The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1893-07-19

you as IA mother or an aunt, you
know. you're entirely past falling In
love with. Why. your common sense
must tell you that And the table
tappings Maddler does with his fin
gers don't say all of them do, but
he does He is a rslscaI. and all he
wants is your money.
saw rage. modification and in
dignation in my stepmo ther's'fa face as
l ceased speaking. Though every
word l had uttered came from my
heart, even then began to see that
l should have set to work different
ly. To be successful should have
told my stepmother that she was
wrong to throw her charms away on
Mr.. Maddler or paid medium to
counsel her to beware of him. But
had done what seemed to me best.
My stepmother could not for some
time find breath to speak. At last
she said contemptuously;
Money! Oh. yes. that is what you
think of should have been careful
of your interests if you had behaved
decently, hut now"-she paused and
added. 1.-The sooner we part the bet
ter. ~
The end of all this was that the
next day took board near the col
lege and began to think seriously of
the future. since probably / should
have only my profession to depend
on when / came of age.
In a month heard that the day
was set for my stepmother's we'd
ding She had insisted on waiting a
year and one week after the date of
her widowhood before she changed
her name
Maddler went about Sinking arm
in arm with his great friend, Mr.
Tucker. From his spruce appear
ance | fancied that my stepmother
had already been generous to him.
And so my fathers money was to
pass from me. for should refuse to
enter into anylegal conflict. and the
foolish woman who had been so
good to me once would end her days
miserably
If the ground had opened and
swallowed Mr.. Maddler, or an evil
spirit carried him up chimney, do
not deny that should have rejoiced
thereat. but nothing happened.
Time went on.
The last week of my stepmother's
freedom had arrived, and she had
bloomed out in colors suited to her
idea of her well preserved beauty
and wore costumes unsuitable to any
but a girl in her early teens.
One day l saw her coming up the
street thus attired and stood still to
look at her
In past days my stepmother had
had certain dignity about her pres
ence that became her age Now she
reminded me of the clown in the cir
Gus dressed in female attire and pre-
tending to fiirt with the ringmaster.
Her very high heels and very short
skirts had much to do with it; the
cut of her gown more.
1t was at the time when Dolly
Warden" costumes had just been in
troduced. She wore one of lowered
foulard-brightest pink The jaunty
hat had roses in it. We had been
members of one household, and she
still bore my fathers name. A sense
of shame crept over me, and was
about to turn away when one of
those April showers so common
now. it seems to me, as they were
then-came suddenly upon us.
The elderly butterfly had only a
white parasol with pink fringe with
which to protect herself from the
wild torrents of rain Elevating this,
she began to run. Her high heels be-
trayed her. and she slipped, fell fiat
and lay upon the sidewalk, evidently
unable to rise
was not brute enough TO leave her
thus. fastening to her aid, / found
that she had sprained her ankle and
broken her parasol, crushed her bon
net and ripped the stitches that fes-
TONED the 'pannier" of the costume.
She was weeping bitterly and was a
pitiable object.
1t still poured She was unable to
walk, but shelter was close at hand.
Under the shed of carriage maker
was an old omnibus which was wait
ing its turn for repairs. Into this
helped my stepmother, piled cush-
ions under her ankle, pulled down
the shades and made her as comfort
able as possible.
'As soon as it stops pouring I'll
get a cab and take you home" /
said.
You're very kind, she answered.
''Oh, I'm in such pain, and if any one
should see mel"
iii take care of that, !" 1 said, and
as the rain began to drive in at the
doo1 L closed it. The next moment
two men came running into the
shed.
''whew ~ cried one of them, "we're
luckyl High and dry after all, Tuck.
You're a lucky fellow anyhow,
Maddler, answered his companion.
Good to know a sort of mascot"
"Oh, dear, it is Mr.. MaddlerP'
whispered my stepmother. "And
such a sight as amp
Keep quiet, and he won't guess
that you are here" 1 said, and 81.
lence reigned within the stage-but
not without. Tucker was fond of
talking.
How is the widder4' he queried.
Fat as ever" replied Maddler.
The sacrifice is near at hand now.
Well, l guess she'll be easy to man