The Lamar register., 1920-05-12
TRUE AS STEEL
By ALDEN CHAPMAN

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 a stranger to
the people of Rayford. He had flash
ed upon the quiet village apparently
an old acquaintance of Richard Blair.
Then Ellnor was seen a good deal In
his company and the marriage took
place. Bride and groom and Mr..
Blair left Rayford to settle somewhere
in the South, and their former friends
and acquaintances soon forgot them.
All but two persons-Eunlce Trux-
ton the aunt of Ellnor, and Edwin
Darrell. They knewI
1t was at the home of Miss TruIton
one day that Darrell was drawn closer
to Elinor In pity and love. She had
for some time past evaded him and
had shown 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 a frenzied,
and tears. Then. volceless, she fed
into the garden. Darrell sought her
TO be confronted by Miss Truxton. 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 again." she told Darrell.
Poor chlldl Something has happened
to cloud her life that / 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 Ellnor 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.
ut was a sacrifice. n 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 surTnise that Dacre had
held some power over Mr.. Blair. which
bent him to his Will and compelled
Elinor TO accept him as a husband.
The only assurance for Darrell was
that ElInor loved him. Victims to cir
cumstances, they had the mutual con-
vlction that nothing could ever sepa-
rate them as to soul affinity. but 1t
looked lonely. dreary road.
At the first Ellnor kept up a 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 Ellnor and her little
child, Priscilla, had disappeared.
Shortly after that Dacre appeared
in Rayford. He did not go near Miss
Truxton but visited and borrowed
money from some former friends, and
died after a protrncted drinking bout.
Having no means, lie was about 10 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 drenry life, but not
alone. Within a month there arrived
at RHyford n colored woman with
little child of three. She had letter
for Miss Truxton. II was from Ellnor
who asked her to care for her little
child. AS for herself. she had an op-
portunlty to engage as companion for
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 a small amount
was sent from n different place by
the absent mother. Darrell rented
small fiat. secured a housekeeper and
grew deeply attached to the little
wnif.
II was a beautiful summer after
noon when little Priscilla accompanied
him on a stroll. 1t led TO the beautiful
town cemetery, and on a seat near
her fathers grave Darrell answered
her many QueStlOns ms to the narent