Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1871-02-10

"lt's evident you've got the lady's satch.
ell And what was there in yours Z"
Don't bring up that dreadful idea, said
Dick ''Cigars and hair brush. pack OF
card sand comb. pochet flask and tooth
brush-everything disreputable. If am
judged BY that bag, I'm lost man.
"And this took for clean shirt" and
Dick held up frilled sack, such as DO duty
for more extensive lighthouses with ladies
! when travelling, I'd like to see Angelica
when she opens the satchel''
Ane Dick fell to musing, with the slipper
pereLed on two fingers, and the frilled white
sack spread out tendcrly upon his knee
x 4: X K K
! In an upper apartm. Mt of a handsome
mansion in St. Louis, on the evening Of the
! day our heroine first made the readers ac-
quaintance, beautiful Bell Alden, the petted
and only daughter Of the house, sat contem-
plating the various articles her confidential
maid was disposing upon the table-articles
takeu from no less receptacle than Dick
Marcy's travelling bag.
The cards and cigar case lay side by side,
and highly scented party they were. .
whats in the little silver flask, Rosa?'
said the fair mistress
"Brandy, man," replied the maid
'sHe can't be very dissipated to travel
with such little bottle. That's in case of
sickness, I suppose returned Bell.
1T is my belief" said Rosa, who was a
shrewd girl, "that the gentleman was a
mighty nice one, else you'd not SO readily
excuse the cards and the bottle.
"For shame, Rosa. All gentlemen play
euchre travelling, and even clcrgymen take
little brandy in case Of sickness" answered
Bell. 'And this man was a gentleman,
and liberal one, too, for he gave poor en-
igrant wenen $I0 What's that, Rosa ?"
! For, at that moment, Rosa held between
her fingers a letter.
Whether it was wrong to read strangers
letter vexed Bell for q moment, as her eyes
glanced at the superscription and hand-wri-
ting.
.Why, of all things p exclaimed the de-
lighted girl, selling the latter ''Why,
Rosa. this is Jenny Marcy's writing, and
addressed to Richard Marcy her only dar-
ling brother-who was in Europe when we
two graduated at Madam Ritter's ia Brook
lyn.'
Bell read rapidly till she had reached the
middle Of the letter. when she burst into a
merry laugh.
"Above all things, Dick, dear, don't fail,
while in st. Louis. TO see my best friend
and schoolmate, Bell Alden. | know you
will fall in love with her, for besides being
the best girl in the world, she's a beauty
and an heiress, and fathers choice above all
others. for his sons wife. He used to talk
it over at home, and hope Bell would not
marry before yon came home from Europe.
She is iull as anxious to know you, and
wears your hair and mine in locket father
gave her last year. Give her lots of love
and beg her to overlook your many imper.
fections, for the sake of her old schoolfellow,
Jenny
'Then this gentleman is, of course. Miss
Jenny's brother" said Rosa, ''and what will
she say when she hears of your having met
in that romantic way ?"
J to New York this iall," said Bell, ''Per,
haps her brother will CALI
But in this supposition Bell was wrong.
The month passed, and she saw no more Of
the golden headed Richard.
And she carefully separated the yellow
lock in the keepsake from the dark tresses
Of Jenny's and put it back into its place
alone, while another locket held the bit of
Jenny's. And, somehow, Bell looked very,
very often at the wee golden curl, and she
never did SO but the rest Of the handsome
head sprang up beside the lock ; and she
would sit and contemplate the picture her
fancy wrought for her, little dreaming the
interest she was allowing to grow iu her bo
som for Jenny's brother.
In the fall, Bell and her father went to
New York, and the first day after hcr arri=
val found her sitting With her old friend,
who, after the first ELUSIVE meeting was
past, sat down to empty her soul.
''lm SO glad you are here this month,
Jenny said, ''becausc I'm to be married in
October, and I have always been crazy to
have you for bridesmaid, and Dick is to
be Harrys best man."
Bell blushed.
"But Dick has fallen hopelessly, madly
in love 2"
Bell turned pale.
eyes, I was SO dreadfully provoked when
be passed through St. Louis and never went
near you. But he went wild over some la.
dy he met ON that fatal trip.
"Hc will talk to me by hours of his An
gelica. And when have spoken Of you he
has been positively rude, and asked me to
have done bothering him about my freckled
school friends-you know your picture
shows freckles; but bless me, you haven't
any now And your picture dom look any
more like you than it does like me, not a
Bit"
"But tell me-" said Bell lis your broth
er engaged to this lady %
Engaged! Why, dear heart, he don't
know her name. He just found some Of
her old clothes somewhere He's got her
old slippers under glass case; he's got her
gloves stuffed under another he's got her
night gown done up in lavender; he's got
her gold thimble hung on his watch chain,
and 1 do believe he's got hair brush and
some hair pins next to his heart. "Oh, it'a
folly to interfere He's beyond all hope!
did think the excitement of my wedding
would wean him from it; but not bit
He looks at my things as calmly as an oys
ter, and only said-it's net kind Of me to
, repeat it though" broke off Jenny.
"What was it he said ?" inquired Bell
, laughing now heartily, s.Dsn't fear fol