The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-04-04

stitute. St. Johns Manlius, Tennessee
ashamed of it, for it wasn't quite that.
But Mr.. and Mrs. Barchester have
been so good to ms, and they made
me promise never to tell any n that
| was not their truly really daughter.
They wanted to forget the days with
the sisters when used TO sleep IN
a dormitory' with fifty other little girls
all tucked away TO bed IN exactly the
same kind OF little iron cots. And then
when you began to com to see me-
and when you told me that you wan
ed ME TO marry you ! knew that
Daddy Barchester wanted nla to like
you. For he is very proud of you.
Bill, and always calls you his boy. l
know he believes that you Will some
day be president of the company.
some day after he has got quite old
and has retired.
"Oh. | have tried so hard to tell
you, Bill, but I just couldn't. Then
when you told me that you were going
to take me to see your family I knew
l would have to tell you, couldn't
deceive you ans longer. Bill. your
mother would hate me If she thought
I had made you think ] was really
and truly MIR. Barchester's daughter.
Bill can't you see it now?"Look at me
and see that l don't look like the Bar
chesters. And you can tell by. my
voice, too. You know they say that
little orphan girls eve get over that
monotonous way of talking as long
as 5they,live. 1t comes OF living with
so many other children and always
having sisters to take care Of you IN
stead OF real mothers
For the first time, Margaret paused
in her talk. but Bill forgot all the
comforting and r%eassuring things he
had intended to say.
~ am sure" he said, shat your
voice is the dearest voice in the
world. It is so different from other
voices. Yours is soft and low and
musical. Margaret, l like It best that
way"
"But you think I ought to have told
you, don't you? You don'tfhatc' me Tor
not having told you sooner. dc you,
Bill?"
She held out two fmploring hands
and. now that her little spesch was
over. her eyes were filled with, the
tears that she had been keeping back
so bravely.
But Bill did not yield to the tempta-
ton to comfort her. Ee rose from his
shair and paced back and forth in
the room, looking beyond tile pretty
girl 10 the stretches OF green lawn In
the garden.
II am glad you have told me, Mar
garet. OF course. it. was the only
thing to do" he said. still avoiding
her entreating eyes. I'm glad, too,
to know your reason for not giving
nc your answer" He paused again as
II thinking deeply and then turned
and faced the girl, watch in hand. HIS
voice was intfrely changed when he
said, "Woll, let's start now for that
long.promised visit to my old home.
It's / nthe other end of town. I sup
pose the proper caper would have
been to bring my mother to call on
you. But she's not SO young as she
once was, Margaret. and it would
have bscn a long trip for her"
once or twice as Bills a bore
them swiftly onward, Margaret tried
to get back to the question uppermost
in her mind. Why didn't he tell her
that the fact OF her humble origin
made no difference to him? Secretly
she had bean almost confident that he
would love her none the less because
Of this confession. But the confession
had been SO hard and she was so in
need of the reinsurance and comfort
that did not come.
They sped or through the suburban
country that lay between Eagles Nest
and the crowded city. Then they
moved less rapidly through the out
skirts OF the city, dropped down
through the crowded streets and on
beyond to the older section. where
sagging pavement and 1ll'kept green
squares proclaimed the neighborhood
to have outllved a once.fashionaple
era. Il. I Az
once palatial mansion were now
shared by a dozen families and many
a bay window Of q once fine residence
now showed the wares OF, the small
grocer or o humble toFor's establish;
lment. At one such corner Bill sig
nailed for the car to stop.
We'll get. out here and walk to the
house, he said, and Margaret found
herself following his lead without a
comment. j,
perhaps" she thought, ""the street
where Bills mother lives is being re-
paved"
But in a minute more she foundthis
conjecture to be wrong. It was an
unusually large and improving man
sion, out OF date and in not too good
repair, to which Bill turned their
steps. s.!
what a perfectly lovely old home;".
she said as they neared the massive
hIaek walnut F]antranca door. SecretlY
she felt disappointed. II Bill had led
her to some simple little cottage or
even up flights Of statrsgt to q humble
flat she would have felt that the lit