Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-11-20
HOW liz LOST HER

I knew Margaret WAS engaged, but I
told her that loved her.
II d0n It know what you mean. sir! she
exclaimed. with an expressive lift of the
4tty eyebrows; but the liquid olbs beneath
tvnidat mine, and that encouraged me TO
% saucy in return.
lit is of no consequence that you should
f course; but you dpn't imagine that you
we're going to fiirt all summer with fell
wv Of my stamp and get off unsinged
'ourself."
"Why not?" she laughed. E'You don t
seem seriously damaged"
"But l am. :, y heart is shriyeled crisp
Is Il Wafer.''
Greatly? Well I don't know what can
"a done about it,
II am going to show you" And so on.
or half an hour. We spoke jeStingly,
10Th of us. but the laugh with each COW
red deeper feeling.
She was beautiful, my Margaret; fond Of
inmage--as what woman is not?-and ac-
.nstomed to receiving it. 1t WAS not her
au!t, after all, that loved her, but her
glory, rs an honest mans love is always a
rue woman's glory; and Margaret was II
rue woman though had egilvd her g
iirt.
She was promised IL marriage to Ross
Bentley before she ever saw me, long
nough. He had stopped Il horse which
,ad been running away with her, and 50
saved her life. When he asked her to give
i'm what he had saved, what woman with
gratitude and a whole heart would not
AVE said Yes, " us she did? Besides. she
loved him. for sught knew. | had seen
i'm, and he was a handsome enough man
10 win a woman's love, ii beauty would
10 it.
A handsome couple, but somehow, see
ing the two together, they did not seem to
'e fond of each other; and so took cour-
,ge. Certainly, Margaret lever o,ked at
Ross Bently when [ was by, us she had
ooked ut me manga time that summer, as
we two strolled along the beach.
Ross Bently once Stayed week. and
went back to town. He was a man of
BUSINESS, keenly devoted to mo.ley-mak-
NC; fonder of that, fancied, than Of the
BEAUTIFUL woman he had won, and upon
hat imagining hung another hope. Mar
saret was al heiress. If Margaret had
,een dowerles:, faucied Mr.. Benty would
never have wooed her. But how to prove
it,
Margaret and did not relapse into the
I'D fashion of strolling about the beach by
moonlight after Ross Bently had come aud
gone, and we stopped looking and talking
nonsense, watching each other furtively.
felt confidently that Margaret was Won
ering if had anything to do with those
no DIS of pensiveneSs which had come
come about my dark-eyed queen of late.
One day found her upon the balcony,
with an open letter in her hand.
II am a very fortunate girl she said,
gEncino at the letter. did you know
hat Clark, Vernon Il Co., the bankers in
New Yolk, had failed last week."
had heard of it.
''The bulk of my fortune was in their
hands at one time. l did not know but it
MAS still. My guardian writes t" tell me,
',owever. ii at he removed it months ago. =
l came forward eagerly at that, extend
ing my hand.
"Pprmit me to congratulate you, Miss
stone"
Margaret laughed rather confusedly us
she put her little hand in mine. [ So
that she WAS surpris ID at my eagerness.
Miss St"ne,' said l, did you believe
me when l said tat l loved you, some.
Where about a month ago?"
Margaret colored wildly, us she gave
me doubling look.
'.1es. What of it? Do you want te
take it back now?" she laughed.
Mot l. But in consideration of my
great affection for you, WANT you to do q
favor for me-
Name it, she said, looking puzzled.
II am going up to New York to-mor
row. Will you humnr me by permitting
me to be the bearer Of letter from your
self to Mr.. Bentll?"
This is an odd request
II aiG aware of it. Will you write tt
Mr.. Bently letter, asking him to iuquir
into the matter of this bank future, ant
let you know how serious business i
really is?''
But don't care about knowipg.'
81 do"
ssWhy not inquire yourself then?''
s.Ue has so much better facilities for in
vestigation. The truth is, Miss Stone,
and MI Bently can find out all about it TO
me. But / don't like to ask him to do S
much for a comparative stranger
Margaret looked doleful still, but sh
j, wrote the letter, and | took it to the cit