Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1907-12-20

We'll, perhaps it is. best you do
not" returned Aunt Abby, signing;
"but years Of doubt, and not knowing
whether some one we care for Is
dead or alive, are hard to bear And
now that you have told me some Of
your history, I will tell you . lifelong
case of not knowing some ones Fate.
Many years ago my sister and myself.
who were born ere, became acque.nt
ed with two Yong men, sailor beTs
from Baylort named Cyrus and Jud
son Walker. Cyrus became attached
to me and we were engaged to marry.
IT never came to pass. however, for
the ship that Judson was captain OF,
with Cyrus as first mate, foundered at
sea. All hands took to the two boats.
The one Judson was in was picked up,
but the other was never heard OF
afterward In due time Judsons and
nv sister Amanda married. He gave
up sailors life, and they settled
down where they now live. | waited
many years, yainly hoping for my
sweetheart's return, and finally, realiz-
ing that he must be dead, married
t..
long ago that I do not care to count
the years; and yet all through them
has fingered that pitiful thread of
doubt and uncertainty, that vain hope
that somehow and someway Cyrus
may have escaped death and may re-
turn. l know 1t will never happen.
l know he IS dead; and yet l cannot
put away that FAINT hope and quite be-
lieve 1t is so, and never shall so long
as l live. Now you have left those
who must have cared something for
you in much the same pitiful state
of doubt, and it Is not right"
For one moment something almost
akin to horror flashed over Chip.
And was he called-was he never
i mean this brother, ever heard
FROM" she stammered, recovering her
self in time
why, no." answered Aunt Abby,
looking at her curlously, "of course
not. Why, what ails you? You look
as if you'd seen ghost"
ooh, nothing" returned Chip, now
more composed; only the story and
how strange it was"
1t ended the conversation, for Chip,
so overwhelmed by the floCd of posi-
bilities contained in this story, dared
not trust herself longer with Aunt
Abby, and soon escaped to her room.
And now circumstances came troop
ing upon her: the shipwreclI, which
she had heard Old Cy describe so Of
ten; the name she knew was really
his; the almost startling resemblance
to Uncle Jud In speech, ways, and
opinions; and countless other proofs.
Surely 1t must be so. Surely Old Cy,
of charming memory and Uncle Jud
no less so, must be brothers, and now
1t was in her power to--and then she
paused, shocked at the position she
faced
She was now known as Vera Ray
mond, and respected she had cut
loose forever from the old shame Of
an outlaws child; of wretched
drudge at Tins Place; of being sold
as slave; and all that now made her
blush.
And then Ray!
Full well she knew now what must
nave pSSn III Ills HCdlL tllelt ieiSl CNCu-
ing and why he acted as he did Han
nah had told her the bitter truth, as
she had since realized, Ray had been
assured that she was an outcast, and
despicable in the sight of Greenvale.
He dared not say 81 love you; be my
wife" Instead, he had been hurried
away to keep them apart; and as all
this dire food of shame that had
driven her from GFeenvale surged in
her heart, the bitter tears came.
In calmer moments, and when the
heart-hunger controlled, she had hoped
he might some day find her and some
day say, 81 love you" But now, so
soon, to make herself known, to tell
who she was. to admit to these new
friends that she was Chip Mcclure
with all that went with it, to have to
face and live down that shame, to ad-
nit that she had taken Rays first
name for her own-no no, thousand
times no!
But what of Old Cy and Uncle Jud,
and their lifelong separation?
Truly her footsteps had led her to
parting of the ways, one sign-board
lettered DUTY and Shame" the other
blank.