Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-07-15

- w. OGEo
ed sort of way. She hardly saw hin
Z as she stood there.
. "Oh, by the wav, Tina, / forgoI
to give you this note last night
{ It 7as left by the hotel porter. -
Really, l believe my memory isn't
4 quite as good as it used to be-"
Tina caught the note from her fa-
ther's hand, and bloke II open with
feyefed haste.
"The train leaves at seven ~
She saw the words as vividly as if
they had been written in characters
OF jagged fire, and as she read
them, the clock, half way up the
wide, old-fashion'd staircase, struck
eight.
II was too late-too late!
The sharp thrill of agony at her
heart was succeeded by passionate
feeling of resentment,
"'Let him co." she said TO herself,
while the red pennons futtered on
her cheek. 81 would not lift fin
ger to keep him."
So, when Bruce MedSay's earn
est appealing letter came a day or
two afterwards, Ernestine folded it
quietly within blank envelope, |
without breaking the seal, and sent
it back.
Verify; women are strange enig-
mas, even to themselves. Ernestine
herself could scarcely have told why
ehe kept the broken silver coin-but
she kept it.
The short, threatening October
day was drawing to a close; the
fiery belt across the western sky
was flaming sullenly athwart the
skeleton woods, and shedding sort
of aureole around Ernestine Cady's
slender figureas shehurried through
the yellow, rustling drifts of fallen |
leaves, carrying the heavy basket on
her arm.
Just as pretty ss the rosy Tina of
two years since, but paler, graver,
and more sedate. Trouble had be-
sieged the family since their ihigra-
ton to the grand domains of the far
West. Tina had learned the serious
part of life's lesson, and she had
learned 1T well.
She lifted the latch of a rudely
constructed log house, and entered
with assumed cheerfulness on her
face
"How are you now, father ?"
"Bettor, l think. Come to the fIe,
Tina; you must be cold"
'Not a bit. Has mother come
back YETI"
mo, its very strange she stays so
long. l suppose Mrs. Ebbetts
has great deal to say, though
/ don't wonder your mother is glad
TO get away from a sick room for
while"
He spoke a little bitterly, and Ii,
ma #iriced as she listened, knowing
that her mother had made an excuse
of some neighborly errand to dis
pose in the nearest village of such
poor little odds and ends of cold
chains, pins and rings as YET re- I
mained to their diminished estate. /
Was there anything wrong in this {
pious fraud? Tina almost felt rs if !
there was.
It was not pleasant to be poor. \
"She will be home soon, father" /
said Tina. "Only see what basket |
full of cranberries l have gathered
out in the swamps This will s
make the barrel full, and Mr.. Sig |
net has promised to send it off to t
New York with his. Don't they t
look like red jewels; father p |
And the money viii buy you a new J
coat"
He smiled family. b
II think it had better buy tiy it, ii
lie girl a new dress. Shall | help
d pick them over ?" h
ii had rather do it myself, and
,ou must try to sleep d while" h
Half an hour later Tina came
trough Tie room with a scarlet
hawl over her head, and a wistftil,
cared look in her eyes. d.
"Yod are not going out again, ju
ny child ?" N
"Ohly Dip to the cranberry swamp, "
athef; it isn't dark yet; II hay e u
ost something"
IA Ribbon or collar, I suppose" a
did Mr.. Cady to himself, as he lay n
the crimson glare Of the a.
october sunset, while Tina, put t.
ing aside the low tangled bushes, Ii
nd searching bits Of rank, swampy n
rass, was repeating to herself, in Il
uick, nervous words: a.
"How could lose it7 Oh, how m
ould l be so careless !" N
But the search was all in vain;
nd the chill twilight sent her home,
ispiritgd and unsuccessful. And 81
lrnestine Cady cried herself to y,
leep that night just because she T.
ad lost the broken silver coin! ~
= = 4 "
"You'll be sure to come, Mr.. ~ m
Iedway2 / want to introduce the h.
uceessful author to my friends "
-ou are to be my lion. You will
ONE ?"
ayes, | will come, if you wish OF
!" an
Bruce Medway went dreamily on y
IS way, and Mrs. Lyman whispered "
one Of her fashionable friends a
lat "she was quite sure Mr., Med 1a1 A
ay haa been crossed in love--he =