The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-01-20

piece, the face portrayed upon it, fiutter-
ed 10 Mrs. Emerson's feet-Her own face
was very white as she lifted II saying
.who is this, Alice Why have you
torn i.?T
"Hs was a coward, a traitor - the girl
said quickly.
TO your
Yes Oh, I am sorry you saw me, Mrs
Emerson. It is ali over, long ago.
But there was E choking sob in her
voice as she spoke.
Tell me about II, dear. Perhaps it
will take away some Of the heartache TO
speak Of it."
at was before my father died. he
came 10 HopeyilIe. and-and, Oh, Mrs.
Emerson, be did make me believe be
loved me! I cannot see that 1 was un-
maidenly in any way but loved him
with my whole heart, when he bad tired
TO win it, in thousand ways-not before
His name was Walter Hutchinson"
Il know you well enough to be sure Of
that" was the gentle reply.
4 thought he would speak to pa ; but
one day, when We were walking together,
he told me he dared not ask me to be his
wife, because he would offend his aunt,
who was anxious to have him marry
i
~Oh. He was fond then Of his aunt?
Il do not think 50. He always spoke
OF her money as far more important than
herself [ think she could not have been
a gerv lovable person because once she
had a very sudden dangerous attack Of
illness that called him away for week,
and when he came back he seemed quite
disappointed that she had not died. ]
remember, when asked him how she
was, he said: "Oh, confound her, she'll
keep her money-bags 70 herself forever, !
believe. I thought I was sure Of them
this time"
@Was it this ogress Of an aunt who pre-
vented bis making you his wife ?"
$50 he said. And I don't think /
wanted to marry him after knew that
he was not manly enough to make his
own fortune. But-but did love himw
and the tears dropped again over the lost
dream.
"You were fortunate to lose him. He
was, as you say, a coward and a traitor "
Never had Alice heard Mrs. Emerson's
voice 50 stern, seen her eyes flash angri-
". 1t had been part Of the old lady's
castle-building to conceal from her young
pro,ege the very existence of her dearly
loved nephew. She had put away his
picture. had sent her letters to mail by
! her maid, had never mentioned his name.
/ She had believed if these two met, IN
prepared, they must love each other, and
had omitted all mention of Alice in her
letters, for the same reason that she kept
/ her in ignorance of his existence.
And now, where no shadow of doubt
could fall upon the story, she learned at
what value this idolized ner hew held her
/ love. what gratitude her lifelong inSul-
gence had won.
1t hurt her pride too sorely for her to
take Alice into her confidence; but in
many subsequent conversations, she
drew from her more fully the story ofthe
summer Walter Hutchinson had spent at
Hopeville, the persistent wooing by
which he had won a pure, innocent heart
only 70 throw it aside.
1t might be that when Alice was older
and her present secluded life was chang
ed for one where she saw more Of socie-
tv, her heart wonld find a resting place
in a more worthy love. But there had
been but that one hero in her past, and
the wound his want of faith and honor
had left was deep and lasting.
Six months later, Walter Hutchinson
was speeding across the Atlantic to take
possession of the inheritance for which
his sordid soul had most impatiently
waited. A spendthrift. a gambler and
utterly reckless, he had never made his
handsome income meet his expenditures
and his debts, incurred upon the expect
alton of his aunt's fortune being his own,
we're enormous.
lie was too late for Mrs. Emerson's S
funeral, and the house was closed and
empty. Seeking the lawyer who had for
years managed his aunt's business, he
curtly made inquiries about her estate.
"Ah, yes" the lawyer said, there was
q will-yes, the entire property vas left
to Mrs Emerson's adopted daughter"
what She was crazy
@Oh, not at all. The viii was most
carefully worded. Mrs. Emerson ex-
pressly stated that she had already set
tied upon you a sufficient fortune"
"But-the woman-the adventures
who wormed herself into the old FOOLS
good graces, who is she2" cried Walter.
beside himself with rage.
"The lady who inherited Mrs. Emer-
sons fortune, and who is at present on
her way TO Europe with my wife and
son." said the lawyer, with dignity, "is
Miss Alice Ward, daughter, ofthe Rever-
end Willard Ward, ofHopeville"
And as the name passed the lawyers
lips, Walter Hutchinson recognized the
retribution that had fallen upon him.
Two Valuable Friends.