Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-09-13

Sos9. Il may be conceded that impossi-
S1.ties are somewhat less numerous
tban they are commonly asserted to be.
Most of Us, in stating that this or that
curse Of action is quite impossible,
,,oqn merely that it is too difficult OF
200 inexpedient TO be worth taking into
consideration; so that Richard Best was
rerbaps justified when, on q certain i'm
aortant occasion in his life, he uncOn-
iciously plagiarizsd the great French
-svoIntioniSt by exclaiming: Nothing
- impossible il one only has a little
corrage and little patience!"
But Miss Helen Lawford, il may be,
,,ssessed neither the one nor the other;
s,r the shook her head and repeated the
rb-ase which had called forth the above
,gorm protest from her lover. 1T real
" is quite impossible, Dick" she re-
rped al wonder you don't see that,
nd wonder at your trying TO make
orr parting harder than it need be. As
rqpa SAYS, you haven't even the means
~ supporting yourself, much less any
inspect OF being able to support wife.
II seems TO me that If our engagement
we're not broken Off you would be treat
"a almost as unfairly as should be-"
The tall, stalwart young man, with
ths curly brown hair and the clear gray
owes. heaved q deep sigh. He did not
sirogether concur in Miss Lawford's
view OF the situation, but he could not
contest her right 20 dismiss him, She
lad her rights, aud he feared that she
had also had her wrOngS-at any rate,
her family appeared 10 think SO-al-
though, 10 be sure, IL was no fault OF
his that his fathers bank had come
down with sudden crash, or that hav-
ing been wealthy last week he was PEN
Diless to-day. He said:
"Of course Mr.. Lawford is in duty
hound to require your release, Helen,
and of course you are formally released.
Am I venture to hope is that you won't
forget me, as l certainly shall not for
get YOU, and that If make money out
in Australia"
.Oh, but you won't make money out
in Australia" interrupted the girl; 'no
gentleman ever does make money In
those hOrrid places. There is nothing
for IL but TO say goodby; and II we can
manage to forget one another as dare
saw we shall after time, so much the
better for us!'
II is not, as a rule, very difficult to
forget, and il is, as rule, very difficult
10 make money either ia Australia or
elsewhere; still, every rule has excep-
tons, and the sequel proved Richard
Best TO be exception, inasmuch as he
not only kept the memory OF his first
love green, but in a surprisingly short
space of time amassed what might
almost be called a fortune at the Anti
nodes. He had considerable business
capacities, and he also, no doubt, had a
considerable share Of luck. 1t was In
the year 1870, when the eyes OF the
world were concentrated upon disasters
more striking than that which had over
taken the house OF Best s. Co., that the
charity OF a relative enabled him TO land
at Melbourne with a small sum Of money
IN his pocket. by the year 1880 the
news OF Lord BeacOnsiield's decisive de-
feat at the polls found him already con-
formulating retirement from business and
q return 10 his native land. During
that decade of hard work, anxiety and
prosperity he had rigidly alb
stained from communicating with
Helen LawfOrd, but he had heard Of
her, he knew that she was still unmar-
ried, and the image OF her slight, grace
ful figure, her dark hair and eyes and
her lovely pale complexion had always
remained as distinctly before his eyes
as on that sad afternoon when she had
given him TO understand that all was
over between them.
However, he was not to leave Aus
tralia yet awhile; for, although the dis
comfture Of the Conservative party was
IL event important enough TO be trans
Litted 10 the other side of the world by
telegraph, another event which took
place simultaneously had not the same
public interest, and it was not until the
newspapers arrived that Mr.. Best was
privileged to read an account OF the
marriage Of Miss Helen LawfOrd TO Ma
j0r General Sir Thomas Strettel, X. c.
b. The disappointment and the shock
We're, of course, very great TO him; but
be was preserved by his common sense
from anything so foolish and unjust as
q feeling Of resentment against Miss
Lawiord, who could not have been eX-
gected to guess at the silent fidelity
of her former fianCe, and who, now that
her parents were dead. might pardon
ably enough long for the comfort and
Independence of such a home as Sir
Thomas Strettell no doubt had il In his
power to offer her. AS for him, he also
had lost his father and mother, he no
longer had any ties, save those of
memory aud sentiment, in the land OF
\ - 70 &c a.
possessed for him must needs be put an
end to by his departure from Australia.
He decided, therefore, 10 remain where
he was. and for a second period Of close
upon ten years he adhered to his deter
mination, growing richer and richer as
the DAYS and weeks and months passed
on. and being, upon the whole, not so
very disconnected with his lot, though
he was considered by his associates to
be a reserved and somewhat mOroSe
man.
Without being precisely morOSe he
was certainly reserved, especially In his
relations with the opposite sex, some
members of which, as may well be sup
posed. would not have been unwilling 10
euIiven the solitude of so well-tO-do 8
DerSOnare. 10 would be untrue and IN
fair TO say that he looked forward to
the demise of Sir Thomas Strettell,
whom he had ascertained to be war
rior we'll stricken in years; yet 1t was
the Intelligence Of that sad occurrence
which caused him at length TO make
hasty provisional arrangements for the
management Of his colonial affairs and
TO take his passage on board a home
ward bound steamer. he was at
this time in his forty-ifth year; he was
in the endowment OF robust health, and
houfDpfncr m TIM N