Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-06-11
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It oveTesr'e the scheming Of a
Selfish Sister.
By ARAnELLA NAsMxru

N"SELAA NASMYIH.
/ Nopyrisut. 1903. by Associated Literary
| Press.l
The indisputable fact which has 80
OFTEN sadly surprised people that two
ana two will not make five was star.
ing the Anslem girls In the face
it was year after the death of their
father. and many evasions and nutt,ny
on of the fatal day had zone for
naught. They were face TO face wit,,
the knowledge that they could no lon
ger anord to keep up the old famIlv
nome ana, moreover. must do some.
tnhS 10 add to their inf,nitesimal an.
come. 'D
IN some way" said Regina. LOOKING
up rather wearily from her pencil and
paper-"in some way we've got to have
money. We've got to go to work"
Regina was twenty-six. with rehe,.
Nous dark hair and a firm chin which
always amazed people by the dimn,e
they discovered In 1t. Regina was the
one VINO always did things In the fam.
lily. Nobody had ever taken time To
| can her beauty, so she had never
/ quite realized the fact that she eame
very close to being one and could de-
vote her leisure to accomplish results
or course with Esther II was dIrfer-
ent. From the time her first dusr az
golden hair had made itself manifest
and her big blue eyes had first glanced
| appealingiy at humanity 1t had been
decided that Esther was a beauty. and
the decision had chung to her through
life, though at maturity It is doubtfnl
III she would have been thought moro
than an ordinarily good looking fresh
young girl had not those around her
been so educated In the other view.
But as a beauty Esther had ALWAYS
Deen waited on and put forward. and
even when time went on and girlIsh
petulance and fickleness and caprice
degenerated into pettishness and self
ism ihconsiderateness nobody ever ex-
pected Esther to do anything but ex-
list.
And now she was thirty, for In spite
OF belledom the men who had wooef
her seriously had been few and. with
her aspirations. beneath her considera-
ton. At her sisters fat Esther drew
her brows together fretfully.
work. she said "You are ridicu-
lous! It's all very well for you to talk.
but how could I work? What could
dot Regina
She hesltsted little, for there was
something In the straight browed face
meditatively surveying her as though
she were seen for the first time that
bid her pause. "Regina-if you would
1t would be very easy for you to
place both Of US beyond all money
cares forever. I'm sure
The voice died away before the spar
kle or anger In the dark face across
the table. Regina bit her lip before
she spoke In a repressed voice. 81
won't pretend TO misunderstood YOU"
she said. "It's like you to propose Of
fering something else than yourself.
Understand once for all that I'll never
marry DR.. Brightright, He is selfish.
he has cruel and vindictive nature
with all his surface and polish, and he
is sixty years old"
"Also he owns tho most magnificent
country place in the state and Is a
millionaire" breathed Esther as her
sister stopped, Really, Regina. for a
gFOwnpp person you are distressIngly
silly: I'm sure DIR, Brightright Is ne
worse than lots of men. and think
what you'd haver
(which you. OF course, would share"
said Regime coldly. Her face took on
an immobile expression as she looked
down at her sister Understand. I'll
never marry him. I'll find work to do"
Its Neal MAXWELL the older girl
flashed angrily. You'd be glad of
the chance II you weren't eating your
heart ont for a man who threw you
over and never cared anything for
you! YOU
But Regina had swept from the
room. her head I'm the air, her hand
clutchIng mechanically the papers COW
cred with their rows OF discouraging
figures.
She was hurt as only proud person
can be hurt and the sure knowledge
deep In her heart that Neal Maxwell
had indeed. beyond all doubt, cared
for her. In spite OF the opinion voiced
by her sister and shared, as Regina
knew. by nearly all her acquaintances
In the town. did not help much IN |
bearing the taunt.
1t was a year since Neal had gono
abroad as foreign representative for |
his Rrm and eleven months since his |
letters had stopped abruptly, without |
warning. Her two letters OF Inquiry |
bringing no response. pride had step |
ped In and she had made no further
Effort to hear from him beyond learn |
ing from his firm he was alive and
well.
And when he left they had been On.
gagged. She could hardly remember
when she and Neal had not intended
10 marry one another, so many had
been the years OF their more than
friendship. In spite Of her Indignation
and her secret grief. In spite of his
mysterious neglect, Regina still chung
TO the feeling that. wherever he was.
whatever had happened, Neal still
must care for her Just as day must
follow night.
And she was OF too strong q nature
70 seek to cover her jilting by accept
ing the man who had haunted her
footsteps for the past year, DIR. Bright,
right, whom she instinctiyely disliked
and steadily Stunned, to the furious
evaporation OF Esther. This had not
been the first difference they had hsd
upon the subject.
This night she was tired. very tired.
and discouraged. Sympathy, under
or help from Esther she felt
she never could expect. The weak ,
less, the shallowness, that were her
sisters were forcing themselves on her
recognition against her VIII.