Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1869-09-24
SELECTED STORY.
THE YELLOW RIBBON.

HE EELLO wv IlDOON.
DR.. Amman sat in his Office, casting W
yearly accounts YES he said, after care
full consideration, L think I can get car.
pet and some new chairs here next year,
want one new chair anyway. moving uneas.
lily; I ought to paint aud paper, too.
wonder if [ could afford to do both ? Ii
made my old harness last, could; perhaps
I can find a second hand one
Like many other country physicians, DR..
AMMAN though well educated and of unusual
ability, was poor His was hard, prosaic
life to one of his temperament and culture,
but he saw no CLEAN Of hope in the future.
4 There he was settled, there he must die.
He was interrupted by summons to a
lady visitor at the rectory. In moment he
had stepped from the dingy office and his
dingy figures to a room filled with bits Of
tropics, in the shape Of rich bright shawls
and Jewels, with fragments Of Partisan fan
cy, with flower caps dispensing the hues and
glow of last summers heaven, and on a
sofa woman, pressing her hand to her brow.
DR.. Amman sat down by her, laid his fng-
er on her pulse, and looked down on her
face Where had she come from, this con-
cretion of creamy delicacy and deep spark
ling bloom, with full, rich life kindling ey-
cry fibre? In the world whence she had
wondered hither, were there others like her,
fit to be her. mates, nurtured as she had been
living the life she had lived? DR.. Amman
was plain country doctor, thirty years old
lust from calculations about second hand
harness; but as he sat with his hand on that
hot brow, I am afraid his reflections were
not exactly of nerve disturbance and his in
fallible pharmacopaia.
Have you been subject to these attacks ?
he asked at length.
Yes answered Miss Emo, 'for the last
few weeks This is the worst, though
There is serious arrangement Of the
nervous SYSTEM he said, 'and it will take
time to cure it,
But you can give me something to re-
lieve this pain, can't you. doctor 2 and the
large melting eyes looked up at him with in
finite entreaty.
Certainly he replied, something tenn
porary, for to- night. But must see you
again if I am to do you much good
If you will only give me relief now said
Miss Emo, I shall be so grateful that will
be glad to see you again as often as you will
come t..-.s
At home once more in his shabby Office
there came another knock, and his landlady
appeared at the door, It's Mrs. Green's
child again, sir
tAnd xrh,4 4bo ,,,,4+o, NOR, With Mrc
Green's childY asked he impatiently.
His mother thinks he's eaten something
that isn't good for him, and it's got tangled
round his heart, replied Mrs. Tomkins.
Tangled round his granny exclaimed
DR.. Amman. is the woman outside? 2
Yes, she's here
Tell her to come in. Well, Mrs. Green
what has your boy been gorging himself
with now p
4 can't tell, sir, said Mrs. Green. Five
given him every remedy I know Of
No wonder he don't get better then,
muttered the doctor, and sat without speak.
ing for several minutes.
I'D been taking home some fine things,
pursued Mrs. Green, that I'd been getting
up for the lady at the rectory, and as I set
the light in here [ thought I'd stop
DR.. Amman faced round and stared fixed
ly at the woman She had the handling
then, of the lace and frills that clung tt
that soft, warm neck.
She's quite poorly to night continued
Mrs. Green. Maybe you've been there
That night DR.. Annan's mind was fllet
with images of Guinevere and Cleopatra:
'Confound it = he exclaimed, starting VI
as the clock struck twelve, what does thl
mean 2 and went resolutely to bed.
Two hours after saw him again seated b,
Miss Eno's couch. His drops had failed t.
quiet that surging brain. He tried mag
netizing her. While the hours of the nigh
throbbed away, he sat with his hands presses
on knotted temples, her pale, palpitaing fac
beneath his intense gaze, her breath hot Of
his wrists the whole night, and the gras
of his will conferred on her physical being
Every now and then the snowy eyelid
would tremble and half raise, and throug
his whole frame would run thrill, as if
we're some delicate musical instrument rouse
to action by note struck upon another il
perfect unison.
When the morning began to stea
through the window, he withdrew his almos
stiffened fingers, and, laying his hand on tn
wavy masses Of hair, bent low over the sleep
er. Did his lips touch her brow Mrs
Everett, in her chair by the fire, almos
thought so, but the next moment he was,tiI
tocing his way out Of the room.
Can [ know the outward cause of all this
lie asked, the next morning.
I do not think the knowledge woul
guide you at all, replied Miss Emo. 'Ther
are details, of course, of time. and place
persons and circumstances : but the thin
: itself, the shock-for it was q: shock was nj
peculiar.
Il beg your pardon Everything that hal
: pens to you must be peculiar
> .You are mistaken. :. | am not an uncon
mon woman said Miss Emo.
lido not know answered he. i ha,
not seen great many people, begin
t think have never seen any
4 Doctor said she, your fattery is swe
? because it is so unconscious
q. 10 1oo1