The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1920-05-27
TRUE AS STEEL
By ALDEN CHAPMAN
epyright, 1879, Western Newspaper Union.)

why Edwin Darrell did not attend the
wedding of Elinor Blair and Alison
Dacre. They had known each other
intimately and had gone good deal
together, although there had never
been any hint Of an engagement. pres
ent or prospective.
The bridegroom was stranger to
the people of Rayford. He h:u ha.,il'
ed upon the quiet village apparently
an old acquaintance Of Richard Blair.
Then Elnor was seen Il good deal In
his company and the marriage t0os
place Bride and groom and MIR.
Blair left liayiord 70 settle somewhere
in the South. and their former friends
and acquaiitances soon forgot them.
All but two persons-Eunice Tru1-
ton. The aunt Of Elinor, and Edwin
Darrell. They knew!
Ii was at the home of Miss TruXton
one day that Darrell was drawn closer
to Elinor in pity and love. She had
for some time past evaded him and
had shown a sadness he could not
fathom. They were alone on the porch
when Darrell, impelled by irresistible
emotion, put his arm about Elinor and
confessed his love. She swayed
toward him with incoherent words.
They conveyed a sure token that this
affection was returned, but that the
situation was hopeless for both Of
them. She clung to him In frenzied.
hysterical way and was lost in sobs
and tears. y Then, voiceless, she fed
into the garden. Darrell sought her
to be confronted by Miss Tru1ton. She
was pale and agitated, and to Darrell's
Inquiries stated that Elinor had gone
home.
"You must not seek to visit her or
meet her here agar" she told Darrell.
Poor child! Something has happened
to cloud her life that I cannot tell
you now, but, oh! Mr.. Darrell, what
ever you hear, do not misjudge her"
What Darrell to his utter despair
later heard was that Elinor was to
wed Alison Dacre, and this was fol-
lowed by the marriage which drove
him temporarily from Rayford. When
he returned the Blairs had left the
village. Crushed and comfortless, OAR
rell sought Miss TruXton.
1T was q sacrifice, cruel immola.
ton Of youth and innocence to save
an imperiled father" was all she
would tell Darrell, and she never al
luded to the subject again. She left
Darrell to surmise that Dacre had
held some power over Mr.. Blair, which
bent him to his will and compelled
Elinor to accept him as husband.
The only assurance for Darrell was
that Elinor loved him. Victims to cir
cumstances, they had the mutual con-
viction that nothing could ever sepa-
rate them as to soul affinity, but It
looked a lonely, dreary road.
At the first ElinOr kept up cor
respondence with her aunt. Then
there was a year of silence. In her
anxiety Miss Truxton wrote to the
town from which Elinor's last letter
had come. She learned that Mr.. Blair
had died, that the Dacres had sepa-
rated and that Elinor and her little
child, Priscilla, had disappeared.
Shortly after that Dacre appeared
in Rayford. He did not 90 near Miss
Tru1ton, but visited and borrowed
money from some former friends, and
died after a protracted drinking bout.
Having no means, he was about to be
buried in a pauper's grave when Oar
rell came forward and arranged for
his funeral.
Then Miss TruXton passed away.
Darrell took up his dreary life, but not
alone. Within a month there arrived
at Rayford a colored woman with
little child of three. She had letter
for Miss Truxton. 1t was from Elinor,
who asked her to care for her little
child. AS for herself, she had an 0p-
portunity to engage as companion for
a wealthy invalid lady, which would
enable her to send some money to her
aunt to provide for Priscilla.
Thus, strangely, Edwin Darrell had
been the only one to care for the
dead husband, and now for his child.
Every three months small amount
was sent from a different place by
the absent mother. Darrell rented q
small fiat, secured a housekeeper and
grew deeply attached to the little
waif.
1t was a beautiful summer after.
noon when little Priscilla accompanied
him on stroll. 1t led to the beautiful
town cemetery, and on seat near
her fathers grave Darrell answered
her many questions as to the parent
she had well nigh forgotten. Darrell
tempered his replies SO that the child
would have no correct conception OF
the unworthiness of her father.
"And mamma-why does she not
come and see me?' inquired Priscilla
natheticaIly. "Tell me about her. will