Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-08-25

most forgot, under the bewildering infu-
ence of golden sunshine, fragrant flowers,
and Jessies growing attractions, that
every tender thought, or loving look he
gave this. innocent young girl, would be
thorns in her pillow before many months.
His atfianced wife, beauty, and the belle
Of many watering place, wrote him dain-
ty perfumed notes, which he read duti-
fully, and laid away with kind thoughts of
the absent one; yet one flash of Jessie's
beautiful eyes would drive the writer out
of his head, and he would join in her ram
bles for flowers and berries, with deli
cious feeling Of content.
So the summer days drifted on, Paul
revealing in renewed health and a restful-
ness that no fashionable summer resort
had ever given him, and Jessie slowly
awakening to thoughts and feelings that
but few weeks ago had been unknown to
her simple mind.
She never gave thought to the differ
ence in their social positions-Paul, a scion
of one of the Oldest and wealthiest fami-
lies in the land, she the pretty daughter Of
an humble farmer-but allowed him to row
her out among the lilies, to crown her with
dewy blossoms, read to her, sing to her,
and feed her with the great luscious ber-
ries that lined the hedgerows, never dream
ing Of a day when this blissful life should
end, and this glory, which seemed to clothe
earth and sky with supernal brightness,
should vanish forever.
Paul Jannings was no heartless 'flirt, no
dishonorable man, and it was only his en-
gagement to Miss Chalmers that kept his
| lips sealed, and withheld from Jessie the
words she had right to expect, and hun
gered to hear. For Paul never spoke a
word of love, although evidences of his
idolatrous passion broke out in thousand
ways.
cit would be great match for her"
said farmer Harper to his wife, as they sat
on the kitchen porch and watched Paul
and Jessie strolling through the meadow.
''And good enough she is for him." re-
piled the proud mother, ''for she's as pref
ty as a picture"
She qUas growing lovelier. There was a
brighter light in her eye, a softer glow on
her dimpled cheeks, and a merrier ring in
her voice, as the September days came in
and crowned the hills with a deeper tinge
of gold, and Paul broke off purple clusters
of grapes and dropped them into her lap as
she satt in the arbor. Once, when she
glanced up suddenly, she was startled at
the strange look on his face, for it had &C.
Cured to Paul that he must leave Jessie,
or break his engagement with Miss Chal-
mers, an alternative he shrank from, for
she was his ideal of truly noble, cultured
woman.
"What is it makes you look so serious,
Paul ?"
Jessie did not hesitate to call him Paul
now.
II was thinking" he tried to speak light.
Iy, ''what you would say if should leave
you, and never come back"
A shadow crept into her blue eyes, and
her lips quivered little.
81 would be tempted to find a grave
among the water lilies, Think she re.
piled, then blushed holly at the ungarded
confession.
"You must not think of such thing
Paul said, sternly, although his heat ached
with sudden dread. ''We have been good
friends, Jessie, very good friends, but there
has been nothing in our friendship to JUS
tify that"
s'Perhaps not" Jessie said, little cold
ly.
Then she gathered up her sewing and
hurried into the house.
A moment later Paul heard her singing
some merry song and inwardly rejoiced
that her young heart was not seriously in
terested in him, for he could not honorably
break his engagement. AS for himself
we'll, he sighed and thought drearily he
would rather suffer lifetime of misery
than give Helen Chalmers moments pain
Jesse was young and would forget MIN
he reasoned, while he would 60 through
; the world with the memory of his brie1
blissful summer safely buried in the mos
sacred corner of his heart.
The afternoon wore slowly away, ant
still Paul sat in the arbor consumed will
; thousand contending emotions. He hearl
voices at last that aroused him from hi
) stupor, and familiar ring in one cause(
him to hasten out.
What did he see =? Jessie Harper stand
ing under the honeysuckles, a perfect pic
ture of innocence and purity in her whit
dress and blue ribbons, and a tall lady il
silver gray, who was talking earnestly.
"This IS farmer Harper's?" said the
lady.
eyes, ma'am,' replied Jessie, littl
awed by the strangers elegance.
'You have a summer boarder?"
eyes; Mr.. Jannings."
Jessie's eyes dropped.
"Ah No wonder he improved so fast
He has had charming nurse"
The lady laughed pleasantly.
Jessie blushed painfully.
81 did my best" - she said, humbly. 81
he your brother?"
i mo /; my intended husband,