Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1900-05-31
THE EDEN OF WILDWOOD.

THE EDEN OF WILDWOOD.
Paul Renford was thunderstruck.
For once in his life he was aroused to
something like consideration Of sub
ject in hand.
Paul was four and twenty. At the
age of eighteen he had been left an
orphan, and heir of an estate worth a
million and his uncle-his mother S
brother-had been appointed his
guardian. This uncle was Anson Bet
terman, an enterprising merchant and
truehearted man. After Paul came of
age, and became master Of his proper
ty, through the advice of his uncle he
employed lawyer named Lovett to
act as agent-to look after rents, and
so on-and gradually this Lovett, who
proved to be an apt and ready man Of
business, had gained into his hands
the entire control of the property
and so implicitly had Paul trusted him
that he had not even demanded vouch-
ers for his bank transactions.
In fact Paul Renford had generat-
ed into listless being. His natural
abilities, of the very highest order,
had been prostituted to the most use
less of all pursuits-the mere seeking
of pleasure for the purpose of killing
time. At first he had lived moder-
ately, his youthful vigor had held him
aloof from the need Of stimulants but
of late long continued round of dis
sipation-parties, balls, clubs and bill
lizards, in which night was appropria-
ted to wakefulness and the day to
sIeep-so reduced his physical vim
that without stimulants he found no
comfort.
And now Anson Betterman had
come to inform him that Porter Lovett
had left this country with every avail
able scrap Of his property.
"Do you mean, gasped Paul, when
he could breathe, "he has taken all ?"
Eyes, everything. You had allowed
him such unlimited sway that he found
no difficulty in getting all into his
hands.
"You know best whether you had
any of your property invested in busi-
ness or not.
"Not penny"
"Then I fear you have little at hand
which you can call your own.
"In heavens name, Uncle Anson,
what must I do?"
Really, Paul, l see but two ways
open to you. You can lie down and
wither and die under the stroke or
you can do as thousands of others
have done in misfortune-arouse your
self, put on the armor Of true man
hood and fight the battle bravely."
81 must earn my own liying?'
at would seem so.
"And how ?"
81 can give you place in my
stores"
"No, no, l cannot commence battle
hers-not here in the city, where l
have led the van Of the folly and dis
sipation. Let me have time to think.
"All right, my boy, and meantime
I will be thinking too"
On the following day Mr.. Better
man called but Paul had not thought
what he would do.
"What have you thought, uncle ?"
"I'll tell you what I have thought,
my boy. Back in the country-and
yet not very far from the citY-are
the mills owned by my friend Sargent.
They are in quiet, secluded village,
the inhabitants of which are mostly
his own operatives. Mr.. Sargent will
give you a clerkship there, and the
pay will be ample for your support.
But" said Paul, may we not find
Lovett ?"
"As yet W. have been able to gain
no clue to his whereabouts. He is
man not easy to be entrapped. But
we can try further, if you please.
81 will 60 up and look at the mills.
And so Paul Renford went up to
Wildwood, as Mr. Sargent had named
his settlement, and he found it rural
and retired enough. But it was
beautiful spot. nevertheless, and he
had strong inclination to accept the
profered situation. He returned to
the city on the evening Of Mrs. Spit
enstinger's grand party. He Won
dered if he had better 60, when he
learned from the servant of the house
that no invitation had been sent him.
On that very afternoon be met the
Misses Spitenstinger on the avenue,
81 III - ,oI-,n,rlaIra bfc