The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-07-06
o''..'..................O
ETHEL I

J
There was no doubt Of It. DR.. Ran.
do4ph Murray had fallen hopelessly in
love with the beautiful Ethel Stuart.
the belle Of Mrs Forrester's ball.
Frankly, she told him, with a pleading
look in her beautiful eyes, that it could
rot be. She was engaged to another
As Ethel Stuart sat in her room that
night, listlessly untwining her golden
braidS, stormy conflict was raging in
her heart. Hers was no common case
she was the promised wife Of one
man, and, alas felt that she loved an
other
At an early age her-parents had died.
leaving her and an older brother alone
in the world. The brother placed his
little sister in a boarding school. and.
taking his half of the large fortune
LEFT, had gone abroad.
Thus Ethel had grown up She left
school and entered society
Then she had met Henry Merle. He
was handsome, wealthy and possessed
of great culture, and Ethel advised by
all who knew her we'll enough to ad-
wise, when he offered himself did not
say him nay
He was more than contented to Sc
cure the object of his admiration at
any price. And the lovely girl think
ing that at last she had found a quiet
haven from the giddy whirl of society.
which she had never loved, accepted
him.
His property in the West Indies
needed his supervision, and, placing
a diamond solitaire on the slender fin
ger of his promised bride, he had gone,
with the understanding that in the
spring they would be married
1t was about this time Ethel met
Randolph Murray. He was a young
physician of small means, but with a
clear, intelligent intellect and active
hands, and it was not long before her
womanly penetration recognized his
worth.
Without the slightest perception Of
her danger, Ethel had drifted into
friendship with him, and now the end
had come.
The week passed. Dr. Murray re-
moved to the west, much to the sur
prise of all his friends and patrons.
But Ethel knew why.
Henry Merle was a man of the
world. Love was only name to him.
He knew Ethel had fortune and that
she was the most beautiful woman
he had ever seen, so he clung fast to
his prize and never thought Of letting
her go.
The preparations for the marriage
We're rapidly going on when Ethels
quiet was rudely broken by one Of
those terrible shocks which sometimes
come in peoples lives.
Her brother, who had left her when
their parents died and who had seemed
to have forgotten her very existence.
was a forger to a large amount He
had spent his own fortune, gone from
bad to worse, and now every paper
throughout the land was full of the
details of his crime.
But Ethel rose superior to the blow.
which would have crushed a weaker
nature. She did not sit down to think.
but acted promptly. And her action
saved him from further dishonor
Money, some say, is the root of all
evil" but oftener is the root of
good deal of good, nd Ethel, with a
thankful heart, gave Ill of hers to coy
er the stolen amount, and the offender
was allowed to remain in merciful OBJ
livion in n foreign country.
Now the excitement was over Ethel
had time to think She had not seen
Henry Merle during all the sad trial
she had so bravely passed through. 1t
was sweet to feel that there was some
one to share her trouble with her
some one to whom she had n right to
look for comfort.
But n letter came stating that the
writer had thought over the story she
had once told him and had decided it
would be injustice for him to hold her
to her engagement.
But Ethel saw through the specious
words, and now, poor girl, the waves
of bitterness did indeed overwhelm her
So she sat one afternoon In her little
lodging house room. sadly forming her
plans for the future, when n tap came
upon the door. 1t opened. and there |
stood the manly image she had ruth
lessly driven from her heart.
Ethel, my poor darling!"
The poor girl rose, hesitated and then |
with low, glad cry sprang into the
outstretched arms.
"Oh, my precious one! Can take
the right to comfort you? | only just
heard of your trouble. | never once
thought that the Arnold Stuart read
of was your brother and then when
heard your engagement was broken
imagined how 1t was and came on the
wings of the wind"
In kiss Ethel felt all her troubles
vanish.-New York News.