
Losing had turned and risen as
the young girl spoke, and the light
streaming upon his face, showed it
to be a mirror of everything gloomy
and disheartening.
"It isn't law case that is troub-
ling me; / would il were only that, u
he replied. with groan.
sWhat is it, thenl Has any mis-
fortune befallen your"
Eyes misfortune indeed; or at
least it seems to be now. Doubtless
it is all for the best"
What are you talking about
Why don't you tell me what it is that
troubles your"
II came for that purpose; that |
might tell you. After this evening
we must not meet again."
"Not--meet-again? Nellie Sharpe
repeated the words slowly, as if she
could not grasp the full meaning.
The color surged to her cheeks and
receded, leaving her very pale.
What III, vou mean Walter