The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-02-26

doctor she said. -snd you wondered
Il Il not soz'
/ confessed that had felt little curl
ous TO know It's history. And here h
what the old woman told me:
The old gold ring had belonged to
Elsie's great-grandmother It had once
been q thumb ring. Elsie looked upon
| II as sort Of heirloom, and had carried
il with her as sort Of talisman since
childhood. One day, after she had
known Mr.. wellington . few months be-
fore they were engaged to be married,
the young man had laughingly pulled
from his pocket a penny through which
some foolish person had bored hole.
Elsie was just about to appear in q new
character, so Horace, in fun, remarked,
"Then take this penny and keep 1t, for
luck; you will never fail in q part 80
long as you keep it."
Elsie entered into the spirit Of the
the thing and said, Now. il could
only get my own talisman split would
hang the penny onto It"
THAT is easily done, said Horace, as
he took the ring in his hand and adj
mired its chasing. II will take it 70
Evans, in Sheffield, and have it split"
Accordingly he took the ring, and in
few days returned it with the penny
hanging to it. Elsie fastened ribbon
to it and wore it around hersneck.
Alasl that ring and that penny were
the parallels OF the characters Of the two
persons to whom they had belonged.
The one pure gold, refined and chased
by 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 Wellington
followed Elsie, and there, amid the fol-
lies and excitements OF the great Baby
Ion, he came out in his true colors, a.
conscienceless, loveless scoundrel. It
seems unnatural and untrue that man
could deliberately lay plans, and take
years to mature them, for the ruin of
young girls life. But sor it was with
Wellington and Elsie Underhill.
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 de-
parture and death.
Wellington succeeded in his designs,
then left her, as it was afterward known
he had left others, to droop and die OF
to go from bad to worse. He cared moth
ing.
Elsie's sensitive nature was too high
strung. She could not survive the dis.
grace, even though it was apparent only
to herself. Her heart broke, and in the
early weeks Of December, when the mar.
row little Church street and the roofs Of
the neighboring cottages were covered
with snow; when the timid robin had
become SO tame as to fly to the windows
of human babitations for the food Of
charity; when the world was beginning
to prepare its annual festival of 'speace
and good will toward men," the poor
little actress, who was delicate flower
in the midst Of q life OF nettles and
brambles, withered and passed away, tc
be transplanted In the garden that Ii
kept forever beautiful by those angels
whose duty it is to sootha and comfort
those poor waits of humanity who are
not strong enough to overcome human.
ity's blows and Bullets.
What became of Wellington? have
never heard of him since. Somewhere,
probably, he holds an honored position
on earth, for he was rich, and wealth on
earth covers innumerable sins, but surely
when his time comes to go to that bourn
from which no traveller ever returns, he
will be met by the dark recording angel
with a page not yet blotted out, on
which he will be shown
A Penny suspended from Pure Gold
Ring. Tracey L. Robinson in New York
Recorder,