The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1893-08-23
T MASON COUNTY " T VIReIA WEDNESDAYS AUGUST 23 1898

But what did Jack know of al
thisa Nothing. When he had seer
them drive by his sullen mood be
came dangerous. He put all thing
on earth in the balance as agains
her love, and they were as nothing
AS he thought aud thought, tn,
devils nature that had been handed
down to him through generations 0
the wild Warden stock, possessed
him now entirely, and murder wa.
in his soul. They should see, thes,
two, that he was not to be so easily
thwarted. If Netlie could not be
his, at least she should not belong
to Dick Nays. He was determined.
Oh, where was that kind providenc,
which is always supposed to protect
the Innocent Where the warning
voice that should have told Dick
Mays that death was on his trackl
Il was the inevitable and, there.
fore had to happen
Both Dick aud Nellie were star.
tied, when, on their way back
through the wood, Jack Warden
stepped out to the roadside and
beckoned Mays to stop. His face
was pale, and though he tried to
smile, it was poor and unsuccess-
full effort he made.
"Did you want to speak to us9'
asked Nays, as the bays came to a
standstill.
"Yes, l want to speak to you par
ticularly and privately, if your
young lady friend does not object, /"
said he, with scowl in the direction
of Nettie.
The young girl was nervous. 81
think you had better see Mr.. Mays
after he has taken me home, Mr..
Warden" said she.
81 would prefer to see him now, -
said Jack, stubbornly.
"oh, very we'll, said Mays, some
what annoyed; "will you hold the
reins a minute, Miss Nettie2" And
he jumped from the vehicle and the
two men walked few steps into
the wood.
Not ten seconds thereafter the
horses bounded forward in alright
at the sound of loud report which
came from where the two men had
just disappeared. Nettie, fright
ened nearly out of her wits, held
ard on the lines and managed to
keep the horses from running away,
though they pranced and snorted,
and tried their best to overcome the
pressure on the bits.
Then Jack, white. faced and wild
of eye, walked ont with his gun in
his hand.
"oh, Jack, what have you done2"
cried Nettie, nearly frantic with ex-
citement.
81 have just settled with the man
who tried to steal you from me, .
said he, with deadly deliberation.
Then the horror in the girls face
seemed to pierce his soul.
"But don't love him; / had just
refused himl" she shrieked out.
His face became suffused and his
eyes glittered.
"Then you love mo-you will be
miner" he pleaded, putting out one
hand toward her.
The dread and disgust which
showed in her face routed his last
hope.
"Neverlp she cried. "I loved you
ten minutes ago, but 1 can never
bear to look at you again. Muir
dererl" and she put her hand before
her face.
Hardly had she done SO when
there was another loud report, this
time within a few feet of where she
sat in the buggy. 1t was more than
the bays could stand, but as they
dashed away with the half-crazed
girl she turned her head and saw
Jack Warden fall dead upon the
grass at the roadside. The fatal
gun had found another victim.
For days the countryside talked
of nothing but the trsgedy, but
Nettie knew nothing oft, and when,
after weeks of unconsciousness, she
struggled back to health she was no
longer a giddy girl, but a quiet, sad
dened woman.
Handshaking in the Morning.
Speaking of "littIe things that
sweeten life," the English have a
custom in the matter of handshak-