Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-08-05

I won't marry him! I get enough of til
: family falling without going to liv
with Aunt Lucille, one more hanger Of
l earn all. she gives me, that's one com
fort. Any dressmaker would charg
twice as much as she will pay me t
make the black velvet"
Yet when she came day after day
working busily at the fall sewing of he
rich aunt, she missed the courteous at
tentions Of her cousin. Truly Aun
Lucille had spoken when she sale
Walter Templeton was q perfec
gentleman. His manner was the per.
lection Of good breeding, with deferen.
tial courtesy for all womankind, and 8
most fascinating Difference for one
woman he loved. Stung by the bittei
emphasis of Edna's REFUSAL the con.
temptuous sarcasms of her reasons, be
withdrew from her presence, seldom
coming to the room, where he had
read to his aunt while she sewed.
Truly Edna had defined his position
in that mental retrospect she had taken.
He had been his au4t's plaything in his
boyhood, handsome lad full of talent
and promise When he attained ripe1
years he was sent to scho o., to college,
and, graduating there, was put into the
position of dutiful nephew to an aunt
who openly proclaimed him her heir.
Courted in society, his aunt's favorite,
with ample means at his ready COM
mand. his own idea of his course of
life was that it vas far superior to that
of common men. Thoroughly i'm
bued with his aunt's pride, he rather
scorned the idea of labor of any kind
until he loved Edna
By the light of that love he felt un-
| easily that she scorned the money he
took freely, unless she earned it first
! More than once he had known of her
proud refusal Of any gift for which her
nimble fingers had not given full
equivalent. He loved her first for her
beauty; then for the noble attributes OF
mind and heart she certainly possessed,
though she SCREENED them well with her
sarcastic pride.
Gradually, indeed, unconsciously, she
had sheathed the weapons she kept at
command, her pungent wit, her keen
satire, when her cousin Walter was by.
She lie: herself be interested when he
read, and spoke freely when they dis
I cussed literature or art.
Mrs Montgomery looked well pleas
ed. 1t was one of her pet schemes to
leave her wealth divided between Wal.
ter aud Edna as man and wife and she
encouraged intimacy with all her heart
hiding her satisfaction under her usual
curt manner.
Partly from her hints, partly, it must
be confessed from his own sense of SUI
periority, Walter had a settled con
viction that he was comforting an honor
when he offered his hand to Edna, a
hand that would lift her, to his side in
tho afiluence of his aunt's favor
So the first spur that drove him from
her presence was certainly mortified
vanity. More reasonable motives came
later.
The fall sewing was completed,
when, with that unreasonable pre-
versity that falls often to the lot of the
most favored mortals, Mrs. Montgomery
was obliged to have it all renewed in
mourning for her only sister, Ednas
mother. a=Hf'
1t was ''dreadfally provoking" OF
of course, the more 80 as Eda, really
loving the peevish invalid who had
been here care for years, could not at,
tend to the sewing. She sorrowed
sincerely for many weeks, and then TO
Mrs. Montgomery's infinite disgust,
accepted position as companion to an
invalid lady and went abroad.
81 suppose" her aunt said, when it
was too late, "ifI had offered you a
salary with homo you would have
come when asked you"
And Edna frankly admitted that she
would.
So over the ocean she carried her
sorrows and her pride, the one fairly
stihed for the time under the weight Of
the others. For she missed her mother
she found her new duties uncongenial
and continuing and she grieved 70,
Walters love.
She did not regret her decision
Knowing the uncertainty Of riches
She saw no usefulness before him if, al
the end, his aunt disappointed his ex
pectations. She knew him for mar
who could turn his brain or hands t.
| no purpose in life, and tor this sh'
despised him as mere dandified
puppet of her aunt's.
| Yet in the heart-hunger of her new
life she thought often of the gloriou
capabilities Of her young counsin. Sh
knew he had mind clear and strong