Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1875-06-05
Stray Leaves.
A BROKEN THREAD.

"Oh. Mammal Mamma! Uncle Francis
SAYS he amt going to get married, bu; he's 60
ipg to stay here aud take care OF me y
What is that you say. Jcauie ?" asked Mrs
Bayuer, a dark eyed aud very pretty lady of
about thirty years, as she emerged from a large
pantry cliset, carrying 4 small glass jar con-
tanning preserves -" What is it .our Uncle
Francis has been sayins?"
lie says" repeated tie lii.le girl, ' that he
isu't going to get married, 50 lie can stay here
aud take care of ne"
Well, well, what good, kind Uncle y n
have. eh, daughter" ?" said Mrs BNner, going
on with her preparations for supper, IN the
SMALL, COSY dining room.
The good, kind uncle, here mentioned, was
stretched on comfortable lounge, listening
with half pleased look to this brief coll"quy
between mother and daughter. He was a
vunng man with dark blue eyes, sandy c"lnred
hair and wore slight muustache. HlS ha d,
aud feet, the latter encased in purple mbfold-
cred slippers, were rather small and he wore
fiuely worked dressing gown. The gentle
man had apparently only co;ne in a few mo-
ments be ore. for his coat was thrown upon an
=
were living near IT, His little niece, Jcanie,
for whom this good booking uncle had rashiy
forsworn matrimony, was pretty child OF
some seven summers, and blonde OF the most
ravisliug description, in fact. of the DIAMoND
type. Her fre-gold hair fell in loose tresse'
over well rounded shoulders, aud dark eyes
with long dropping lashes. aud brightly flushed
cheeks made up type of beauty which most
people regard as perfect
'Cine, Francis, come t. supper now, said
Mrs Bayner, going tu the lounge aud takin.
huld uf her bfo.her's hand. Thus aroused
from u revcrie into which lie had fallen the
while, Mr. FrhuciS rose, and took lis customA'
ry seat at The foot cf the table. His sister pre-
,rled over Il go,dy assortment oI silver te'l-
service at the head ol the wcil-c0yered board.
IItrlc Jyaiie, in driereucc O. a loug-Staniiug
order ct his sat NJ her uucle's siie, an old coli
ured servant wuuan was stationed uear the 1T
tie lady, aud supper commenced.
"Oh aint yun 'shrmed, Uucle Francls, cX.
claimed the petite Diamond all of sudden.
dropping a spoonful of ten ou It's way To thc
~ month, "aint you 'shamed OF yourself
You didn't say grace y
These last words were uttered with a slow
en-, n,phasis, and a lowering OF the soft rehukng
tone as they reached the end, that was truly
solemn. Thus ahiHred, Uncle tranciS raised
his eyes To the ceiling, moved his bps several
lines, calculated an over earnest amen, and
the uuus Scruples Of Jrauie were removed.
Francis" asked Mrs Bayuer, as the meal
proc,eiel, and, his plate nntonched, her bro
iher reapsed into IA dreamy silence, why
4, Ittrn. ma
80 Guiet p Martha, haud Mr.. Ruthven the
biscuits"
no thank you, Nettie returned that gen
tleman. waking from his thoughts aud balauc-
iug the spoon Oh his teacup, " really do not
lrel like eating anything tonight. only got
up rrom the lounge to please you, not because
wanted any supper"
Why" persisted his sister. has anything
gone wrun. down at the Office, 90 take away
your appetite aud make you quiet Tonight.
"Nn. indeed, things we're all right when ]
left aud Dawson said there would he 60 need
fr me to come back till morning ;-bG, say.
Nettie this as If to change tue subject
where's Ruth ?"
"Sister Ruth has gone TO Aunt Bsttys
volunteered the Diamond beauty.
Yes. continued her mother. q" let her 60
around there to stay all night, bat, Francis, II
YOU want her-shaIl send p
Mol Nol of course not. only remarked
her absence"
Supper over. the table was cleared, and her
mother called Jeanie to put her to bed "she
will never let Martha do il" she explained,
e 50 ifyon Can amuse yourself till | come down,
raucls Come, Jeanie, kiss your uncle
. goodnight and Mrs Bsyuer quietly lelt
the room with her child.
Ny hero had seated himself az the table and
was ldly turning over tie leaves uf book ~
iug upon it. While he IS thus engaged, let
ne explain something Of him aud his sister -
Francis Ruthyen had begun life early rs l'ur-
naIist, writing frst, only voluntary couirIhu-
tions iur the Press, but later on becoming a
paid editorial writer. His parents were both
dead. and he, the only surviving child except
Mrs. Bayuer hal Inherited the old family
house in the large city of vs.. His brother al
81 journalist. and older by ten years than my
hero died some time before, aud MS late part
ner bad rendered Mr.. Rnthven position rs
assistant editor on his paper, The ConisT, pub
lished in C., thriving seaport on the ATTAIN
tic. As his sister. Mrs. Bayner, Was living
here. and his native city Of w bad grown re-
pulsive to him as a place Of Tssidence,-ihe
reason whereof may appear later on,-Francls
2uihven had accepted the proGeFed position.
and was new domiciled at his widowed sisters
hnuse in c. Jeaunelte Rnthven, when quite
Young had married Mr.. James BayneF, we'll
to-do planter Of Ei'rirk Island. aear her pres
eut home iIer husband iis1 sh5'i'r bs'rre