Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-04-11
ANOLD wOMAH,a aKESg.NiSurXCES

Do you remember, dear Aunt Ruth, "
at length said. - hat ynu once promised
/" tell me story cnnuvrr"A with that
grand house and yuur oWm littlc co'tayr ?
Suppose v"u tel. i, ,n nv" an my hjrlhIav:
II viii b" 'i"ubil r.'' '>i"; t" - rc, and
l!Si"u to- NUM.
Th" coEm Happy ~ ir<>;nn "( Aunt
Ru,h's face, winch had never before ,rrn
disturbed, suddenly chan ;'.d t." "ne Of in.
tense sorrow or rather. II quick thrill Of
pain seemed to 70 low nv Irw words
! This, however. was "uIv mom"n;arv in
another minute the p acII tenderness so
natural to her face trs"mcd Us sway. aud
! discovered u" other sign Ol emo ION as
she answered.
" IOu shall have Your wish NY lowe -
and then added in Il very low =, ice " 1t
is right that she should hear the promised
history. aud that >IlnulI tell it," The
latter part OF her speech the venerable la
DIV rather murmurvd Ia herself lhan al
dressed 10 me: then drawing her figure
/" it. urun"Su height. aud tulLjn.s her Thin
white h@nds "u tier tap, ,hv "umWvnced
Err nulru.iye-whi:h. however. | prefer
pa Iing lnr" MY uwn Itn4ungr, hrIIrvin4
Aunt IlIth'S uaLuru! mnIc>Ir prevented
her irrm doing slice to tho heroine OF
lh" story.
Waller is late thi evening. Mildred
and yet am almost certain that | saw
him pass on the river an hnur az" may
be mistaken, but | wish You would run
down to the old summer house, and see
ii the boat is moOrrd. We ought to have
got through good portion "F business to-
nl4hL.''
The speaker. Gne old man of some
scvcnty winters, turned as he Spukc to-
wards II deep window. where II yuuug and
handsome woman sat, resting her cheek
upon her hand. aud grazing with IL look
Oi abstraction upon the twiII1h4 $halow>
as they deepeued over the hrouI river,
10" inG at the bottom of IL long terrace
walk in front of the house. Tier father
suddenly realized her dreamy thoughts,
anl raising hastily, she said:
Yes, dear father, | shall enjoy u stroll
tonight: and if the truant has not arrived
| cnn watch for him little longer from
the summer house. We do not know
what may have happened to WaI'er," she
added tenderly, raising the old mans
hand to her lips ''he knows your love of
punctua!iry, and | am certain he would
not wI(uIIy keep you in suspense"
Mildred Vernon was the only child of
widowed parent. y beauty and an
heirrss she was, rs night be supposed, not
without a goOdly string Of admirers OF
these her fathers choice and her own af-
lection fell upon IL relative of her own,
whom her father had brought up to his
own caling-that Of an East India mer-
chant. Accustomed from oyhcod to re-
gard her cousin with atfecIionate admira
tion. Walter Nernon'S aEFectonate sug-
gestion, TO yield up free heart to her
keeping and he agreed gratefully to the
proposals made to him by his uncle. which
ended iE his being at twenty one the pro
missed husband Of the beautiful Midied
and the cxpectant heir to her fathers i'm
mense fortune. To Mildred, however,
whose ignorance of Mr.. VernOn's previous
influence with her cousin led he: to be-
lieve that the declaration Of his was as
earnest and independent of "xtraneous
circumstances as her own affection, their
engag ement was very different, and for
some time the happiness of her young life
seemed without cloud.
Situated in remote corner of the
grounds which surrounded MIR. Vernon's
mansion. was low thatched cottage. GOV,
cred with monthly roses and honey
kles up,to herlowIy caves, and sur roun
ded by "a ga axy of blossoms This snug
and roomy dwelling had for years beer
! the abode Of ROdg6r Lee. Mr.. Vermont.
gardner. Here, too. his only child -Alic,