South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1871-03-24

to behave with moderation. Aud so he fell
to fattering her, and fiatteriug himself at
the same time that he knew the ms and
outs of a girls heart, he complimeuted her
on the many offers she had received
And | tell you what, be proceeded, there
are plenty of others that would lay their
heads at your feet, if they were oul your
equals. There's that young parson, Gil
bert, think they call h;m, that is visiting
his mother, in the unpaintcd and threadbare
looking little house that stands behind this
one. I've actually seen that fellow, in his
rusty, musty coat, stop and look after you
on the street, and every night when / go
home, he is sitting at the window that look
over this way. The poor fool is in love
with you. Only think ofit And I chuc-
kle to myself when see him, and say,
Don't you wish you could reach 50 high
[ declare its funny =
'ln that one speech, Colonel Pearson
dashed bis chances to pieces. He could
not account for the sudden return of winter
in Jennie Morton's manner. And all his
sunshine was powerless to dispel it, or to
bring back the least approach of spring.
Poor Jennie You can imagine, doctor,
how she paced the floor all that night. She
began to understand something of the cour-
age of Henry Gilbert's heart, aud some thing
of the mauliness of his motives. All night
long she watched the light burning in the
room in the widows house and all night
long she debated the matter until her head
ached. She could reach but one couclus-
ion: Henry was to leave the day after to-
morrow. If any communication should ev-
er be opened between them, she must be-
gin 1t. Ii was as if she had seen him drift
ing away forever, and must throw him a
rope. L think even such a woman s-rights
man as yourself would hardly justify her,
however, in taking any step of the kind
Il certainly should, said the doctor
But she could not find a way-she had
no rope to throw. Again the colonel, mean
ing to do anything else but that, opened the
way. At the breakfast the next morn.
ing she received from him magnificent
valentine. All at once she saw her meth
cd. 1t was ST.. Valentin's day The rope
was in her hand. Excusng herself from
breakfast she fastened to her room.
TO send Valentine to the faithful low
er was the uppermost thought. But how
She dare not write her name, for after all =,
she might offond his prejudices or his pride
by so direct an approach. She went to
fumbling drawer for stationery. She
drew out little pine boat that Henry had
whitfield for her many years before. He
had named it Hope but the combined
wisdom of the little boy and girl could not
succeed in spelling the name correctly
And here was the little boat that he had
given, saying often afterward that it was
the boat they were going to sail in some
day. The misspelt name had been the sub
ject of many a Laugh between them. Now
! but | mustn't be sentimental.
1T did not take Jennie long to draw an
exact likeness of the little craft. And that
there might be no mistake about it, she
spelled the name as it was on the side of
the boat:
HOAP.1
There was not another word in the val
eutine. Sealing it up, she hurried out With
it, and dropped it 10 the post-ofice. No
merchant, sending all his fortune to sea in
one frail bark, ever watched the departure
aud trembled for the result of venture as
she did. Spain did not pray half so fervent-
/ ly when the invincibe Armada sailed. 1t
was an unuttered prayer unutterable
prayer For heart and hope were the lad
ing of the little picture-boat that sailed out
that day, with no other wind but her wish
eg in its sails
She sat down at her window until she
saw Henry Gilbert pass the next street
corner on bis morning walk to the post-of-
fee. Three minutes after, be went home,
| evidently In a great state Of excitement,
with her valentine open in bis hand At
/ ter awhile be went back again towards the
/ post-ofice, and returned lie had taken a
reply
/ Jennie again sought the Office Therewere
I people all around with those hideous tbioos
/ they call comic valentines open in their
hands. Aud they actually seemed 10 think
/ them funny She had a reply IL did not
take her long TO fad her room aud 10 omen
TO- There was another picture Of a boat
but the name on its side read Despair.'-
And these words we're added Your J1ot
IS he pieasantea, bit uadcraau5iag that
there 1r0s R0 yacaHt pi1ce upon n. / hare
been obli9ed 10 tdLr Dq01yc az his SLOW.
ly the meaning forced itself upon her
Henry bad fears that she whom he thougbt
engaged was coquetling With him. Think
doctor, you will hardly justify Der in pro
ceeding further with the correspondence p
Why noty Hasn't woman as much
right TO make herself understood in such a
matter as a man And when The social adj.
vantages are on her side the burden of
making the advances often falls upon her.
Many women do it indirectly aud are not
censured.'
lWnn uon knnm I'm nnr..-....--