Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1891-12-12

Claimed the uying girl, III IS all !
have"
Then there was a story to it
When | had prescribed simple
palliative for the racking cough and
had given instructions for other
simple treatment, | went down stairs
again with the mother.
"You saw the penny and the ring,
doctor" she said, ''and you wonder
ed Is it not so?n
confessed that felt little curl
GUS to know its history. And here
is what the old woman told me:
That old gold ring had belonged
to Elsie's great grandmother. 1t
had once been thum bring. Elsie
looked upon it as sort of heirloom
and had carried it with her as a sort
of talisman since childhood. One
day after she had known Mr.. Will
lington for few months, before they
were engaged to be married, the
young man had laughingly pulled
from his pocket a penny through
which some foolish person had bored
a hole. Elsie was just about to ap-
pear in new character, so Horace
in fun remarked: "Then take this
penny and keep it for luck you will
never fail in part so long as you
keep it,
Elsie entered into the spirit of the
thing and said, snow, if l could only
get my old talisman split / would
hang the penny on to it,"
"That is easily done" said Horace
as he took the ring in his hand and
admired its chasing. | will take it
to Evans in Sheffield and have it
split"
Accordingly he took the ring and
in a few days returned with the pen
ny hanging to it. Elsie fastened a
ribbon to it and wore it around her
neck.
Alas! that ring and that penny
were the parallels of the characters
of the two persons to whom they had
belonged. The one pure gold, re-
fined and chased by a master hand,
destined to be broken by the owner
of the baser metal, which entered
the golden heart and broke it in two
and left it.
When she went to London Wei
Iington followed Elsie, and there,
amid the follies and excitement of
the great Babylon he came out in
its true colors, a conscienceless,l love.
less scoundrel. 1t seems unnatural
and untrue that man could deliber-
ately lay plans and take years to
mature them, for the ruin OF a young
girls life. But so it was with We'll
lington and Elsie Underbill.
Plenty Of people there are living
yet who remember the success OF the
young actress on the Princess boards
and who remember with sorrow her
sudden departure and death.
Wellington succeeded in his de
signs, then left her, as it was after
ward known he had left others, to
droop and die or to 90 from bad to
worse. He cared nothing.
Elsic's sensitive nature was too
high strung. She could not stand
the disgrace, even though it was ap
parent only to herself. Her heart
broke, and in the early weeks ofDe-
cember, when the narrow little
Church street and the roofs OF tie
neighborIng cottages were covered
with snow; when the timid robin had
become so tame as to fly to the win
dows OF human hsbitations for the
food of charity; when the world was
beginning to prepare its annual fes-
tival Of ''peacs and good will toward
men," the poor little actress, who
was delicate flower in the midst OF
a life OF nettles and brambles, with
cred and passed away, to be trans
planted in the garden that is kept
forever beautiful by those angels
whose duty it is to comfort and
soothe these poor waits of humani-
ty who are not strong enough to
overcome humanity's blows and buf
fets.
What became Of Wellington? /
have never heard of him since. Some
where, probably, he holds an honor
ed position on earth, for he was rich,
and wealth on earth covers innumer-
able sins, but surely when his time
comes to 90 to that bourne from
which no traveller ever returns. be
win be met by the Dark Recording
Angel with page not yet blotted
out, on which he will be shown
A Penny suspended from a Pure
Gold Ring.
hnra i,ooE tronhIod ...:4l. - :