Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-09-25
MI. Fussel said nothing, but looked eA-

J s!You see. SIR continued the porter
more canfdentially, "Mr. Bygrave's most
intimate friend is painter, gentleman
that paints Scripture subjects, and that
engaged at present, as heard, on picture
of the man that fell among thieves ana
Mr.. Bygrave, take it, has gone TO pay
his friend visit.
Mr.. Russell thanked the communicative
porter. and departed without leaving any
message. For the only message he could
think of was, ''Tell him he was a william )
land the porter was hardly the proper per-
son to deliver it.
When Nh. Russell reached his home in
the country town where he practleed ms
profession, he sought the earliest oppor-
tunity of being closeted with his wife. In
the conference that ensued both were ut
terly puzzled How Bygrave should have
behaved as he did was incomprehenslble.
And yet, while appearing to have fled from
and Tilted their daughter, the young man
had really proposed.
Nobody, however, would have guessed
that he had, to Judge from Nelly's behavior
A face as pale as q lilly, nights devoid OF
rest. and pillows wet with tears followed
| Immediately upon The announcement made
to her that Bygrave had gone away gone
not to return for eighteen months at the
least; gone, leaving a request behind that
letters should not be forwarded. Then,
apparently, came the stage Of Womanly
pride and Just resentment. Her heart was
SCARED indelibly, but her face recovered
its bloom and it's brightness. And TWillett
became the accepted lover. Twelve months
rolled away and she became Mrs. TWilletI.
The happy honeymoon was over; she re-
turned to her native town to snug little
house on it's outskirts !; and i'll the very
first week Of her return, as she sat i'll her
boudoir waiting for her husband to come
home, a letter was brought to her
from her fathers. The envelope WAS
llarge blue one, and bore an address which
accounts for it having been sent to her
father7s-Miss Eleanor Russell. She smiled
as she broke open the cover, but the smile
was succeeded by froWn and q start when
she perceived inside the cover q second
letter. This second letter was blood-red,
and, as she looked at the handwriting, she
trembled exceedingly and a smothered cry
escaped her white lips.
1t may be remembered that on the night
of a certain LIST of April, 1S-, Mr.. and
Mrs. Fussel had conversation about the
propriety Of bringing Mr.. BygraVe to pro-
pose; whereas, Mr.. Bygrave, it was re-
marked at the time, had already proposed.
Well, at dusk on that same LIST of April, a
raw country lad might have been observed
in Fleet street with a letter in his hand,
and staring and gaping inquiringly about
him. At last q CLEAN OF intelligence and
satisfaction lit up his face, and he moved
hastily toward an iron pillar-boX, which
stood by the roadside, and near which some
mischieyious young Arabs of the London
streets were playing.
seWant letter-boX? Here you are, my
boy: shove it in at that hole at the top"
said one of them, in the most friendly and
insinuating accents to the country lad.
"Oi knaw," with a look Of superior
knowledge and experience, as he carefully
dropped the letter in at thesuggested hole,
and walked off with an air OF satisfaction.
ooh you April fool" shouted the
Arabs after him; but he either didn't
| know what they meant, OF believed i'll its
being impossible that any boy whatever
| would infringe the law which forbds the
making of april fools after twelve O'Clock
at noon. At any rate, he went away re-
gardlesss of SCOTS.
AS the county lad passed one of the
archWays that lead from Fleet street to the
| Temple, he was brought to a sudden stand
still by a stentorian shout.
ssThomas - cried voice that made the
country lad jump.
HHere OF be, Muster Boygreave," an
swered Thomas, with q tug at his front
hair, and a broad grin at the gentleman
who had called to him.
$50 you've posted my letter ~ said the
gentleman.
''Eees, Muster Boygreave, olive doneit,"
answered Thomas, with unconscious equiv
ocation,
''Bravo Thomas" rejoined the gentle
man kindly you've done your first er-
rand in London splendidly. [ watched you
from here almost as far as the pillar-box
but couldn't see quite all the way. You
didn't have no difficulty, [ suppose ?"
''Noa; fund t. pillar, and | popped un
into t. slit atop"
''That's all right and am glad to see
/ Of
mullins who seemed to be laughing at you.
Now, you can go; goodnight. "
And away went Thomas with an eX-
preston Of unbounded self-content.
Thomas was the son, OF rather one Of the
sons, of poor widow who had lately lost
h husband by an accident, while Bygrave
was on his visit to the Fussells, and it was
one Of those many generous actions which
partly reported Of him, and partly known
of her own knowledge, had tended to en-
dear him to Eleanor Russell when he IN
dertook to find schooling and occupation
and a livelihood for Thomas in London
But how came Thomas to be intrusted with
the posting of Bygrave's letter Why
thus: The letter was addressed after a
fashion which makes most bachelors living
in chambers do their posting for them
selves, in order to avoid prying eyes, sig
nifcant looks, well meant but offensive
illusions, and tittle-tattle and so Bygrave
had intended to post himself as he walked
down to his club but, having encountered
Thomas in the very nick of time, and
Thomas not having yet eaten Of the tree
of knowledge so far as to be able to deci
pher handwriting OF even print, he seized
the occasion of giving Thomas a lesson ir
the art of performing a masters behests
He had directed Thomas to pop the letter