Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-05-29

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then she was not bit OF heroine, a
army of little brothers and sisters TO al
tend to. left her no time for poetry-Wfll
ing, while Blackville, although, us betor
stated. but an insignificant place, had
bracng noun tain air which forced peopl
to eat in spite Of themselves. So Florry
occupied with small frocks and stocking
did not lose her pretty color or roundness
and if there were sometimes tears In TN
softest eyes, and signs on 6 the sWeetes
lips,n why, that is only what is happening
every day to eyes and lips that are nelthe
soft nor sweet.
4 No, Florry had no notion of sitting to-
+ a picture Of despair. She had stout lit
Il tie heart of her own, as brave as it was
I warm, and whatever the trial, she sgrin
ned and bore it ,"-aphorically speaking
met. Nature, in bestowing on her Il pair OF
4 dimples, having put the grin sardonic out
i Of her power. 1t was very hard, very
provoking, very cruel of Charley. nc
doubt, but still it was Charley, and she
was not going to make an cutlery against
him. That was Florry's way of looking
| at it; there are such people now and then
in this medley of a world.
/ But her cousin Julia, Fred Willis sis
ter, was quite of another mind. Julia
was IL young lady who had opinions and
j liked to speak them. She considered that
/ Charley Dennis was behaving himself in a
weak, wicked, and altogether disgraceful
manner, which Florry WAS bound to re-
sent; and this quite apart from her pet
plan of making Il match between her cou-
sin and her brother, for Julia, if ipreju-
diced, was honest. She had no mercy for
the truant Charley, abusing him as often
and as openly us Florry's reserve would
allow, till one day the barrier broke down
and let the full tide of her wrath sweep
over.
Fred was describing a party of the pre-
vious evening, at which neither of the
girls had been present.
II suppose that Miss Brent was there as
large us life 7" said Julia, whose habit it
was to use the pronoun of censure in re-
| ferring to Adela
eyes, she was there, /" answered Fred,
and laughed to himself for 4 moment.
! Then aloud, ''The fool Charley Dennis
makes of himself with that girl - he
said.
"And what can he see in her!" ex-
claimed Julia. ''She's no beauty, GER
tainly.''
cob, as to that, why she's pretty
enough said her brother-masculil. and
feminine eyes are so t to see this matter
differently-"but as out-and-out a little
firt as ever l saw Friend Charley will
| find himself at the end Of his string one
of these days, if Pm not mistaken"
''And serve him right - pronounced
Julia, with vicious emphasis.
"Why serve him right % here unex-
pectedly put in Florry, with more spirit
than was usual to her soft voice. "Why
should anybody object to Chariey's wait
ing on Miss Brent, if he likes ~
| s'Oh, if it suits him I've nothing to say
| against it," was all Julia could answer.
Each one of the three knew quite we'll
what had been meant by his being served
right, and each knew that the Others
knew, but still it WAS the thing to ignore
it in Fred's presence, so Julia could only
look the pins and needles she longed to
speak.
But the moment Fred was gone, she
Unidentified herself for this forced clemen-
cy. She bounced down on Florry, and
| III nh },pr. intn
tears and confession. Then she paused,
half in triumph, half in pity.
CHOW, don't be a goose, Florry," she
said, soothingly, tapping the bit of flushed
cheek not hidden in the clasped hands, "if
there ever was a man worth crying about
I'm sure it isn't Charley Dennis
Florry made no reply to this, but she
lifted her head, and set some stitches rath-
Ell blindly in the embroidered frOck on her
lap. But it is lucky that Master Harry
for whom it was destined, was not a con-
noisseur in fine needle work, else it is to
be feared that that cotton rose spray
would have been thorn in his side so lon g
as anything remained Of it.
depend upon it, Florry," resumed Jul
liza, after a pause, ''you're we'll rid OF him
don't know his own mind bel ter than that
Why, do believe it's full month since
he set his foot inside this house-he that
used to he in and ont till was fairly sick
of the sight Of him. | only wish,' went
on Julia, with energy, che would come
again, just once, just to see how much diff
ference it makes to us-and | DECLARE y
she broke off abruptly, looking out of the
window, which she faced, elf there he
isn't this minute opening the gate Well
the hat-you-call him is near when you
talk about him, sure enough"
Charley it really was at the gate, and
we will be impolite enough to be there
Just in the nick of time.
1t is a very common rural custom ''tc
improve the shining hours" Of the new
moon, not, indeed, as ''doth the busy bee,
but after II fashion quite as agreeable, il
less Industrious. Each Jack, with his
chosen Jill beside him, bowls along the
open country road at u pace to be settled
by his own teste and the powers OF his
horse. Now, the Blackvile moon being
just at present at the full. Publication o.
this sort had been arranged for the NOR
row euening, and Charley accordingl,,
took an early opportunity to make sure O
, Miss Adela Brent. d. 4.<t3 .:.0
But, if the truth must be told, Mis-
Adela was growing rather tired of th
rustic homage. Add to which, that he
, own particular ''young man" had jus
, come from town to see her, and it will
easily be uerceiYeAl that ClarleY'S chance