Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1872-02-16
SELECTED STORY
JUSTIN'S WIFE.
BY LoTTIE BROWN i,

The room was exceeding bright and com
Portable, with the morning sun creeping
through the rich curtains and beaming mild
ly on the breakfast table, with its burden o
white china, silver, hot mullins, fragran
coffee and delicately broiled birds but the
pair who sat over the little feast looked any
thing but bright and comfortable.
s'There was an open letter beside tht
plate of the lady and glancing over hel
shoulder you might have read the follow
ing:
Dear Father and Mother
I hardly know how to get around my
subject, SO I'll come direct to it. I am mar
RED love Lucille very dearly, and she
was too poor to gain your admiration, so
married her without asking leave. As my
wife, I know you will receive her. At al
events am going to bring her straight tt
you, and will trust to your natural good
ness of heart.
Your dutiful san,
JUSTIN YoRKE.
"Your dutiful son p said Mrs. Yorke
holding bit of chicken on the end of he,
silver fork, and cycling it rs though it was
the con in question. Il cannot see where
he finds the shadow of an excuse for daring
to thus style himself Justin is not a duti
full son, Mr. Yorke."
s'You are correct Elizabeth he is mos
undutiful SOD, to thus repay the years o.
care We have bestowed upon him y said Mr.
Yorke.
sWhat shall We do? Lucille, indeed =
It has the sound of an actress, Or some out
Of. the-way sort Of person. Probably she is
some frivolous, ignorant creature, with a
pretty face and an empty head, who will
surely bring disgrace npon us and ruin him
Oh, James, reasoned against allowing him
to remain in the store after we came to the
country What can we do?"
"Lock up the house at once, this very
day, and 60 to Newport Then if he brings
his wife, he can take her back the way they
came. I'll teach him lesson that he will
not soon forget
So, in their wrath, the old couple packed
their trunks, locked the summer cottage
and, with their two servants, departed fol
Newport.
Justin was the last of large family O.
boys and girls. One by one they had pass
ed away, until only the one handsome boy
was left. As sequence, he was idolized
and grew up an odd mixture Of maynard
ness and good nature.
The Yorkes were highly respectable, ane
IL ~ C. nho,o
Der of the family far or near, that had |
disgrace attached, and each member was ex
tremely sensitive upon this particular point
To be justly considered respectable wa
the ambition Of the race.
Now, what had this wretched representa-
tive done? Married pauper without tn
customary wedding festival, and the talk
the envy, the hustle, the carriages, tn
church, the crowd, the cake, the cards. th
lace, the satin, and the fol-de-rol which ha'
attended the marriage of every Yorke from
the beginning
Mrs. James Yorke shivered at til
thought, as they rode on towards Newport
even though the thermometer was up'amop
the nineties, and the dust almost THO
enough to be cut with knife.
/ AS good luck would have it they obtaine
rooms without inconvenience, and in tw
hours after their arrival, Mr.. Yorke was a
rayed in suit of snowy linen, and airin
himself at one of the chamber windows, in
state Of quietude quite pleasant to conten
plate after bis recent trouble.
"Hadn't we better walk down to th
beach, Elizabeth? There is fine breez
blowing"
"Isn't the sun little too hot" suggeste
the lady.
''Not at all. I will take an umbrel
along"
So Mrs. Yorke donned her bonnet and
lace shawl, and the portly pair slowly tram
ported themselves down to the beach.
1t was quite too early for the fashionab
crowd to collect, and there were only bel
and there gentleman, nurse with CHI
dren, or some invalid, who preferred tn
hour to that used by firters and bathers
so the old couple had the broad sand beae
pretty much to themselves, and they sau
tered away, enjoying the cool breeze or
the musical murmur Of the sea as much
people so afflicted are expected to.
As they passed along. Mr. Yorke sa
nodding his head in certain direction,
where sat lady in cool dress, of pale oil
muslin:
''There's pretty creature !" :,
$50 she is-and an extremely ladyli
person. Quite odd to see young lady o
, at this hours. Probably, the most OF the
Il are yet asleep, and trying to wear aw v
the effects Of last nights dissipation. ;
; is very fresh and sensible looking"
+ "Yes-very. Its great pity that Ut
= tin"
"Pray don't mention that unfortuns
: boys name!'' ;,
'.You are right. We will dismiss b
from our thoughts for the present. 1t loo
comfortable up there among the rocks.
Surprising we should 60 up p
II dare say we would find good seal