The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-04-04
MARGERY'S LOVERS.


Twas 40 years ago.
Tho ball was ut Its highest, and that
night was To decide which of the tw,
brothers Margcry WAS to choose. Ferdi
nhnd and Dan Allston, by one of thost
strange capriccs of fortune and of thu
blind boy, had, unknown to each other
formed the acquaintance of Margery Blcn
helm and had both fallen In love with hci
winsome fuee and dear ways by an equal
II capric,uus turn of Dune Fortune
wheel the brothers hntl week ago surpris
I'd cach other by meeting the object o
their alteration ut the house of Il common
acquaintance, 1t needed no words to show
to tho one brother that tho other wa.
equally in love with Margery, but til,
most jealous of chances failed to reveal t.
either who was the preferred one So, lili,
men, they had, by an understanding made
Of those half words which speak more clio
qucntly and are IAolc purpuscful thar
agreements resulting from elaborate dis
CUSHIONS come to this ball prepared t,
abide by the fatoful words the young ar
bitor of their dcstinios might spe,.k.
Dan had whispered TO his brother rs hi
passed them OIL their way to the conserva
h'Ati w anu WILL bltl IlNll. 1tk
brother paused with Margcry ON his arm
and hesttated moment rs he looked Dar
In tho eyes, and then with slight nod
passed on, aud amid the palm leaves spokC
tho words which brought from Margery
tho trembling Yes "
The eroct head and proud smile Of Fer.
dinand told their story to Dan, who hat
from corner Of the ballroom watched thu
nt
handshakC and Make her hanpv, Ferdi
naid was all that passed between tho
brothers that night as they separated,
Tie wedding was fixed for the follow
ing day, yet the bridegroom In his room
alone was haggard and worn, and thouyhts
OF death rather than Of life and love mast
have been uppermast, for II loaded pistol
lay on tho table. He angrily tossed usidt
sun.9 papers and reached his hand out foI
tho pistol. The door opened sharply, and
IN came Dan from dinner at his club
He threw himself In chair and laugh
!ngiy said, II am afraid | am hit rather
heavily by that sharp fall in Fries. Fer.
diitand looked up quic,ly-hc had slipped
the pistol under some papers ''You take
your LOSSES gayly he remarked. "Well,
what's the odds Signs won't bring the
money back, and he laughed again His
brothers laughter irritatud Ferdinand,
and lac ENORMOUSLY replied, "Whlt, laugh
ing AGAIN." Such good joke told
tho fellows at tho club that / was so hard
hit that they would next hear Of me in
Canada, and, by George, they half be
licvcd me, do declare, and Dan burst
out in good naturcd guffaw. well, Pm
oT-sorting bachelor correspondence, eh,
old mani That's wise. Well, good night -
The wedding passed of ms merrily as the
proverbial wedding bells, but tho gossips
the next day had 1nore exciting news tn
talk OF than what the bride wore, how the
groom looked or the number and value Of
the presents. The startling news had
spread that Dan lAllston the trusted cash,
icr of the banking firm Of Silpher, Bullyon
d Co, had absconded, taking with him
$50, 600 in cash. The wiscacres quickly put
two and two together, and soon every one
knew that the unfortunate man had lost
heavily In Fries. The bride and groom,
with becoming feeling, so all Nerred.
abridged their honeymoon Journey They
took their places in society and save with
passing reference to that "snd scandal
connected with q wild brother, you
knew, " the Ascending cashier was com
pi'Ltly lDiRJlltn,
On bright summers day two years To
day after the marriage the husband lay
dying in his bed. Hope Ind been given
up, and the end was now hut II question
of few hours, possibly u day or two.
Lovelicr than ever Margcry entered the
room, holding In her hand IA letter marked
important and immediate, Should she
deliver the letter. Tho dying man saw
tI., lot I..n l.. ,
out his hand, She gave 1t to him. As he
saw the writing the flush came back to his
face the light to his eyes, the nerve to his
arm. lie opened the letter, from which
there fell on the eovorlet IA cream coIored
check. He read the few lines. Then a
strange stiffness spread in the room, with
sudden awe in her face the wife ran to
his side, and the sharp anguish of her cry
brought the nurse and physician in the
room. The end had come
From the stiffening hand they drew the
letter which had FASTENED death In the
glorious summer afternoon, the brother OF
her choice dead on tho led, the wife read
'Ao letter from the brother she had reject.
I'd:
MARGERy's MINE. CAL, juno, 1853
DEAR FElDINAED-Au uhyious rogue hai
thos no down, and j am told | cannot live
til sunset hasten, therefore, to send you O
draft on New York for Ssn.UIO. Replace tile
$4,000 you took from my safe, with interest
and put tho rest in trust for Murgery The
mine here is scarcely worked. Don't let the
rosues here get II. Send some trusty man ont
here to look after 1t. I called it "Margery's'
from the first, and now I've left my will will
the bankers here. GoOdby, dear boy. Never lei
Margery know. 1t was all for tho best. She
could not be allowed to suffer. ia do it al
over again for her sweet sake. Goodby, good.
by forever. DAN.
AS In her fearless anguish she looked
out toward the west, Margery knew now
how the gamblers losses had been made
good and knew, rs women often know toe
late, that sho had chosen tho wrong broth
err.
Twas but last summer saw her as O
gray haired woman. She sat by the same
window reading faded letter, but out OF
which time had not taken the crunlpled
creases, and with the letter In her lap she