Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1866-12-06


through me: all is lost: what should | do
Belle rose and [ heard her feeling for the
matches. She struck one and was moving
towards the gas light, when the lucifer
went out, leaving all in darkness again
Blessed relief; but how briefl Again [
heard her feeling for the matches and try
ing to light one after another, as they fail
cd to ignite; then an sob dear, there are
no more!" escaped from her lips. Safe
safe!" whispered my soul to me, and [
thanked God in silence for my deliverance.
Belle CROPPED back to the bed, but did not
Immediately get in; she stopped and lifted
the curtains which hung around the bot
tom and cautiously passed her arm under
and around as far as it could reach. | al
most felt her fingers Craze my face as I
held my face fearfully and silently back
against the wall. Apparently satisfied
that no danger was near her, she lay down
il the BED again, and [ counted her respi-
rations until she was lost in slunber.
As for myself, sleep was utterly out of
the question. | never was so wide awake
in my life. How I lay upon that hard
carpet and thought the ght out. thought
Of her, and her love for me, thought of my
and my love for her. Yes, I was congin-
ced from that moment that the hand of
destiny was in it, and that benign and
all-wise Providence had seen fit in this
extraordinary way to open my eyes to the
path Of happiness and peace.
With the morning light fresh fears came
upon me lest my unconscious roommate
might peer beneath the bed for robbers be-
fore she left the room; but my fears were
groundless. She arose and dressed expe-
ditiously, for she was to join her cousins
at an early breakfast, and she had over
slept herself When at last she took the
key, unlocked the door and departed, [
lost no time in slipping out Of my Shameful
place of concealment and escaping from
the hotel. On the stairs [ met Fred COM
ing out of his room, who exclaimed:
"Why, what's the matter with you, old
fellow ? You look like the last days of an
ill-spent life And your coat, too-why
it's all over feathers and dust Where
have you been p
"Why I slept-sept out last night;
that's ALL Our house is full, and so | had
to find quarters elsewhere. I'm just going
home to dress"
Il should say so, decidedly; see it all,
old fellow You've been on lark, and
had to put up in the watch-house; come
now, own up and tell us all about it"
''No lark at all, Fred; nothing of the
kind | assure YOU
"Well, if not lark, what kind Of bird
was it? From the looks of the feathers
should say it was goose"
"Ton're the goose, Fred But serious
ly, I've word to say to you Of the most
important nature Be q man, Fred, and
make up your mind to hear something ex-
cessiyely disagreeable. It must be told you
sooner or later, and I may as well tell it
now"
Good heavens, Gus how earnest you
look at me; you don't mean to say that
that anything has happened to Belle Bron-
on?" @t@
Don't mention her name again, Fred,
or think of her any more, for she'll never
be anything to you. [ have it from one
WuO AuONo oil dDOut lt5 tudb sue HAS lOHp
been attached to somebody else, and that
somebody else means to marry her. There
is no mistake about it; so bear up and try
your luck elsewhere"
But Fred Evans was not to be discour-
aged by mere hearsay. That very day he
went to see Belle, determined to know his
fate from her own lips. Soon after he left
Oakville and | did not see him again for
several years, when, meeting him in town
one day, [ insisted on bringing him home
with me and presenting him to his old
fame, Belle Bronson-the present Mrs.
Evergreen.
s'Ah, Fred!' said he after dinner, when
my wife and the little Evergreens had left
us to ourselves-"Ah, Fred, you served
me a shabby trick when you allowed me to
lose my heart to the girl you were all along
intending to marry yourself very shah
by trick, one of which [ never suspected
you"
So had to tell him Gin strict confidence,
of course, as [ tell you, reader all about
the bedroom affair at the Oakville Hotel,
and the love that grew out of it,
Governor WORTH, Of North Corolina,