Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-03-06

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11Nt 5z'zss
by George! If that's Mdru." he mItterCd.
On one side of the big back yard were
the offices, the carriage house, stables,
smokehouses, houses OF the indoor do
mestics and other necessary outouild'
ings. On the other side was the old
fashioned garden; from where he stood
Anthony could see the tall, quaint box
trees and the long, formal borders. How
! familiar it all looked in the moonlight.
In that old garden he remembered he
! had once killed rattlesnake i've feet
! long with thirteen rattles. de had car
ried it TO the back porch, dangling
across the stick with which he had slain
it, to show IL to little Mary Beverly.
All the family had come out to see itand
onder over its size and rejoice In It's
death, and old Mr.. Beverly had cut oil
the rattles with his penknife, and say
! ing that the boy must have a dime for
every rattle and two for the button, had
dropped three bright half dollars in his
hand, and Mrs. Beverly had smiled on
him and called him "brave boy" ard
little Mary had danced about, full OF eX-
citement and pleasure in his prowess,
but dared on no account come very
near, for fear that it might still harm
her. although its head had been crushed.
Anthony laughed little when he
thought Of his pleasure in that hrst
money he had ever owned, ana or MS
pride in his own achievement. lie had
done far bigger things than kill rat
tie snake since, and for every cent OF
the sum that had looked so large then
he could have laid down many thou
sands. Time mad brought changes TO
him. If not to his old surroundings, but
1t had never brought anything that
seemed as good as little Mary's praise
and those first three half dollars.
II wonder If she's living STILL" he
muttered, cor whether she's married
and gone away. came near asking tnat
lawyer fellow this morning, but he's
new to the place, and somehow | didn't
like to. I've always been TOOL ABOUT
that child: it's the only soft spot
in me. Lord! If she should be dead! I'd
rather that, though, than the other
thing-a damned sight rather"
From the window OF the room which
he remembered was the parlor streamed
q broad glare of light, making on the
ground beneath facsimile OF the case
ment, the divisions between the panes
checking off the light into squares with
slender crossbars of shadow. Hampered
,f,o
opened the gaze and crossed the yard to
the lighted window, keeping In the
shadow as much as possible and treading
as softly as a savage. No fear OF dogs
disturbed mis- mind, since II there had
been any they must have discovered him
ere this. The house was low, the win
dowsills OF the first floor scarcely the
height OF mans breast from the
ground. The curtains Of thin lace OBJ
scured without concealing the interior,
and through their parting Anthony
could obtain satisfactory view With
out pressing his face against the glass.
The room, cheerful with the light OF
the shaded lamp and the glowing wood
fire, had quaint picturesque charm
which appealed even to the unimaglna-
tive nature Of the man outside. 1t was
| different from any room 20 which he had
ever been accustomed--aS far removed
| from the gorgeous pomp OF his later ex-
nerience as IL was from the rude sim
| plicity OF his boyhood and early man
hood. 1t was a room that had grown
old in the keeping OF one race; 1t was
tender, harmonious, full OF associations.
The lofty ceiling, the tall mantel, under
whose narrow shelf man OF ordinary
stature could stand upright, the vain
scoted walls and the old fashioned fur
niture. all told the story OF contentmen'
and conversation, of respect for associ'
atoms and obedience TO traditions.
Even the active man Of the present
felt the subtle charm or the past, as he
gazed into the old room and let his eye:
wander from the antlers above the dool
to the family portraits on the walls
The light touched the faded gliding Of
their frames and made faint golden
glimmer here and there against tbs
darkness OF the wainscot. He knew then
ALI. those pictured men and women
the founder of the Virginia branch o.
the family, in a curly wig and lace ruf
| fes. the statesmen, soldiers, men anC
women of repute who were little Mary
yrandfathers and grandmothers anC
preatuncles and greataunts.
When be was en- unkempt lad In home
spun and used to steal over from th'
oyerseer's house across the ravine t
play with the dainty little daughter o
the Beverly's, she used TO tell hin
stories about them. for she was an ear
! nest child, older than her years. ID
had forgotten all the stories and ha'
never cared much about them, but b
had never forgotten the narrator.
There was changes In the room which
his ewes we're quick 10 note-sligh
changes, such as grow into most room
with the passing Of years. A soft re-
cover with en- arabesque border covere'
the old piano on which Miss Cornell
Beverly. the elderly young lady OF tn
house, used formerly, TO practice scale
and tinklinq, threadbare old tunes-Mis
Cornelia, whom his boyish soul had al
horred because she treated him exactl
as she did the little negroes, with I'm