Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1871-09-15
SELECTED STORY
DID SHE DO RIGHT7
BY MARY REED CRoWELL.


late in December, just at the season when
mirth and pleasantly should have reigned
supreme over their subjects but time Of
unutterable desolation to at least one wo.
man, as she stood alone at the door of her
late home, With the sweeping gale, as il
dashed by laden with fine dust, and sting.
ing chill, freezing her in its ruthless pitiless.
ness. 5s5
She looked up and down the long, de.
serted street, that never looked drearier than
then, as she babe it q mournful, silent good.
bye.
Opposite, the doors we're all closed and
in the rapidly gathering twilight she saw
the warm glow Of the fires, the ruddy, vel.
coming lights that had been seemingly light.
ed to mock her own cherries lonesomeness
and it seemed to her, in her bitterness, thai
she could see hooking, derisive smile on
the face of all Valley Point, that she, proud
Isabel Kent, the daughter. and once the
heiress. Of proud lawyer Kent. was tonight
to leave her home poor girl, to battle with
the world, which had once been her slave
and was now her master.
With SILVER. less of cold than distress,
Isabel Kent turned away from the darken-
ing streets, and into the hall of the large
elegant, empty house.
A single gas-burner was lighted, sending
the shadows from one place into another,
and that was all the light there was to il.
lume her departing footsteps =
In the silent parlors, where the rich gid.
ed paper and heavily carved centrepieces
seemed to mock the empty desolation, stood
Isabel's trunk, packed and strapped. and
marked; and how the girls lips quivered
as the light revealed the words to her:
II. K, Philadelphia
So it was there she was going. A hun.
dred miles from home; friends-if friends
they we're who had turned the cold shoulder
when her fathers will had declared hei
worse than pen-iless had left her fond
broken heart the legacy Of dishonor and
debt ,..is
1t was this knowledge which had proven
almost too much for her; otherwise, how
finely, if sorrowfully, how earnestly, if lone
somely, she would have borne poverty and
faced the world, who owed her living.
But everything seemed so changed now
even Isabel Kent had changed from JOY
GUS, careless girl, to stern, embittered wo
man.
A carriage rolled up to the door, and
when the driver had attended to her lug.
gage, and the old colored servant had kiss
cd her gloved hand, she was whirled away
to what? she wondered. wi9h mirthless
little laugh, as she sat upright in the car
Iiage, and watched the houses that hello
people she feared she fairly hated.
At the depot she had little time to thinl
the crowds, the noise, the glare, the in
coming and departing t.ains-for Vale,
Point was an important terminus.
After she had purchased her tickets ant
checked her trunks she sat down. on sea
just opposite the door and so when Champ
| ney Roberts came in, she saw him before b.
saw her.
He came straight over to her as soon a
he recognized the black.robed figure.
Isabel, am tempted to take you ava
from here by simple force have been t
the house, but you were too quick for me
Isabel. you will persist in this foolish
1 ness p =
| He had taken an empty scat next her
but near as he Was he could not see the pa
ing anguish that lay in her pure, classic face
or the flush Of momentary wrath that fol
lowed his eager, impulsive words.
''It is not foolishness, Champney! VIVA
should I do il did not go to Mrs. Ora
yens-" 5. 90.
He interrupted her in his quick, no
headed, earnest way.
"Where should you 60 to, true enough
my darling 2 Is not my home lonely for th
want of you? Does not my heart cry OIL
for you, its queen? Isabel, there is tie
minutes; won't you think Of it again, an
let me take you from this place to be ma
ried to me, and my home forever Remen
Der. my Isabel, how l love you"
! Under the thick Grape veil Isabels liz
grew tightly compressed, and a slow, re
bloom came to her cheeks It was gre'
temptation she, SO lonely, SO fragile, to G
out in the world, nothing bnt companie
to rich, strange woman, whose face ST
had never seen and here was Champne
Roberts, with his splendid house, bis mate
less carriage and horses, his handsome fac
, and irreproachable character. who sat b
side her begging her to accept Of it all.
But Isabel was a proud woman, and 81
could not brook the idea Of marrying for
i, home, for gratitude, even If the offer can
from the man whom she felt Worship
her.
But for all this abe did not love Cham i,