Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-07-08

! weary uniuS oioSC ACcSs HCi ACCiiu9o ~
: numbed by the sudden blow that she
scarcely heard Lizzie's lamentations
over sudden food of ''order" work,
that might keep them in the room till
after midnight.
"Well have all day to morrow if we
can finish these dresses tonight" said
one of the girls of a small squad toled
off for the extra work. "Miss Smith
says SO. But these must be ready to
deliver in the morning"
Talk talk talk! whir! whir! whir |!
Bessie folded and basted, working
with rapid mechanical precision, hear
ing the noise ofthe voices and machines
feeling the heavy, dull heating of her
own heart, and the throbbing pain in
her weary head, but speaking no word
of re2ining, excusing her pallid face by
the plea of headache.
It was after eleven o'clock when the
last stitch was put in the hurried work,
and the girls ran down the long, dark
flights of stairs to plod home, through
drizzling snow storm. AS Bessie
passed down the staircace, she saw in
the counting~house her recreant lover,
busy over some account books. But
for the heavy news she had heard that
morning, she would have felt sure that
this sudden spasm of industry was to
furnish an excuse for escorting her
home at the unusually late hour, but if
so, Bessie felt it was an added insult to
his dishonorable conduct, and hurried
on, hoping he had not heard her step.
She had gone dozen or more blocks
from the store, when, passing church,
she slipped upon II eacherous piece of
ice and twisted her ankle. The sudden
pain made her faint for moment, and
and she sat down upon the stonework
supporting the ceiling to recover herself.
Beside her, not a stones throw away,
a dark, narrow alley way ran along the
high brick wall of the church-yard, and
Bessie's heart sank with chill of ter
ror as she heard a mans voice in the
alley say:
"Didn't you hear step, Tom?"
"a woman She's turned off some
where. He amt como yet" was the
answer
giles late to night" said the first
voice in a gruf undertone. "You are
sure he's taking the diamonds homef"
''Sure as death. I was at IS
when he gave the order. ''Send them
to my store at nine o'clock, says, he,
and will take them home with me.
And he gave the address, Maxwell
& Son"
"But, are you sure he will pass
here?"
"Of course he will He lives in the
next block. He'll come"
Suppose he shows fight p
.FYou hold him, and l will very soon
stop his fight"
Every word, clear and distinct, fell
upon Bessie's ears in the silence of tie
night.
They would rob him, and murder
him, these, if nobody warned him.
They would spring out upon him as he
passed, and strike him down before he
knew there was any danger. He must
not come alone, unprepared. False
lover, false friend, as she felt he was,
she could not go on her way and leave
him to meet his certain death.
When she stood up, the pain of her
ankle was almost uncomfortable, but she
chung to the ratings, and so limped
one block. The others were intermina
BILE, often she crawled through the wet
slush of the streets, often on one foot
hoped painfully along, till the store
was at last reached, and the light of
the countinghouse still burned. The
side door for the working girls was
still unfastened, and Bessie entered
there, reaching the counting,house.
soaking wet, white and trembling, to
confront Charles Maxwell and father.
) Unheeding their EXPLANATIONS of dis
may and surprise, she told her story
with white lips, but steady voice.
"Waiting for mel" said Charles
Maxwell; ''the scoundrels!
"You bought diamonds at IS to
day." asked the father.
ga parure for Miss Potter, sir. ]
wish to present them, with your per
mission on next Thursday"
s'Ah +! Look at that poor girl! !"
For, overcome by pain, fatigue, and
mental torture, poor Bessie had stag
gered toward the door and tainted
upon the floor. A hasty call summoned
the janitor, and in few minutes the
janitor's wife had appeared, rubbing
her eyes, full of motherly resources for
the comfort of the young girl.
A hack was procured, and clothed in
dry garments furnished by the good
hearted Irish woman, and escorted by
the janitor, Bessie wasdriven home.
The next morning, walking proved
to be impossible, and Bessie was
ohlined to call mon her landladv f.,r