Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-01-25

you are positively brilliant" He did
/ not like the fact that Dorothy gave
him his freedom SO readily. 1t some
what deprecated the high value he set
on himself Believe me-" he said,
pompously, IT shall always entertain
the highest opinion Of you. But you
know yourself that your father is not
able to give you dowry, and that the
position in the Philippines is worth
only 81 900 a year. How could two peo-
pie live on that? with my tastes and
you with yours"
81 don't choose to discuss the mat
ter with you, now that have released
YOU" said Dorothy; "but he pleased
not to refer to my tastes. IT is true |
was born in luxury and accustomed to
have every taste gratifed, but have
never let that fact stand in my way
since we lost our wealth. The fact
that | was willing TO marry you wa 9
sufficient proof Of that. However, that
is nothing. Good-by. Percy. Keep up
your spirits This incident will soon
be forgotten. You have quite dispelled
any foolish ideas ! may have had. Still
We can Ut IIitnuSs Vail fJtCh HlRAlaAt1t
and people will think there has never
been anything between US" Had Per-
| cy known anything Of what was going
on in Dorothy's mind he would have
as soon entered a lions den as have
/ called a the Smith mansion again.
Dorothy returned TO town. resumed
/ in earnest the training Of her voice,
/ ~ oI1 -
| pastime, and made such good use Of
/ her tuition that her naturally flexible
/ soprano voice of wide range acquired
] brilliancy and came so perfectly un-
/ der control that a bright future opened
/ before her. At he same time fortune,
+ as If tired of frowning on the Smiths,
gave such a turn to Dorothy's fathers
/ business that the gloomy aspect in his
affairs that had first frightened away
/ the selfish Percy vanished, and one fine
/ morning the merchant by a successful
/ deal was able TO pull out of specula-
/ ton into his legitimate business with
a large fortune.
Percy began to think he had made
4 a mistake, and took to frequenting the
Smith residence with regularity; but
Dorothy treated him with absolute
frankness. 81 am welded to my art
now" she said, "even If you had not
effeetually cured me of all the folly.
Next month go to Germany to study;
but, my dear Percy, before go l wish
to prove my friendship for you. Mrs.
Vansittart is living al the Lexington.
She has two daughters. One is an angel
of beauty, but poor as a church mouse;
the other has been left IS 100000 by her
uncle, the copper king. 1t is an awful
pity, though, that she is ugly, dull, and
some say an epileptic Go down there.
You know Mrs. Vansittart, You met
her at our house last winter. Call,
make yourself agreeable. Make love
TO the ogress. Five million dollars will
gild the most bitter pill. hear she is
full Of romance and would be charmed
if some one would elope with her"
A hint was enough. Avarice dulled
Percy's apprehension OF everything,
and he lost no time in ingra tiating
himself with Mrs. Vansittart.
"Old chap, it's all right" he said to
his friend Billy, the trainer, few
weeks after his conversation with Dor
othy. Its all right, old boy. I'll pay
YOU that 1900 next week. | have the
heiress hypnotized. Maud's her lovely
name. We godsl but she's ugly! May
be I haven't played on her poor little
sentimental heart. "Come into the
garden, Maud" and all that sort of
thing We might as well be married
with her mothers consent, but I've per-
suaded her that the old lady is dead
against us, and we will elope to-mor-
row. Next day we will be on the road
to San francisco, and III send you a
check from that city, just before we
sail for the Philippines. She would
have me go out there, though l wished
to take an appoin tment at home. Wen
soon be back, though, and won't make
the epileptic's dollars fly! There's a
lot of fun in S5,000,O00. I'll have her
declared insane after a year or so
and tho7 Wen see about the horses
W 20 in it, old chap Ta-ta--aut
w.gaersehen--as my old flame, Dorothy
Smith, would say"
The elopement took place next night
on time, The unfortunate epileptic
with ecstatic countenance, and the fat
uous Percy reached San Francisco
/ where they had an explanation and a
scene. Leaving his wife on the Pacific
coast, he returned to Chicago to Dor.
row funds, for the deluded couple were
desperate and penniless.
Arrived in Chicago, the truth of the
whole affair came out. Everybody wa.
> wondering at the elopement, but the
wonder gave way to merriment wher
the explanation was given. Percy wa.
walking moodily along Lake Shore
drive the day after his arrival, wher
he met the radiant Dorothy beautiful
as Venus, emerging from the foam Of
the Adriatic.
II w dye DO, Percy?" she said
J arch 5. ~ IA always were ehangeable
, you kJoW; bui who would have though
, you would have surprised your friend,
this way? You used to say you woulC