Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-11-19

to confess that she was an idiot to throw
away true heart for one that had no love
for her, and that Tomlinson had worn a
engagement.
| The Consequence was that when exactly
on the twenty-third of November, as he
had resolved in the first place. Tomlinson
returned home, and to lose no time hurried
to his aunt's, as soon as he had made him.
self prescntable, with the firm intention OF
proposing to Priscilla that very evening,
he stood aghast at the door of the parlor
before a very pretty picture that dissolved
before his gaze. His cousin Priscilla with
a gentleman's arm around her waist. He
retreated to his aunt.
''Who is that?" he asked, pointing to
the parlor.
/ ''Mr. Dlnwiddie,n said his aunt.
II thought you told me-" began poor
Tomlinson.
"Only lovers quarrel, after all,'' said
the aunt. smilingly. and quite unaware of
Tominson's anguish. ''They'ye made it
| up beautifully.
''They seem to have done so,' said Tom
| linson, remembering the dissolving view.
He went away shortly after, and left his
compliments for his cousin.
Miss Priscilla married Mr.. Dinwiddie
this time, and really grew to love him but
there was something charming about her
Cousin .Tomlinson, erect as poplar, and
trim aco (lno1ror (which nr11r
to her taste.
His little pink mouth and narrow, we'll
drawn eyebrows were very, very pretty
His hair was always parted properly. There
was nc dust on his coat. She sometimes
eontrasted him with her husband, and
man; bnt no one ever guessed it, and the
poor young lady seemed very much asham-
ed of the silly secret hidden in her breast.
She was in all respects a good wife, and
resolutely set herself to banishing her cous-
in's image from her breast. She believed
herself to have succeeded when ten years
had gone by, but Tomlinson was still a
bachelor, and still kept the room he Sc
cretly called Priscilla's hiding place, where
he went at times very late in the evening
with a flat candlestick to beWail his single
blessedness and indulge in retrospection
But.a change was at hand Mr.. Dnwid-
die, who was fond of horses, bought fine
spirited vne in the morning, and rode him
out in the afternoon.
That night Priscilla kept dinner waiting
long-indeed forever no one ever ate that
dinner, for in the ghostly moonlight, as
she sat at her window, she saw her hus-
bands horses, rush past like some black
phantom without his rider.
The poor fellow lay three miles back up
on the lonely road, prone on his face, stone
dead.
And so Priscilla at twenty seven was
widow.
AS time passed, and her grief scftened,
she certainly looked very well in her cap.
Tomlinson thought SO, 50 did Mr.. Wincher
who settled her husbands property.
This time Tomlinson made up his mind
promptly. OF course it would be indecor-
Gus to intrude upon widows grief with
words of love. He would wait q year for
decency, and one month over for good
measure.
The year and one month would bring
them to December 24th, 49,. He would
propose on the evening Of December oath.
He wrote the date down in his note book.
and counted the days as girl does those
between the present and her first ball.
Meanwhile he made no sign and kept
away, and Mr.. Wincher, being Mrs. Din
widde's legal gentleman, foundi it necessa-
ry to call-on business-yeiy often.
The year tottered away. The month af-
ter it waxed and waned. Once or twice
when they met by chance something i'll
Tomlinson's eyes hal revived old fancies
in the widows heart. But at the end of
the year sh- remembered he had not So
much as called once. She gave little sigh
and looked in the glass.
"Twenty-seven is not seventeen she
said, as she pinned on her first white col
lar, and tied on a little white Grape bow.
I'm sure, at least. that Tomlinson used
to think me very pretty"
just then a servant came to tell her that
Mr.. Wincher had called about "a piece of
land.
On the twenty fourth of December, 1s-
at half past seven in the eyeningas lie had
decided, TClnlinson Perrybrook, just thir-
six, dressed himself with much care, and
observed, with much annoyance, that g
bald spot as big as a shilling interfered
with tho cfrniuht ppcc rf tho hao MORT ipn
of the hair. Bnttoning pair or pearl
c. lored kid gloves. he betook himself to
his Cousins residence. He rang the bell,
the girl answered it, and took in his card.
She returned to beg that he would wait d
few moments, Tolnlinson waited half an
hour. Then jubilant gentleman came
flying out Of the parlor, and shook hands
with him.
1t was Mr.. Wlncher, whom he knew
very well.
We'll go in and see her in a moment,
my dear fellow" he said in Whisper
:'She's a little agitated. Ladies' always are
on such occasions. Well leave her to her
self awhile'.
'tWhat occasion 7" said Tomlinson.
:" You haven't suspected me, then -
Wincher said. "She has just promised to
make me happy by becoming Mrs. Win
cher"
Again Tomlinson, with woeful aspect,
uttered congratulations,
Again Mrs. DinWiddie gave little sigh
and drove away a little thought.
She was married to Mi. Wincher in the
spring, and there was no sudden dlssolu-
ton of the marriage, for Mr.. Wincher
lived thirty years, which for a gentleman
who was forty-eight On his wedding day
was not doing so badly.