The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-12-16
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 a good deal
together, although there had
been any hint of an engagement, pres
ent or prospective.
The bridegroom was q stranger to
the people of Rayford. He had flash
ed upon the quiet village apparently
an old acquaintance of Richard Blair.
Then Elinor was seen a good deal in
his company and. the marriage took
place. Bride and groom and MI.
Blair left Rayford to settle somewhere
In the South, and their former friends
and acquaintance o forgot them.
All but two persons-Eunice Trux--
ton, the aunt of Elinor, and Edwin
Darrell. They knew!
It was at the home of Miss TruxtOn
n 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 vas returned, but. that the
situation was hopeless for both of
them. She chung to him in a frenzied,
hysterical way and was lost in sobs
and tears. Then, vOiceless, she fled
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 child! Something has happened
to cloud her life that l 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
we'd 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 a sacrifice, a 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 a husband.
The only assurance for Darrell was
that Elinor loved him. Victims to cir
cumstances,1 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 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 Elinor 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 p]rotracted 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 q colOred woman with q
little child of three She had a letter
for Miss Truxton. 1t was from Elinor,
who asked her to care for her little
child. AS for herself, she had an op-
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 n to care for the
dead husband, and now for his child.
Every three months a. small amount
was sent from a different, place by
the absent mother Darrell rented a
small flat, secured a housekeeper and
grew deeply attached to the little.
waif.
1t was a. beautiful summer after
noon when little Priscilla accompanied
him on a stroll. 1t Ted to the beautiful
town cemetery, and on q seat neal
her fathers grave Darrell answered
her many ques0 Ions as 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 mel" inquired Priscilla
pathetically. "Tell ME about her, will
you not?"
It was in the midst Of glowing words
Of sympathy and regard for his lost
love that a sob interrupted Darrell.
Turning to trace its source, he discov.
cred a woman seated on q little mound
directly behind them.