Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-05-14
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What was the news in the sealed en-

T What was the news in the sealed en-
tvelopes l4 -aa1 gHfass.s ~tfae,s .i,ai
4 He tore IL .open, and wrapped in a
| tissue paper, dropped in his trembling
! hands Maggies gold cross! .e,9f
II Not word, only this mute sign
! thesvery tokenshe had suggested! How
tcontemptuous the blank sheet of paper
seemed to him, and how utterly mock
ling did his name in Ned Morrison s
, handwriting appear. ~ stsa rF4
$50 not only possible OF probable
that Maggie could throw him oyer, but
actually undeniably the fact: that. she
! had done so,ss. And he. away out West,
;, with but one friend-his eompanionssin
/ labor Maggies cousin Jim and stint
i ing to: save, money for Maggie, and
working. day and. nj ghsr for her sslte -
/. O! was it any wonder he CRASHED his
teeth in. rage of grief! He crushed his
letter into his peck ct and drew his cap
down over his eyes, and strobe on,
dumb from the blow, near seeing, never
hearing Jim Carol, who had, got a
letter from home, and having read it
was waiting for George. r $50:
''What can all the man?" thought
Jim, with wonder, and he started after
him and stepped on some little, hard
object as he pat his foot down. He
stopped and picked up the little golden
"George has lost it off his watch
chain I SUPPOSE" r. sr
He put it in his pocket and went on.
intending to overtake Way!and, and
give him his lost trinket. But. by dint
of fast walking may be, George was
out of sight. And on the morrow one
of the hands gave him pencil note
from Wayland ~ '4'.- ''--
,''I've little business to attend to
further down for week or So. Keep
things going on Back. soon as | can.
Then, when Jim started off on his
days work, it suddenly occurred to
him that, as George would be. away
probably more than a. week, he would
send his cross home to Maggie for safe
keeping. He knocked around so among
the, machinery, that it might get broken
or lost, and he knew George priced it
highly. So-that fates willed it that
he had no time to write note-he
thrust it. into an envelope lying on
Georges desk, already directed to
Maggie, and sent it on it's > i'll omened
message, all unconscious oft the mischief
he was brewing by the act
The long winter had passed away
somehow or other, but Maggie Carroll
hardly knew how. 1t was enough for
her that she had been very wretched
and unutterably miserable since day
months past, when without word or
sign of warning, she had received from
George Wayland the cross he hae
solemnly sworn to always wear for her
sake.
Ned Morrison, too, had seemed so
delighted when he learned-how such
pitiful facts do leak out-that it was all
over with Maggie and George, and full
of pomposity and self Importance over
his inheritance, had tormented Maggie
halt crazy to accept him.
And now, when even bis dull head
had been made to know it was i'm
possible, and h, had transferred his
attentions and affections to Amy Har-.
row, he was to be married, and George
Wayland and Jim Carroll were coming
home on the same night. :.
Now it was shutdown, and in an
hour they would meet, for George was
obliged to see Maggie's father on
business at the earliest moment. And
| so she dressed in the self same suit she
had worn that night George had tied
the velvet around her, neck, dark
claret-silk dress, aud in a painful
memory Of that dear past, fastened the
cross in its old place. George Way
land should see she had kept her word,
if he had not. She would let him
know that though carelessness lost her S
still she would tie true to him no matter
how false ne was to her,. And so,
when her father. called her down from
her room, she went with slow, listless
footsteps, and wildly throbbing heart
that would not be still, to meet the
man she loved. 80 dearly; the man who
| had ceased to regard her almost as soon
as he was out of her presence.
She had heard his voice, so round
and full, and 50 sweet TO her hungry
ears, before the door that stood ajar'
"Ned Morrison to be married tonight
! to little amy Harrows! Why ] thought
/ =" and that very moment Maggie
walked quietly in, her face pale as
death, her blue eyes burning like stars.
"George, lam glad to see you. How
do you dor
She extended her hand and looked
him frankly in the face. And why