The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1870-04-21

| least twice In the course OF our mornn
e drives. and the flash of her black eyes. a
. they met mine. always put my heart in a flu,
g ter that lasted through the next twenty-fou
5 hours, because, you see consider it an hon
} or even to be glanced at by this proud beau
ty, particularly when found out that u
other man at Santam had been 'dignife,
with this high honor"
"By the way, Harry" said F.lkinham, a
} we were taking our accustomed ride ON
morning, by the way, Harry, you said be
) fore we came down here, that if you fount
the woman you we're in search of, you SHOULD
marry ;cr If you could never thought t.
ask YOU before if you had found her. Hav
you?"
Il think have, Filkinham.
''And it is wbo?"
Cant you guess z"
"The charming Miss Grey? p
Ono"
{" Miss Doubleday, Miss Milden, the fasci
mating widow Adams, or Miss Clarkensburgh
which ?"
"Neither"
80, then it must be the mysterious Miss
Fitz Fluk ~
| eyes"
And you've got everybody at Santam for
a rival"
eyes, but so long as she condescends to
notice none, am as we'll off as the rest"
1t would be a good speculation, perhaps"
said Filkinham, arousing himself from a
short reverie that he had fallen into after my
last remark. "Shc is very wealthy, under
stand"
had never been jealous of Flatl Ike be,
| fore, but now when he spoke of her wealth,
knew that he was thinking how securely he
could invest it, if he only had the right Of
husband.
Psaw! nTiiikinham, who knows whether
a:::c is wealthy or not ? CT who knows anything
about her, for that matter z"
Who knows ?" Mrs. Fransworth told me
that she knew the family. She said she re-
membered her father very we'll Met him at
Newport, l believe, before the war. Said he
was worth millions then. OF course, Mrs.
Fransworth is not always quite accurate in her
statements, and she is woman that never
admits that she don't know everybody worth
knowing, but really think she was acquaint.
ed with the Fitz Fukcs."
Well, there she comes, and she's quite
alone,' said |. "She's left her footman be-
hiud this morning"
The little ponies came up at spanking
trot. Just as they came abreast Of US, the
charming driver dropped her whip.
"Egad FIatbroke, there's a chance
Hold your horses"
jumped out, picked up tho whip, and
walked back to meet the phaton, fer the lady
j ! J L.,
ward me.
She was smiling like cloudy May morn
Il told you that her complexion was rather
shady. and she thanked nae for the trouble /
had taken on her account, in the sweetest
voice that was ever uttered Upon my honor,
don't think l was ever so dazzlcd by wo-
mans smile before in all my life.
"My heart did glowing transport feel;'
as the poet says. IF had thought myself in
love before, was sure Of it now.
I walked slowly back to the carriage.-
Filkinham was smoking quietly, as he waited
"' Poor worm thou art infected" he re-
marked, as I got beside him.
/" zdai";t i"
was 30 happy that could have admitted
anything then. She had spoke to me, she
had smiled on me, and-I was almost certain
that the whip had been dropped purposely.
Fikinham drove back to the hotel soon af
ter, and / went back to my room. At she
door encountered Miss Fitx Fluke's maid
She put her finger to her lip, and handed me
a note
"What's this ?"
But she was gone
With beating heart / opened the door Ga
queer thing to open door with, / confess),
and entering my room, | closed aud belted
the door after me.
"Now," said l, "we'n look into the mystic.
ry."
You know that it isn't just the proper thing
for young lady to be writing to u strange
young man, and wasn't more than half pleas
ed with the idea of receiving note from
either Miss Fitz Fluke Or her maid.
It was delicately pesfamed, Of course. l
opened ana read:
off Mr.. Ackley would visit the "Lovers
Rock" to night at ten o'clock, he would much
oblige. CONE IN TROUBLE"
Could that be Miss Fitz Fluke?
"But I'll go of course" l said, rising and
unlocking the door for Flatbroke, who occu-
pied the same parlor with me,
| didn't intend to let Flatbroke into the
secret, but he saw tho note on the table, and
caught a glimpse of the last words one in
trouble.
"What is that--somcboJy in trouble, Har-
ry?"
Pshav, it's nothing" said l, hastily hid
ing the note in my pocket.
90 no nothing, Ell? Well, all right,
Harry, help 'em out"
81 intend to il can" I answered, testify
How impatiently waited for the night l
leave you to imagine. | waited till nine
o'clock, and then sailed out. There was dane
ing in the hotel parlor. locked in and saw
Filkinham waltzing with Miss Bolts. the
-four merchants daughter, from Chicago, and
then l hurried away toward the "I.overs
Rock" which is located nearly half nile
from the hotel, overhanging the sea-
The moon was up and the night was beau
tiful. think l noticed this, hut l am not
certain for had a great deal to think Of
without. For instance, the note in my peck
ct might be decoy to draw me on to-well,
don't know what. had received it from
the maid, but for all that it might not be from
her mistress. Itmight have been written by
the maid at the instigation of her lover, who
p,;,.ht ha q william and uho MIGHT