The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1891-05-20

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but have misgivings that failed to
raise my hat But have ample ex-
cuse, for then / got my first glimpse
at the face ! am telling you about.
Ahl what glorious face ii was.
All bloom and health. Baby golden
hair frizzed over her forehead.
Great blue eyes full of original sun
shine, happy as love could make
them. 1 went my way something
richer for peep at that face.
tried to compute the benefit that
girl could confer by just walking up
a principle thoroughfare. caught
myself murmuring Wordsworth be-
fore knew it:
Her hair was fair. oh, very fair;
Her beauty made me glad.
"But, after all, what was she to
me9 / soon ceased to think other. y
sit must have been five or six
weeks later when, rushing up town
on business, found that string of
horse cars on Broadway had caused
block on Twenty third street. In
my haste was dodging to and fro
for an opening to squeeze by the
carriage which stood upon Il cross.
ing, when movement of its solitary
occupant caught my eye and again
revealed to me-yes, gentlemen, the
same young lady, indeed, but not
the same face. 1t would be difficult
to tell you by what details | knew
it again, for it was colorless and in
animate. 1t was still beautiful, but
wore an expression simply appall-
ing in the depth of it's despair.
Such u change! l had fancied that
face the garden playground of love
and hope, it had become in com
parison a dcsolate waste. The gol-
den hair remained, the large eyes
were there, but the look of dumb
wretchedness, of suppressed terror
that glowed in them made me shud-
der and forbade the question what
might be the cause. Next moment
the block was relieved, the carriage
rolled away and ] pursued my own
affairs.
81 almost wish | had not begun
this tale, for the end is painfully sad.
1t was, if remember rightly, two
or three weeks later that | was re-
turning one fine moonlight night
from Staten Island with boat load
ofpassengers, L, as usual, riding at
the stern. We had Just made our
South Ferry moorin IS, and the
usual rush had only begun at the
other end ofthe boat, when a voice
cried ont, Look there, it's a woman.
Turning back with the rest looked
down in the water, and there, bob
bing about on the chopry waves,
with her poor dead face toward the
moon, l saw her again. She was
not so much chaged this time.
knew her ut once, but probably
would not have done so but for that
glimpse / had of her in the carriage. u
"Killed herself, suppose" said
one listener.
"Did you ever find out who she
was2" il q Tired another.
eyes, I-did.,'
lie who had first asked for the
story seemed too impressed to offer
i remark.
II felt it personal duty to follow
the body to the morgue. There
found she was being described as
belonging to the poorer class, and
small wonder, for she was dressed
in rags. Then | told what 1 knew
and advised that she should be men.
toned as of good family, though
disguised in common clothing. This
hint secured her ridentification. Hei
parents and brothers came, though
they supposed her visiting frien ds
in the west. The family were very
grateful to me and volunteered 1t
tie of her history. 1t was common
one. During their absence she had be.
come acquainted with a blackguard
who robbed her of money, Jewels
and her honor. He persuaded hel
to conceal his name and identity
and, worse luck, she loved him and
was faithful to him TO the end
though how much he had to do with
her death is uncertain.
''There were two things at the
inquest that struck me as strange
First, the doctors could not be posi-.
tive that she died from drowning
Second, Teddy Lehman, boatman
identified the body as that of one Of
a couple who had hired boat for a
row, but had never returned. His
boat was picked up, capsized, two
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