Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1872-09-13
SELECTED STORY
THE GRANDPARENTS WILL.

THE GRANDFATHER's WILL.
Little Bossm, it is so h,rd for me tc
say good bye TO you
J "When - tt.
| The innocent, surprised facc-renuncia
ton, indeed. difficult for John Burrows
He touched dimple in her check, and ther
a curl of her hair. as he touched flowers or
a grave perhaps
She shook back the silken ripples impa
tiently.
when. John p
| He looked at her moment wi bout a
smile, pretty as she was.
Nelly sit down here moment"
| They sat down on the pretty crimson
couch before the fire.. Seeing trouble in
his face, she put her hand ia his. and he
smoothcd out The little rose-leaf member
upon his broad palm, more than ever conf
dent. rs he looked at it, that he was right
"Nelly, you know how love you.'
~ IS" With blush, for he had never
said it before
ABu aiu SUTEy.
"Why - after pause of bevilderment.
r "Because you are delicate little flower,
needing care and nursing to keep your bloom
bright; and I am going to hard. rough
life, among privations, fever and malaria,
which will try even my powerful constitu-
tiou and where you mus not 60"
7"You are going to the Far West r
eyes My mother must have home in
her old age She is strong now. but time
! is telling on her, You know all that she
has been 10 me ~
20 Yes she has been good mother. But
you shall take me too, john
She won her way into bis arms against
his will,
"You will take ME. too ?"
mo Did not tell you that you made
it SO hard for me to say good bye to you p
He took the little caressing hand down
from his face
'.Don't you make me weak, Nelly Do
you think that it is nothing TO me to leave
my violet-the only woman ever loved
for hard, cold life and uneeasing toll :?
cannot marry for ten years, Nelly
.. Aud then I shall be thirty years old
eyes, married. and with little children
seeing at lest that your old lover John Bur:
rows was right
HE rose to his feet a
John J. in terror,
''Yes, 1 am going, Nelly. Little one
you look SO much woman now, with your
steadfast yes-near me. [ did not foresee
tiat you would love me--that I should love
you You were little schoolgirl when
sayed yon from drowning last summer, and
your satchel of books foated away down the
river and asslost. I come to see Gregory,
not you | could not help loving you but
did not think until tonight that you cared
so much for me. But. child, you will for.
get me"
tsNevet p M
He went on NELLY, shall hunger for
you day and night. more and more, as time
goes on, and I get older, lonelier, more
weary But shall never hope to see you
again. Now give me your hand
She gave him both. He raised them to
his-lips, but before she gould speak again he
was gone.
Shiyering violently, she went to the fire,
and stood there trying to warm herself. She
understood it all now-his strange elabor.
ate arrangements for trip to New York
He had known that he was not coming back
when she had begged him to bring her his
photograph from the great metropolis, but
be was going on on-on into the dim dis.
lance. This is why he had not promised.
1t was getting late-she was so cold she
had better 60 to bed. She would not 90
into the pallor to bid her father, and aunt,
and George goodnight; SO she crept silent
ly UP to her own room. There the very
weight Of grief upon her lulled her to
sleep.
But when she woke, her grief sprsng
upon her like a hidden monster who had lain
in weight for her all night. Her misery
terrified her. Why should she not die p
Why should she ever rise from that bed?
7 But when they called her, she sprang up
hastily, dressed, and went down, and they
were too busy talking to notice that she did
not know what she was doing. But, by
and-by when her brother reached for more
| coffee, and observed, burrows and bis
mother went to New York In the first train
this morning" she tried to rise unsncern.
elly from the table, and fell into dead
faint upon the carpet among them.
When Nelly came to, she was undressed
and in bed, and Aunt Mary was darn'ne
stockings at the tce
cob, let me get up, Aunt Mary, l don''
want to lie here"
''Now. Nelly, be reasonable. You are
ILL.,"
''Oh, Aunt Mary I'm not!'
smelly, ifyou will lie still to-day Iii let
you have that old box of curiosties In my
room to look over. Will you p
II don't know
Aunt Mary went for them. Nelly shut
her eyes, and let wave in all its bitterness
surge over her once; then Miss Gold'ne
came back, bringing box of old m lhogany
black and glossy with age.
There !'-settiug it down on the BED
With wintry little smile of things, Mel
ly lifted the cover. The old mahogany box
contained strange things. Pictures on "ooo
and ivory, illustrated manuscripts, webs Of
strange lace, antique ornaments, ancient EN-
broideries. great packages Of letters, sealed
TASKS of unfamiliar perfumes. ancient
brooches of red gold, finger rings OF clumsl
| ly.set gems tied together with faded ribbons,