The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-10-24
He CAME TO HIS OWN.

Herbert Vinton passed his hand
caressingly over his rather grayish,
though still luxurious, locks. and
studied the picture before him. It
was the photograph OF a girl, or
rather Of one who had been girl the
day before.
Around him were many evidences
OF wealth. In spite of his bachelor
hood he had all the cares and COM
forts of a splendid and well ordered
house. He was not a clubman; he
had little taste for society; he had
Travelled all he cared to; he had
grown weary OF plays, and at fifty,
still as vigorous as he had been at
thirty, he preferred to spend his leis-
ure moments in his library.
"Yes," he said to himself, still
looking at the picture, "if her mother
could be as she was twenty-five years
ago they might pass for twins
He drew long sigh. twenty-five
years ago her mother had said no to
him and married a man who was
fifty-fve.
81 was poor then" vinton unused,
"and he was rich. Now I'm rich and
he-well, forgive him. He's dead
And they are poor, and she is still
ready to give--not her soul this time,
but her daughter, for money"
The letter that lay on the desk
was from her. 1t was the first she
had written to him since their part
ing. She had at least been loyal to
the man she had chosen. Why, he
asked himself, had she sent him the
picture of her daughter, If not for the
purpose that had first suggested itself
to him? Why had she not sent her
own? Her letter, coming so soon
after the beginning of her widowhood
and the loss of her fortune, meant
but one thing.
When he entered his library the
next morning his eyes at once sought
the picture of the fair-faced girl.
III CO." he said to himself, after
taking up the portrait again and gaz-
ing at it for a long time. "Why
shouldn't /? There will be no unfair
ness about it--not, at least, on my
part. 'hey-both of them-owe 1t
to me. I've waited twenty-five years.
Why shouldn't / be rewarded now?
II will only be a case of turn about.
He took her in the glory and fresh
ness of her youth, when she right
fully belonged to me. But here
he looked earnestly at the picture
again-"she has returned just as she
was when they robbed me OF her. |
Will have her. She is my own. Fate
has given her back to me-"
He found them in plain little quar-
ters, and Eleanor-they had given
her her mothers name-placed her
hands in his and looked up with q
look that awoke thousand memories
In him. 1t was the look that he had
so often, waking and dreaming, seen
before. Her fingers seemed to give
the old, glad, thrilling touch. Her
voice was the voice that had been
calling him through all the lonely
years. He had found his love again
fair, undehled, just as she was
when no had lost her.
The other looked upon them and
was silent. Youth was no longer
hers. Gladness was not in her eyes
Her smile was not the eager smile OF
nope. Much of her beauty she re-
tanned, but it was not the beauty that
inspires love. It was such becuty al
might be chiseled out of marble.
In the days that came and wen
Vinton's Joy was boundlcss. Their,
had been dark years. in which he hat
been sure that he would never tast.
the sweets of love again. He laughed
at himself for having harbored sucl
doleful thoughts. And always h,
kept assuring his conscience that h,
was preparing to claim only what wal
his.
She is mine; she has been re
turned to me by them that did m,
wrong" ne declared. Il have woI
her by waiting. will have m,
own"
Eleanor did not dread his coming
Often she sat at the window lookin,
eagerly for him. She had Learned
from he- mother why he had been liv
ing In loneliness. She had heard iron
her mother of the wrong that he ha,
suffered. She had learned that 4
was their duty to make reparatiop
Once, in moment of depression, sh
had asked:
III he were still poor, would yo,
think l ought to give myself to hin
10 right the old wrong?"
Her mother had turned from he
and failed to answer.
They returned to something aki
to luxury. The doubts concernin
the manner in which they were to &c
along had been cleared away. In tn
mothers eyes there was a look tina
was new and strange. Not a look q
Joy, not look OF content. perhap
the look OF the lioness that has cate
her whelp to satisfy her own hunger
lPerhaps,
But Eleanor discovered In goo
Tins that she was not to be sacrificet
.Afiection for Vinton had found II
way into her breast. She did nc
weep for shame OK the .aing she wa