Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1870-08-11

J1AES iHCu ulc eucciluS ,Siulle DllSuGeu
our pure and simple pleasures, and it ex-
| asperated the masculine portion of the
company to observe the influence this Me-
| phistopheles had over the beautiful, limo
cent, romantic girls whom they loved
There were those of the men whom he Sc
duced at the start. They copied his wees
in less t han three weeks. Then followed
dissatisfaction and hea.tache among men
and women.
Butt, who from the first declined to
play cards and drink in Sutton's rooms
felt uncontaminated, aud free to sock that
priceless treasure in life, pure woman's
love.
tried to please Alice Lee. and sue
ceeded. In July we were engaged. And
then just began to understand how good
and sweet my darling was. l remember
that | came home from fishing one Gay.
with face nearly blistercd by the sun
Alice, in her cool, white dress with violet
ribbon at the throat, peepcd out the door
at me as came up the garden, where, l
had delivered the spoils of the day, into
the hands of Mays cook, and held up
her pretty hands in mock horror. In truth
| was something of spectacle, with my
white linen suit Illuminated with the juice
Of strawberries-the pantaloons thrust IN
to the leg of muddy boots plentifully be-
spriukled with dust of country roads and
fercely sunburnt. But had been gone
all day, and A lice made up face to kiss
me.
No. said L; L will excuse you. since
[ have blistered nose, and [ am covered
with dust.
I was quite in earnest, and tried to hold
her off, fearing her delicate dress would
get soiled if she touched me? but she
won her way to my breast, rubbed little
place clean on my forehead with her EN-.
broidercd handkerchief, kissed the spot and
baughed in my eyes.
Dear Lewis said she, Sits you, and
I'm not afraid of dirt that will wash off,
The merriment softened in her lovely
face.
Lewis she said softly, don't think I
love you for your clothes, or your COM
plexion, or your whiskers, which all the
girls admire, but because you are good
and true, and fell that can trust you
Do you know what made me love you at
first 2
[ shook my head.
Because, all Sutton's wiles to draw
you over to his seat failed, You admire
honesty and purity, and have main tanned
them so nobly, that honor and admire
you. If you were blacksmith I'd marry
you and live in howell" And with her
beautiful eye sparkling with tears, my dar
ling Rugged me, and then pushed me off,
and then ran away to hide how she was
crying.
Blissfully happy I stumbled up stairs,
plunged into a bath, and Invested myself
of stains of earth. But when [ went in
to my dressing room perceived the fumes
of Sutton's cigars. They were Of a pecu-
culiar brand, and no one smoked them but
himself. He was sitting in the south por
tico, close to the door where [ had met
Alice. How long had he been there?
My hand trembcd as | brushed my
hair Should | have been ashamed of it ?
1 think not. Sutton had a reputation Of
taking horrible revenges, and I had so
much to lose.'
But after a moment I braced myself
mentally and physically. and sat down to
read. was too tired to go down stairs.
But the fume of that cigar seemed to have
got into my head the page was hazy and
indistinets | could see nothing SO plainly
as Sutton's Greek profile and hyacynthine
hair, and suspecting was i'll at length
threw down the volume aud went to bed
by starlight,
l was ill for fortnight with low
nervous fever. Ny valet took me in
charge. but Alice came i'll every day with
Margaret, and did me more good with
ten minutes petting than Eugene's most
patient attention accomplished the whole
day. She kept flowers at my bedside,
and stretched proprieties to the utmost to
see me. At first her smiling eyes by my
pillow were delicious; but one day | saw
she regarded me in troubled, wistful
way, and afterwards / discovered that she
was growing pale.
What is tho matter tell me pet !. I
said.'
'Ob, you get we'll so slowly she said,
q transient flush on her delicate cheek.
I did not dream what prosecutions she
was undergoing while lay there, but she
would not worry me with any complaints;
brave, faithful, lovelylittle heart.
I was nearly well at last sat up all day
in my room, and sent word to my friends
below that would be with them the
following day.
At midnight the radiance Of tho moon
light awokc me from deep sleep in a
room flooded with the light Of the moon.
rose, threw on my dressing-gown, and
was preparing to close the shutters, when
l distinctly perceived the pungent odor Of
chloroform.
Now if had been in the body Of the
house, should have decided that some
unfortunate person among the inmates of
the house, had experienced midnight
attack of toothache but there were no
chambers in the south wing but Alice
Lee 5 and mine: Every pearly tooth in
her rosy mouth was perfectly sound, l
knew so | was puzzled. The next
revelation was the propinquity of horse s
neigh.
The horses belonging to the house were,
or ought to have been, at distance from
the house, in ll-ocked stable. This
horse-nay, two of them. and an elegant
phmton-I could see at the front gate.
At first did not recognize the equipage.
But was impressed to believe there
was something wrong. A lark of Sut-
toms set, decided to be. when at length
recognized the carriage. l dressed and
sat down by the. window. watching the
lo..o 40. TOGO tLo hoad, ,,ndor tho larohac