Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1907-12-26
THE BOXER BOXED.

came from old Puritan stock on her
father side and from colonial Vir-
ginian family on her mothers. She
had the tall and forceful figure Of her
New England forbears added to the
tender grace of the southern woman,
and with these she had the tender
beauty Of sweet brown eyes, waving
brown hair, and such color and COM
plexion that they might be called fairy
gifts; also she had visions of career.
She was not left unsought. An
anxious line of admirers filed through
the wide gates of the old plantation
home and walked up between the box
hedges to the wide veranda, where
Mary generally sat with her maiden
aunt, the latter making wonderful
devices in tatting, and Mary, with
her easel before her, perfunctorlly
making sketches which she rarely I'm.
ished, but which her aunt religlously
preserved.
The Boutwell, plantation had been
large one before the war, but under
the inefficient care OF the aunt had
dwindled steadily. Miss Boutwell,
had unlimited power as guardian 10
buy, sell, mortgage or borrow and
lend. The first warning of the final
calamity came along late in the fall
and Was in the shape of threatened
foreclosure Of the mortgage on the last
of the once vast possesslons-the big
and almost empty hou'e. Mary had
spent money lavishly in college and
lent as her generous aunt had done
in ignorance of the real state of af-
tairs. On the 1st Of January this
money must be paid. The aunt had
been notified, but let the IN alter dra
ds she felt that something would turn
up to save their home. Mary Was
trying to un ierstand the situation,
but in vain.
And the young men came WOO
ing.
They were all made welcome BY the
romantic aunt and all invited to din
ner or supper. with the old open
handed liberAlity, but Mary showed
no favor to any one But that is
not saying that she did not think Of.
len of Bert Allen. She could appre'
ciate his character. She had just
come from college, where much stress
was laid upon mental attainment, and
she won lered how it Was that young
man only clerk in lawyers Office
could have learned so much. Sne
knew that he had lived all his lie
here, that his parents had died poor
after the devastating war, that he
had had bitter struggle, but she
could not understand how be had
learned go much other young men
were totally ignorant of-art, for in-
stance, art from its first inception to
the present day, in all its branches
and rami6catious.
What she did lot take into account
was that Bert had known her from
infancy and that for her sake and TO
be able to properly appreciate her
career be gave every moment ne
could spare to the etudY of all that
books could teach him and that when
be had business north he fairly haunt
ed the art galleries and picture stores
and studios. His heart sank as the
conviction was forced upon him th It
it would be many years before Mary
could hope for success, if ever. for
somehow he came TO see that, while
she had undeniable talent, she was
not a genius. and he knew that she
had not the power of steady and con-
tinuous work, which sometimes almost
equals real genius. Aud he felt, too
that he could plan career for Mary
that would be far more satisfying tc
her than the painting Of mediocre pic.
tures. but be dared not give voice tc
his thought.
The autumn passed, while Bart
tried in every way his fertile mind
uld invent to 6nd some way tt
further his own cause with Mary an,
to save her home. The week befOr
Christmas had come before he could
do more than sigh over the hopeless
mss of it all.
Mary had determined to have