The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-01-05

Moore rnIUp nome, Anu inc question:
was forever answered.
Veronica wns now nearly eighteen
and during her absence had blossomed
into wOmnnhopd She was not AZ
beautiful rs her sister. but Sh" had
bright and pleasing expression, with
enough spice IN her temperament TO
rob her glrli.h features of insipidity
aud make her conversation witty. II
not brilliant Vet when Francis lcf
frey turned his attentions from Miss
Tuttlo AMI fixed them without rcscrv"
or seeming shame upon this pretty but
torlly. but one term could hr found To
charnctori2o the proceeding, ana that
was fortune hunting. OF small but
settled income. he had hitherto shown
certain contentment with his condi.
ton calculated 10 Inspire respect ana
mako his attentions 10 Miss Tutt'"
seem both consistent and appropriate.
nut no sooner did NeroniCn'S bright
eyes appear than he fell at the young
hercss' foct and pressed his suit so
close and fast that in two months they
we're engaged and Mt the end of tin"
consequences inst made known.
So much Tor the general gossip Of
the town Now for the special.
! 4 certain gentleman. whom II IL IN.
necessary To name, had been present
! ut one critical instant in the lives Of
| these thron persons He was not a
scandal monger, and II everything had
gone on happily If Veronica had lived
aud Cora settled down into matrimony
he would never have mentioned what
he heard and saw one night In tho
great drawing room of n hotel In At.
luntlc city.
II was Mt the time when the engage.
mont was first announced between
Jeffrey and the young heirnss. This
and his previous attentions to Cora
had made much talk, both in Wash
ington and elsewhere, and there were
not lacking those who had openly
twitted him for his seeming incon
stancy. This had been over the cups
of course, and Jeffrey had borne it wei
enough from his so called friends ant
intlmates. But when, on a certain
evening in the parlor OF one Of the
large hotels In Atlantic City, fellow
whom nobody knew and nobody liked
accused him of knowing on which sid,
his bread was buttered, and that Ger
tainly 1t was not on the side of beauty
and superior attachments, Jeffrey go
angry. Needless of who might b'
within hearing, lie spoke up very plain
" in these words: lyon are all Of ,
kind-rank money wOrshipers and sci
seckers-or you would not be so read!
to see greed in my admiration for Mis-
Moore. Disagreeable as | find II e
air my sentiments In this public man
ner, yet since you provoke me to !
I will say once and for all that an
deeply in love with Miss Moore AM
that it Is for this reason only am 90
ing to marry her. We're she the pen
niless girl her sister U.s. and Miss Tuttl
the proud possessor of the wcaltI
which. In your eyes. confers such dis
tinctlon upon Miss Moore, you woul
still see me at the latter's feet, and Il
hers only. Miss Tuttlc's charms are no
! potent enough to hold the heart whc
has once been fixed by her sister
smile"
This was pointed enough certainly
but when at the conclusion of hi
words tall figure rose from nea
corner and Cora futile passed tn
amazed group with bow | dare war
rant that not one of the men compos
ing 1t but wished himself a hundred
miles away.
With this incident filling my mind,
returned to Washington. | had az
: quanted myself with the open fact
of this family's history. But what o
.. its inner life? Who knew it? Did an
: one?