Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-10-15

A light touch on her arm made her
turn, and she saw her father. There
was an angry light in his eyes, al
though be smiled.
$50 our young gentleman is gomez"
eyes"
"M'm," and he pursed up his lips re-
flectively as he swayed lightly to and
fro, his hands behind his back. Just
so. It's the way Of the world. l know
il. l have seen my friends depart one
by one. Only the few staunch ones
have remembered and remained. But
there is one consolation. We haven't
lost much. Our young friend was
fair specimen Of the geuius cad"
Virginia WINGED al the word and
shielded her face with her hand.
eve don't want him. I've learned to
snap my fingers at the pleasures that
won't stay and make the most OF those
that will. Well snap our fingers, Vir-
ginia. He's gone away like a puppy
with bone he wants to eat alone. Let
him CO."
But still Virginia looked out at the
snow and felt each OF the city's mutfled
sounds like the surge from sea on
which her dearest had embarked, leav-
ing her alone.
"We'll not miss him, Virginia" pur-
sued her father in the medltative voice
that maddened her TO dumb fury in
that moment. She opened and closed
her hands and set her lips hard. II say
we'll shed no tears for him. Well for
swear all sentimental dreams II we had
any, Well remember that his leaving
thu church for the stage was, viewed In
his latter light, but an evidence OF the
rowdiness Inherent in our young friend.
Very, very rowdy. We will console
ourselves by remembering how much
we are above him and that we couldn't
have expected more from man whose
father was brown listed Irish Immi-
grant, his mother an ignorant girl of the
plains"
He lit a cigar with nice deliberate
ness and put on his cape and hat.
"Tm going for walk In the snow
now. This room depresses me. Stir the
fire and turn up the light. When come
back, I'll have you play that little thing
by Mozart"
He turned her lightly to him and
kissed her on the brow. II her flesh
had been touched by marble lips, the
caresS could not have chilled or sicken-
ed her more. She could not cling to
her father and sob out her pain. He
had always quietly transferred his
grieis to her. How could she expect
him 10 help her now?
But when he was gone the loneliness
became unbearable. His voice could at
least keep the shadows from closing
around her like tomb. Her heavy
glance took ia each familiar thing. The
girl with the mask laughed at her from
the corner. The keys OF the organ
flashed back an eerle intelligence.
Never again" they seemed to say.
Never again"
A trembling seized her. She fell face
downward on q couch and threw her
arms out wide. How cruel IL was, this
sting of human love, flung back to feed
in bitterness upon itself! Oh, was there
nothing more in life than this all? Was
this all? How had she failed? What
had she forgotten or passed by that
might have held him?
For, say what we will, woman's
heart does not beat only for the strong
and true. Weak men and bad ones have
without effort controlled love the an
gels might have coveted. There is
sometimes sufficient fascination in a
trick Of manner, just the fall Of voice,
to outweigh in loves inconseQuent bal
ance all the Christian virtues.
1t was Tom Virginia loved. No one
better, no one higher. He alone had
understood her. His sympathy. his smile
had made her sunshine. And now he
was gone.
A soft purring at her side, an animal
warmth against her throat aroused her,
and she saw that the white kitten had
crept under her arm and now lay cud-
died against her like 3 bail Of down,
tapping her flesh In soft sympathy with
It's scrap Of tongue.
A cry broke from her. She caught
il wildly to her heart. 1t was some
thing living that pitied her. But the
little thing wrigsled from the violent
embrace, spat at her and scratched her
on the cheek.
Virginia started up, laughter heavy
with sobs leaving her QuiVering lips,
She pushed the kitten from her with =