Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-08-24
The xlsra's REQUEST.

The xIsERy REQUEST.
The A loaaEl hand Of Philip Acres old
fashjipned silyeE watch was pointing tq
the figure S-the snug red curtains
shut out the rain and darkness of the
M .aa!lah night, aud the fire snappeds aae
cracked belllii}R9aa, The red hot bars, Of the
little CRATE in most cosy and com
Portable sort of way, casting a rosy
i hine into th9e shopghtfuA browq, eyes
that were tracing castles and coronets
in the brightly burning Goals.
For Philip. Acre was, for once, in
dulging himself iln the dangerous
destinations Of a day-dEeam.
If I were only rich : he pondered to
| himself l!sse <Ah, HA Th4ssR goodbye. to
all these musty old law books; goodr
bye to mended boots and turned coats,
and al the ways and means that turn
a mans life into wSetoAea bondage,
Wouldn't l revel in new books and
delicious paintings, and housekeeping
hhorses' Wouldn't buy a set Of jewels
ZOE Edith-not pale pearls or sicky
elnralds, but diamonds, to blaze Ike
links of fire upon her royal :hyoat
Wouldn't What nonsense I'm talking
though, 7 he cried suddenly to himself.
'Phil Acre, hoa yoSr tongue. I did
suppose you were fellow of good
sense. Here you are, neither rich nor
distinguished, but simple law student;
while Edith WyAis is as far above your
moon-struck aspirations as the Queen
Of Night herself She loves me, though
-she will wait-and the time may one
day come. If only DR.. Wyllis were
not so distrustfal of a fellow! Hellow
come in there, whoever you are
1t was ONLY the serying-maid of the
lodging house. carrying lettey in the
corner Of her apron, between her finger
and thumb.
"Please, sir, the postman has just left
It,"
"All right, Katy. Now, then," be
added, as the door closed behind Katy's
substantial back, 'let's see what my un
known correspondent has to say. A
black seal, Ell : Not having any rela-
tions to lose, am not alarmed at the
prognostic.'
Ae broke the seal, and GLANCED
leisNreiy over tho short business-like
communication contained within, with
face that varied from ineredalous sur
prise to sudden gla'lness.
cam I dreaming." he murmured,
rubbing his ewes and shaking himself,
as if to insure complete possessiop Of
his seases. mo, I'm wide awake and
in my right mind it ia na delusion-
no part of my waking visions, But
who would ever suppose that old
Thomas Mortimer,whom I haven't seen
since I was boy of sixteen, and picked
him out of the fright, would die and
leave me all his moaeys Why, I'm not
the shadow Of a relation but then l
never heard that the old man had any
kith or kin, so can't imagine any
harm In taking advantage of his odd
freak. Rich-a.n really to be rich .
Is my Aladdin vision to be an ACTUAL
faetl Oh, Edith, EdithI"
He clasped both hands over hls eyes,
sick and giddy with the thought thai
lovely far-a4 star Of his alteration
would be brought naar to him at laat
by the magnet gold. All those years Of
patient waiting were to he bridged oyer
by the strange old mlser's Request; he
might claim Edith now.
How full of heart sunshine were the
weeks that fitted oyer the head of the
accepted lover, frightened by Editing
smile, made beautiful by the soft radi.
ance of Edith's love. There ls only
one alloying shadow..the almost inn
psrceptiple touch Of distrpst and sus'
picion with which stern old Pr. Wyllls
regarded his future sen-ip-law. All!
he feared to trust his only child to the
keeping Of any nan WHO. had not been
proved in the fiery furnace Of trial:
It was precisely week before the
wedding, 90 the soft lights, yelled by
shades IF ground glass, were just
lighted in DR.. Wyllis'a drawing room,
were Edith sat among her white roses
and heloitrope, working on 2 bit f
cambria rufiling and singing to herself
She was slender, beautiful girl, with
violet eyes, hluesyeined fqrahead and
glossy, abundant curls Of that pale go!d!
that old paipters.lloye to portray,