The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1900-10-09

~ w, = tG-~S u'N III llle IOlS PIC
,tS{A\-ISPfH turc gallery with her
}R E'Q<liT -,fA slim, white hands
4. jSSylR - n loosely clasped be
t91lj ~ d. fore her. She was 81
.s--lSF rtl1 English girl, with the
blue blood of a noble old family in her
veins. and she had Inherited the beauty
OF the Nancs the clear. pale. oval
shaped face, the proud lips. and the
calm. sweet, violct-Cray eyes.
she was q visitor ut AuStruthcrs
Hall for the first time since childhood
Lady AnstruthCrs was dear friend
OF her mothers, and 1t had been the
desire OF both families that n matri-
monial alliance should he formed hc.
tween Barbara and the elder son of the
AnStruthcrS. But when the girl was
about fourteen years old terrible
disgrace fell upon the Hail.
Lord Anstruther's name had hccu
forged 10 the amount of several hun
drcdpcu ds. and circumstances pointed
TO the elder SON. Clifford. as The guilty
Que
Ihc thought thaJ n son of his house.
which had hitherto been free from
stain, should GO 80 shameful a deed.
nearly killed the old man NJ first. but
time dradcucd the force of the shock
tho affair was llushrd up.
Clihords place rs heir was u>urpcd
10y the second son, and only one Clunc
TO the belief of the Young man limo
cencc. which he had firmly declared
that one his mother.
Barbara had been an The Han nearly
month. aud CASTOR AnStruthors was
he; devoted slave. she was growing
weary of him. Her womanly instinct
had sounded III" depth of his shallow
nature, and found nothing there TO sat.
jsfy her.
clifford was coming home from
abroad to pay one Of his occayiona,
visits TO his mother: for since that
dark day Ii" had made his home 70
more at the Han.
Barbara had curiosity to sec this
young man. whom she remembered rs
a high-spirilcd dark eyed youth: she
paused before his painting in the gal
Iery to study it for perhaps the ffticth
ilmc in the past two or three weeks.
The painting had been executed Just
before the discovery of the forged
note. Wlcn The original was about
tlrCo-aud-twcuty.
II represented young man. radiant
with youth and conscious strength and
power. Tia" pose OF the handsome
head was kmg-lil,c, the dark hair was
thrown back from broad brow. and
th" large dark eyes held faint smile
which tn" grave. sweet dignity of the
beardlcss lips denied
here was fascination about this
pictur" which barbara could not resist.
even while She rchcllcd against il.
How deep and base "a heart he must
have had, She thought. ito wear n
look like that while NE was cun.clu.
plating So contemplate q deed
For Barbara had listened TO the
whole shameful story many times and
Had decided against the Young man
And Low her naughty lips had curlcd.
ana how cold and proud the sweet
eyes had grown at the bare thought
Of th''old.Iimc planned alliance
She Barbara NIuc. 10 wed with n
forgcr. who was free from prison
cell only because his old father shrunl
WIN shameful agony from placing
him there,
Her dainty head crested itself ms an,
turned away from ,nc painting. hut
the la.ury smiling eyes seemed fo fol
low her, ana She looked back over her
shoulder
A door opened and Shut at tine lower
end of tlic room and directly gentle
man advanced toward her from the