Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-02-10

! was all the defense needed against the
snmity Of Miss Van Lew.
"Oh, Max, heard all that she said, !"
sighed Else, Wistfully. "Alas, it is too
true that your love for me will only
make shipwreck of your life. 1t Is bet
ter that you should forget me and mar
ry this rich lady who can help you TO
realize all your ambitions"
But she blushed and dimpled ex-
| quistely when l answered:
Il would prefer love in cottage with
you, Elsie, TO being king with Miss
Van Lew for my bride and queen"
| But after moment Of hssitaRcY, Ell
sic continued, sadly:
"But Max, dear Max, you will not
want TO marry me when you hear the
secret l must tell you. Alas, you think
| am Wentworth, and therefore your
equal in spite of poverty. but" and she
! dropped her lovely face in shame, 1--WE
grand mother and I-are tnpOstorS.
! We have no claim TO the name OF Went
WORTH"
II suspected as much" replied
cOolly, but told her not TO worry over
the matter as she was not to blame for
the old woman's faults.
"Oh, how good you arep' she cried
gratefully. Indeed, Max, 1 have been
wanting 10 tell you this ever since you
came, but granny threatened me when
/ first came here with a terrible punish
ment il l ever betrayed her secret"
She wept in bitter humiliation at her
relationship TO the wicked old crone,
but as she saw how coOlly took the
matter. she began to look relieved, and
continued:
Her real name is Druzy Crone and
she has often told me that / am the
child of her daad son, Joseph Crone.
1 started in wild surprise.
Druzy CrOne
That name was perfectly familiar to
my ears.
Before my mother died / had often
! heard her talk of an old servant who
had betrayed her trust and made off
with some jewels aud a considerable
sum OF money entrusted to her care
But, according to my mothers story,
Druzy Crone had been crusty old
maid, not married woman with son.
How strange are the turns In the ka-
/ liedoscope of fate!
Here was Druzy Crone, the dishonest
! servant, turning I'D again in new role
and playing q part for which she was
peculiarly fitted by her intimate &C
| quaintsnce with the annals OF the
Wentworth family.
Could it be true that old Druzy Crone
had been the mother Of son, aud that
| Elsie was really her grandchild?
Ny darling watched my face anxious
". She read sons brooding trouble in
| IL.
evaded her questioning eyes. !
! could not tell her that | was registering
a solemn vow that her old grandmother
had been a dishonest servant in the
Wentworth family, for the knowledge
would have broken her tender heart.
But my heart sank heavily with its
secret knowledge.
Pride OF race had always been = strong
point with us Wentworths.
When I married Elsie that old uncle
/ of mine would ask me hundred In
oustve questions about my bride, and
| | should have to parry them all, for he
must not know the truth. Even the
| dead and gone Wentworths would have
| turned over in their graves, believe,
| at the thought Of their descendants con-
! tempating an alliance with the grand
child Of old Druzy CrOne, servant.
Drawing Elsie close to my side, l said
| fondly:
What you have told me, my dearest,
makes no change in my love for you,
and you will be Wentworth after all,
| for you must promise TO marry me very
soon now. This place is fraught with
danger to as both from the malice Of
our enemies, and, dearly as we love IL,
we must seek safety elsewhere. But
we shall be very poor, my darling" l
added, regretting poverty for both our
sakeS.
81 shall not care FOR poverty while
have you, dear Max" she answered
tenderly, and she let me kiss her for
the first time-a long, lingering kiss full
of silent rapture.
Then she lifted her head from my
breast and said, timidly:
II must return TO the cabin now, for
II granny wakes and misses me she will
! be very angry"
II will accompany you, then, Elsie,
for, of course, she knows from Miss
Van Lew that am here aud il she Of
fers you any violence l can protect
you"
We went along hand in hand through
the damp cave, sad at heart, but loving
| each other with unialtering devotion.
Difficulties and dangers seemed TO
hedge US round, but we could scarcely
realize them in the rapture Of our love.
She was so young, so pure, so beautiful,
l knew that our welded lives must be q
! dream of bliss.
Sweetheart" 1 cried out tenderly,
and the girlish voice cooed back TO me
something infinitely sweet and tender
that thrilled me with purest joy.
But, my Cod what horrible sound
was that blending with her tender,
dove-like COO of love?
Oh, horror. it was the hiss OF a SER
pent, the deadly rattle of one Of the
most Yenomous OF its kind!
! CHAPTER V.