The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1868-03-26


The sudden pallor that swept owe
Jennie's lace would have betrayed t.
the most indifferent eye the true stat,
of her affections.
| DO you mean that he has been steal
ing papay'
'Stealing2 He has done worse tha,
Il thaty
i Good heavensv faltered poor Jen
ME, has he been killing anybodyr
| Worse than that A man that vii
sell his country is worse than murder
er; and any one that will vote for tina
lying, double faced traitor Higgins, is 8
worse scoundrcl than he"
is that all said Jennie, drawing {
long sigh Of relief. II thought it was
something dreadful!
'Ally echoed her father. Il should
say it was enough--quite enough tt
sink him in the estimation OF ever,
honest man. Once more, say, don,
let me see you with him again!
Here Mr.. Stanly Stamped out Of the
room banging the door after him.
Good gracious! exclaimed Jennie
as she picked up the contents Of the
worklnskct, that her father had knock
ed over in his furious exit, i should
like to know what's got into pa all al
once. TO think OF his forbidding Inc
to speak to Edwardjust for that!'
And with flushed checks anu q dutter
of delight at her heart at the thought
Of having, something to tell and that
something SO strange and mysterious,
she sought the presence of her usual
confidant, the fair Arabella Eugenie An,
geIina Slubbs, to whom it was duly un-
folded, with sundry embellishments,
the fruit of her fertile Imagination, and
who quite agreed with her in thinking
it to be the 'strangest thing that ever
came TO her knowledge
Jennie said Mr.. Stacey. the next
day after dinner, as taking his hat, he
turned to leave the house, young
Wright had the inpudence to speak to
Inc again about you; and, US he init.
mates that he did so by your permis.
sion, you may as well know, once for
all, that it can never be would soon
er see you in your grave than the wife
Of such man! I've got husband
picked out for you. Deacon Obedlah
Pcttigrew is man that will do you and
the family some credit
Deacon Pettigrew why, pa, he's
more than twice my age"
That's the very reason why I've Sc
lected him you need some one to keep
you steady. He will be here to see
you tomorrow evening, and l shall ex
pect you to receive him with the res
pect and consideration due to your tu-
ture husband
Before his daughter had time to re.
cover from the astonishment which
this announcement gave her, Mr.
Stacey was some way down the street.
Well, l know two things, exclaimed
Jennie, putting down her foot with u
determined air; i won't have the stu
pid Deacon Pettigrew, and ! will have
Edward Wright!
As she said this, she took from her
bosom letter from the last-named i'll
dividual, full ofprOtestations of indy
ing love, and imploring her to meet
him in the little grove just back Of the
house at half.past 6 that evening, re.
reading it for the fortieth time with
flushed cheeks and kindling eyes.
That evening, as Jennie went to the
appointed place, which she did not fail
to do, she found Edward waiting for
her.
Instead Of wearing his usual cheer
full look and pleasant smile, he stood
leaning against tree with arms folded
across his chest, and gloomy cloud
upon his brow looking, as Jennie con-
G,lentially informed tile sympathizing
Arabella Eurenie Angelina Stubbs.
for all the world like the picture OF
Rupert Di Rinaldo, in the 'Brigand OF
the Black Forest"
Edward found little difficulty in per-
suading her to leave home and uni,
her fate with his. Accordingly, the
next night, US soon as the house was
still, Jennie, enveloped in dark man
tie, and her face concealed by a thick,
closely drawn veil, stole out through
the back way to the place where her
lover was waiting.
He had covered carriage, and though
the night was dark, she could see the
dim outline Of q man upon the boy.
They rode two hours, mostly in 81.
lence; for, now the irrevocable step
was taken, Jennie's courage began to
fail her, and she grew depressed in
spilits-she hardly knew why. 1t SEEM
ed to her tnat they never would reach
their destination, which Edward had
informed her was the house of = cler.
gyman in an adjoining town. But at
last to her great relief, the carriage stop.
ped.
ITO avoid observation, we are going
in through the back way" whispered
as he assisted her to alight.
Draw your veil closely around your
face"
The night was SO dark that she could
not see the least thing, and she clung
nervously to the hand that led her
along short path, over q plat Of grass,
up some steps, into dark narrow pas.
sage, which led into ball, and from
thence into room that opened out OF
1t, lighted by one small, low lamp. BE-.
si.le the table on which it was placed,
the clergyman venerable look.
ing man--and at the lower end Of the
apartment seemed to be q number of
persons, though the light was so dim
that only the outlines of their forms