The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1893-01-24

SAVED.
By STELLA SOUTHERN.

fully at her companion and extend
ed her hand.
aCertainly, Miriam he uttered,
with some impatience, abecause we
have been mistaken in each other,
is no reason we should harbor i'll
will, and he took her hand for an
instant; then looking at his watch,
tsaid: "Ten minutes until my train
leaves" and, tipping his hat. he
babe hergood by and walked hastily
down the road.
"Tis better so, much BETTER" he
argued to himself, as he stood in the
little passenger station waiting for
the train that was to bear him away
from her, the woman he had loved
SO well; and all unconsciously his
n. mory Travelled backward to the
many happy hours they had spent
together, for they had been friends
of lifetime. But the whistle of
the train aroused him from his rev.
erie, he thought of the evening be-
fore, when she had fiirted so with
John CoIfax, an old lover, pride
came to the rescue, and, sitting all
better feelings of forgiveness, he
stepped on the train and was borne
away.
Miriam, after she was left alone,
sat down in the cool orchard grass
to try and realize what had happen
ed. 1t all seemed like hideous
dream. Tom gone! Gone forever,
and their goodbye had been so diff
ferent from what she had intended
"But it was" she thought. In fact,
it was the only way. If Tom never
expected her to talk TO anyone but
himself, the sooner their engage
ment was broken the better. "The
man marry must have faith in
me firm enough to admit of no
Ijealousies. Jealous! Tom jealous;
how could he be; haven't L given
him all my evenings for the last
year?" and here Miriam covered her
face with her hands. AT last she
rose; she had thought it all over, and
her course was decided upon. She
would go to her aunt's in New York
for whilc. Tho change would be
good for her, and later on, perhaps,
she could teach. "There is al
ways work to do in the world, and
when one is busy she hasn't time to
be very unhappy" And Miriam
wasn't the kind of woman to break
her heart over what couldn't be
helped. She had loved Tom with
all the depth of her strong, womanly
nature, and love in a woman like
Miriam lasts forever, and had Tom
been an older and wiser man he
would have valued more highly the
prize he had gained and W; so
lightly thrown away for trifie.
Our friend Tom had an enemy
near at hand, more formidable than
his pride, in the form of scheming
mother, with several daughters OF
marriageable age to be disposed of.
She had chosen Tom as suitable for
one of these, and never did wary
politician play his cards to better
advantage. In every conceivable
way were her daughters charms
brought before his view, but in such
a skiIlful manner he never realized
he was being Gagged, for man, sus
ceptible at all times, is doubly so
when his heart is bruised, and Tom
wished to prove to Miriam that he
could find others equally agreeable
as herself. The girl in question was
good enough, but her intellect was
as water to the wine in comparison
with Miram's.
at last rumors came to Miram's
ears of Toms engagement. She
heard it calmly, and without feel
ing of jealousy for the girl gossip
said he would soon marry. She
worked with more energy than ever,
if possible, and almost persuaded
herself into believing she had ceased
to care for Tom. No, she had put it
aside for ever; her love dream end-
ed when she had told him how sorry
she was for having offended him,
and when he bad accepted the apol-
ogy, but refused to let things go on
as before, she knew he was in the
wrong and argued it out to herself
thus: 'If he can love SO lightly,
better a thousand times / found it
out before it was too late, and is he
perfect himself that he should de-
mand perfection in me? No, there
was nothing to be regretted; all had
been for the best, but life looked
very drear, and worked only re-
NAMED"
/