Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-09-30


free from care, for even the expectation
of future coppers hardly suficed to ex-
plain their enthusiasm. So l went up
| into the belfry aud there saw three men,
| boisterously drunk, and the town idiot.
| We were very exclusive In Scadden.
| We had our idiot as well as our crier,
and we poiated them out with pride to
| All strangers who came to visit US. The
| idiot wore 4 paper cap which he took TO
] be a crown, and while his drunken COM
papions laughed at him, he danced and
| shouted, The old King is dead. Hur-
rah for the new" These four appeared
| 10 be the happiest men in the town.
| But the idiot was the wlsest Of them all,
| for while those who had laughed at him
! suffered from bad headaches on the
morrow, be still wore a cheerful grin
! beneath his paper crown.
But the Old King dies hard very often
after many a desperate struggle. Some
| times, when the physicians think him
gone he still holds Grimly on, as the old
weaver held on TO his loom. And the
time came when Hatties friends
thought that the King which she had
set up in her heart was dead; they
thought they already heard the bells
healing for his successor; but, in truth,
they were mistaken. The love which
she had given to George Vane could
never be transferred 10 another.
Upon the return from the weaver's
cottage, she had told her father all that
had happened.
'My poor child" no had said, looking
at her searchingly, "surely you don't
attach any importance to an old mans
dre8m?'
And Hattie had not answered one way
or the other.
But day by day, after that, the girls
face grew brighter, as though 1t had
caught some OF the light which shone
from the old weaver's face before it.dls'
appeared into the gloon. Those who
saw the change could not understand II,
They thought that she was forgetting
her grief and returning with fresh zest
10 the pleasures OF life.
They were entirely mistaken, but she
did not trouble to set them right. II
she had tried-and there were strong
reasons why she should not try-they
would only have laughed at her. For
she based her new happiness upon what
the old weaver had told her.
His faith in his son had struck her as
being singalarly touching, faith so
strong that he would not allow his son
could lilo to him even in a dream or Wis
ion. This faith had gone deep down
into her heart, and so had reached her
brain: an odd course at first sight, but
The invariable one in the case of
womsn's logic. At least, that is nv ex-
Deriencs of the sex as per5onided in
Rachel.
So Hattie came to believe that her
young lover, in spite OF all the evidence
to the contrary, was still living, and in
| this belief she found happiness, miser-
able as she had been before. When she
| thought him dead he had been as q
dream 20 her, but he had become as
| real as though she actually knew OF his
/ existence on some distant continent
! Although, as time went by, she won
/ dered why he did not write to her, his
silence did not shake her confidence.
! He and his friend, Ben Faye, had APP
/ Deared TO the old weaver 10 say they
were coming back, and that was enough
| for her.
Hattie's new belief was accompanied
1 By new ideas of duty. Her happiness
was no mere selfish enjoyment. She was
rather as one who rejoiCes exceedingly
! for another, yet sorrows In secret for
! herself. There was about her an earn
estpess that betokeaed some steadfast
] purpose 10 be kept in view, perhaps
even some danger 10 be guarded
/ against.
The bent of her thoughts was shown
{ by a conversation which she had one
evening with her father.
lis Mr.. Wilmott satisfied now, do
you know, father2" she asked.
satisfied! About what?"
Wasn't he possessed with terrible
| idea-it had been his fathers idea, too
that il was his duty TO bring his
brothers murderer TO justice?"
"And you want to know whether he
! has gi~en it up?' said her father. mo,
be certainly has not"
Hattie was silent for time. Her head
/ was bent down, aud she occupied herself
| In playing with her fathers watch chain.
But presently she said:
But he suSpected-mOst cruelty sus-
pected-poor George, who is gone"
Yes" l know" said her father. II
cannot understand Willmott. lie is
queer fish. He did suspect the poor
| lsd-who certainly acted in way TO
give grounds for Suspicion-but not
outstanding what has happened, he is
| not satisfied that justice has been done.
| When he first came here, he lodged In
| the bank several hundreds of pounds,
which be called the Vengeance Fund.
| He has put some of it away-he gave a
large cheQue to Killey for finding the
top of that stick-but the rest is still
there. l asked him the other day
whether I should not transfer 1t to his
! general account. Buthe said, No. let 1t
stand. I may yet have use for IT.
What he meant by that-unless be has
taken to suspecting somebody eIse-I
/ can't imagine"
In that case, said Hattie, nervously,
II George were to come back
Her father stopped her.
What" he exclaimed, with a start,
haven't you got rid Of that strange
notion yet, Hattis?'
please let me go on" she faltered.
Never mind how strange it is, only
answer me, father. II George were to
come back here do you think that Mr..
WiIlmott would torment him again?'
II am sure of it" replied the father,
so firmly convinced of Georges death
that be had no suspicion of the pain he
was causing her. "Willmott is des-
perate fellow when reused. lie is de-
termined enemy, but he can be al
equally determined friend"
That conversation decided Hattie.
1t is a debatable question whether the
-.i...t..In ~ cnlfsnrrihra may not ha