Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-08-01
wIEEfdNG REGISTER. sun TA Z AGGFJsf 4 1897.

sprfnging up it like cat; one hand,
strong as steel with dumb-bell exer-
else was on the horses bride backing
her a step to one side the other was on
the girl pressing her from the saddle.
telling her to fall-to trust him and to
fall. Thank heaven She understood
and obeyed.. Amid the thunder and
crash of the train he knew that she had
swung clear of the metals. There was
blow. and he was down. and all was
dark.
1t was a miraculous escape. Maxwell
wiped the moisture from his brow as
he told the story; Royce had rushed in
with. the train almost on him, when 1t
had seemed that horse man and girl
must all be cut to pieces; nothing but
his wonderful quickness had saved
Anna who, bruised and shaken, had
vet fallen clear of worse harm. Black
BeSs was cut to bits. Royce's face was
terribly. cut by the blow which had
felled him. yet, mercifully, he had fall
len, stunned, in. the hollow between the
rails. and so had escaped with his life;
but he would never paint more, his
right arm had been frightfully crushed;
amputation had had to follow as his
only hope of life. S.~
The Manor people nursed him de-
votediy through his Illness; nothing
they could do could, they felt, repay
what they owed TO him. But as Christ
mas neared and he grew fairly conval-
escent, he began to grow restless. In
spite of protest, he declared himself
well enough torreturn TO his rooms in
town. He had stayed at the Manor TO
paint. now he must trespass no longer.
p : Dear cid chap, why go?" said Jack.
'"'Thp mater worships you. Can we not
amuse you here? Anna will try TO; she
will read to you, sing TO you. Surely you
might stay, for Christmas with us?'
> He smiled, but repeated that he must
60 @. ~
q Then Anna learned that their guest
meant to quit them. Anna had changed
of late; she professed to be tired Of
dancing, she said she no longer cared
to hunt, that she liked best to be quiet
at home. She had grown very gentle,
very womanly, and her gray eyes
would become wonderfully soft and
tender when they rested on Owen
Royce's disfgured face and poor
manned body. They became strangely
Wistful now as she said softly:
But We would rather you stayed
Still must 60" he answered
picking up his book with unstedy fin
gers.
She was behind his couch, and stood
looking at him in silence with an oddly
frightened expression; then she blushed
hotly over cheek and brow as she said
inconsequently:
II did not want Gerald Maxwell TO
come for Christmas | told Jack not
TO ask him butt did want you here"
There was a pause. The man on the
sofa drew his breath quickly, and from
somewhere far above his head iear
splashed down 1t lay on the scarlet
silk cushion a round, dark stain. He
raised himself quickly and looked at
her. Yes. the tears were raining down
her face. With his left hand he caught
her dress.
Anna" he said hoarsely did you
guess, then, that | loved you?"
Eyes" she said in whisper. = read
it in your eyes when you caught my
horses head on that awful day Louis
had guessed it before. and told me,
but 1 had not believed
f. He was laying back again CT MS
pillows, watching her with quiet, hope
less eyes.
Yes. heaven knows loved you, he
answered. Then he told her what, OH
- 40, lot 4 -
in the vicarage garden. You did not
love me then, Anna. Now l am dis
figured and cripple. You are kind
and good Understandable 1t is only
pity you can have For me. You would
not marry me, save in pity"
She was, on her knees beside bin,
half laughing, half CRYING
In pity! In pride and joy. Did
not say, "A tall woman must marry a
small MANI Owen? Musl ] die an cd
maid because ! am 0vefgrown? Don't
you know that to ne you stand high
among men; that your Scared face 10
yours V. c.; that your empty Sic g
your badge Of gi0ry?"
1t was not the stately, beautiful Lrlde
who made the sensation OF me day az
the Greyland wedding. For once IN
way the bride occupied the second
place; it was the SCARED, one-armed
bridegroom who drew the hurrahs
from the villagers, as he iassed up to
the church; in him they recognized
hero, and they loved hero, whatever
his shape or form. With deft, clever
hands Louisa had decorated the. old
church for the bridal party; FROM her
seat at the organ she listened to the
shouts of the crowd she guessed they
were called forth by the empty sleeve
across the bridegroom's breast. 1t was